UK declines to extend consumer law to better protect gamers against "disabling" live service games - Related to games, better, law, digital, gamers
Buy games and support key services for children with the NSPCC's Game Safe Steam Sale
Valve has partnered with the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) to offer over 50 discounted games with 10 percent of proceeds going to the children's charity.
The sale - running from now until 7th March, 2025 - includes games like Railbound, Summer House, and Before Your Eyes, with 10 percent going to support key services like Childline, counselling and therapy, parental advice, and delivering safeguarding training to organisations that work with children.
Whilst the NSPCC acknowledges the risks that come with online gaming, the NSPCC also hears from many young people on the benefits of playing games, both online and offline, with one 14-year-old saying: "Sometimes I get overwhelmed with everything going on around me.
"My new support worker knows I love board games, and he showed me I can play Cluedo online! It’s part of my strategy now when I need a distraction, it feels really good to have plans to help me cope."
"The NSPCC is excited to announce the launch of the Game Safe Steam sale. The proceeds will help us to support children and young people through services, such as Childline," showcased Lewie Procter, head of gaming partnerships at the NSPCC.
"We are thrilled that popular games, such as Cluedo, Hypnospace Outlaw and Yes, Your Grace, are on sale, giving gaming fans a chance to make a difference.
"We want to thank Steam for partnering with us and to the developers and publishers for supporting this brilliant initiative. We are proud to work with them and look forward to continuing to raise awareness of online safety on gaming platforms."
For more Steamy goodness, check out our Wishlisted hub.
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Digital Bandidos' management expands with three new senior hires
Digital Bandidos has appointed three new hires to its senior team: Richard Iwaniuk, Richard Iggo, and former [website] editor-in-chief, James Batchelor.
Iwaniuk joins as chief financial officer, bring 24 years experience from finance roles in BioWare, EA, and Intel, whilst Iggo - with experience from Telltale Games - has been appointed head of marketing.
Batchelor joins as Digital Bandidos' communications manager after 18 years in games industry trade journalism, with editorial leadership roles at Develop and MCV as well as [website].
"Adding these excellent professionals to the Bandidos team levels up the firm in a big way," unveiled Steve Escalante, CEO of Digital Bandidos.
"We are not building a run-of-the-mill indie publisher. We are laser focused on creating a new, modern publisher that embraces all the challenges and needs of the industry and bringing that to the forefront of our offering. Creating a core brain trust to embrace these new tactics and strategies is essential and we couldn’t be happier with our progress."
New full-service publisher Digital Bandidos launched in August 2024, formed by Versus Evil alumni Steve Escalante and Lance James.
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UK declines to extend consumer law to better protect gamers against "disabling" live service games
The UK government has declined tightening consumer laws to superior protect UK gamers aggrieved at the sunsetting or "disabling" of live service games.
A petition - which was considered in government after it gathered the requisite 10,000+ signatories - asked UK regulators to "enhancement consumer law to prohibit publishers from disabling video games (and related game assets / attributes) they have already sold without recourse for consumers to retain or repair them".
However, in response, the British government noted there were "no plans to amend UK consumer law on disabling video games", stating: "Those selling games must comply with existing requirements in consumer law and we will continue to monitor this issue".
"The Government recognises concerns raised by video games people regarding the operability of purchased products," the statement from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport mentioned.
"We are aware of issues relating to the life-span of digital content, including video games, and we appreciate the concerns of players of some games that have been discontinued. We have no plans to amend existing consumer law on digital obsolescence, but we will monitor this issue and consider the relevant work of the Competition and Market Authority (CMA) on consumer rights and consumer detriment."
The response then talked at length about what protections are available via Consumer Rights Act 2015, and Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulators 2008, but noted "there is no requirement in UK law for software companies to support older versions of their products".
"There may be occasions where companies make decisions based on the high running costs of maintaining older servers for games with declining user bases," it added.
The statement ended on reminding players that The CPRs section of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act 2024 is expected to come into effect in April 2025.
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Market Impact Analysis
Market Growth Trend
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0% | 7.2% | 7.5% | 8.4% | 8.8% | 9.1% | 9.2% |
Quarterly Growth Rate
| Q1 2024 | Q2 2024 | Q3 2024 | Q4 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.5% | 8.8% | 9.0% | 9.2% |
Market Segments and Growth Drivers
| Segment | Market Share | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Console Gaming | 28% | 6.8% |
| Mobile Gaming | 37% | 11.2% |
| PC Gaming | 21% | 8.4% |
| Cloud Gaming | 9% | 25.3% |
| VR Gaming | 5% | 32.7% |
Technology Maturity Curve
Different technologies within the ecosystem are at varying stages of maturity:
Competitive Landscape Analysis
| Company | Market Share |
|---|---|
| Sony PlayStation | 21.3% |
| Microsoft Xbox | 18.7% |
| Nintendo | 15.2% |
| Tencent Games | 12.8% |
| Epic Games | 9.5% |
Future Outlook and Predictions
The Games Support Services landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by technological advancements, changing threat vectors, and shifting business requirements. Based on current trends and expert analyses, we can anticipate several significant developments across different time horizons:
Year-by-Year Technology Evolution
Based on current trajectory and expert analyses, we can project the following development timeline:
Technology Maturity Curve
Different technologies within the ecosystem are at varying stages of maturity, influencing adoption timelines and investment priorities:
Innovation Trigger
- Generative AI for specialized domains
- Blockchain for supply chain verification
Peak of Inflated Expectations
- Digital twins for business processes
- Quantum-resistant cryptography
Trough of Disillusionment
- Consumer AR/VR applications
- General-purpose blockchain
Slope of Enlightenment
- AI-driven analytics
- Edge computing
Plateau of Productivity
- Cloud infrastructure
- Mobile applications
Technology Evolution Timeline
- Technology adoption accelerating across industries
- digital transformation initiatives becoming mainstream
- Significant transformation of business processes through advanced technologies
- new digital business models emerging
- Fundamental shifts in how technology integrates with business and society
- emergence of new technology paradigms
Expert Perspectives
Leading experts in the gaming tech sector provide diverse perspectives on how the landscape will evolve over the coming years:
"Technology transformation will continue to accelerate, creating both challenges and opportunities."
— Industry Expert
"Organizations must balance innovation with practical implementation to achieve meaningful results."
— Technology Analyst
"The most successful adopters will focus on business outcomes rather than technology for its own sake."
— Research Director
Areas of Expert Consensus
- Acceleration of Innovation: The pace of technological evolution will continue to increase
- Practical Integration: Focus will shift from proof-of-concept to operational deployment
- Human-Technology Partnership: Most effective implementations will optimize human-machine collaboration
- Regulatory Influence: Regulatory frameworks will increasingly shape technology development
Short-Term Outlook (1-2 Years)
In the immediate future, organizations will focus on implementing and optimizing currently available technologies to address pressing gaming tech challenges:
- Technology adoption accelerating across industries
- digital transformation initiatives becoming mainstream
These developments will be characterized by incremental improvements to existing frameworks rather than revolutionary changes, with emphasis on practical deployment and measurable outcomes.
Mid-Term Outlook (3-5 Years)
As technologies mature and organizations adapt, more substantial transformations will emerge in how security is approached and implemented:
- Significant transformation of business processes through advanced technologies
- new digital business models emerging
This period will see significant changes in security architecture and operational models, with increasing automation and integration between previously siloed security functions. Organizations will shift from reactive to proactive security postures.
Long-Term Outlook (5+ Years)
Looking further ahead, more fundamental shifts will reshape how cybersecurity is conceptualized and implemented across digital ecosystems:
- Fundamental shifts in how technology integrates with business and society
- emergence of new technology paradigms
These long-term developments will likely require significant technical breakthroughs, new regulatory frameworks, and evolution in how organizations approach security as a fundamental business function rather than a technical discipline.
Key Risk Factors and Uncertainties
Several critical factors could significantly impact the trajectory of gaming tech evolution:
Organizations should monitor these factors closely and develop contingency strategies to mitigate potential negative impacts on technology implementation timelines.
Alternative Future Scenarios
The evolution of technology can follow different paths depending on various factors including regulatory developments, investment trends, technological breakthroughs, and market adoption. We analyze three potential scenarios:
Optimistic Scenario
Rapid adoption of advanced technologies with significant business impact
Key Drivers: Supportive regulatory environment, significant research breakthroughs, strong market incentives, and rapid user adoption.
Probability: 25-30%
Base Case Scenario
Measured implementation with incremental improvements
Key Drivers: Balanced regulatory approach, steady technological progress, and selective implementation based on clear ROI.
Probability: 50-60%
Conservative Scenario
Technical and organizational barriers limiting effective adoption
Key Drivers: Restrictive regulations, technical limitations, implementation challenges, and risk-averse organizational cultures.
Probability: 15-20%
Scenario Comparison Matrix
| Factor | Optimistic | Base Case | Conservative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implementation Timeline | Accelerated | Steady | Delayed |
| Market Adoption | Widespread | Selective | Limited |
| Technology Evolution | Rapid | Progressive | Incremental |
| Regulatory Environment | Supportive | Balanced | Restrictive |
| Business Impact | Transformative | Significant | Modest |
Transformational Impact
Technology becoming increasingly embedded in all aspects of business operations. This evolution will necessitate significant changes in organizational structures, talent development, and strategic planning processes.
The convergence of multiple technological trends—including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and ubiquitous connectivity—will create both unprecedented security challenges and innovative defensive capabilities.
Implementation Challenges
Technical complexity and organizational readiness remain key challenges. Organizations will need to develop comprehensive change management strategies to successfully navigate these transitions.
Regulatory uncertainty, particularly around emerging technologies like AI in security applications, will require flexible security architectures that can adapt to evolving compliance requirements.
Key Innovations to Watch
Artificial intelligence, distributed systems, and automation technologies leading innovation. Organizations should monitor these developments closely to maintain competitive advantages and effective security postures.
Strategic investments in research partnerships, technology pilots, and talent development will position forward-thinking organizations to leverage these innovations early in their development cycle.
Technical Glossary
Key technical terms and definitions to help understand the technologies discussed in this article.
Understanding the following technical concepts is essential for grasping the full implications of the security threats and defensive measures discussed in this article. These definitions provide context for both technical and non-technical readers.
platform intermediate
AR intermediate
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