California bill to preserve access to online games advances

A proposed law requiring game publishers to offer refunds or playable patches for supported online titles has cleared a major committee hurdle in the state Assembly. The measure, known as the Protect Our Games Act, would apply to games released on or after January 1, 2027.

Assemblymember Chris Ward introduced the bill in February 2026. It advanced through the Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee, the Judiciary Committee and the Appropriations Committee, where it passed by an 11-2 vote on May 14. The legislation now heads to a floor vote in the full Assembly.

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Federal judge approving $7.85M Sony PlayStation antitrust settlement in courtroom, with PS5 console, controllers, and store credits on bench.
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US court preliminarily approves $7.85 million Sony PlayStation digital games antitrust settlement

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A federal judge in the Northern District of California has granted preliminary approval to a $7.85 million class-action settlement against Sony Interactive Entertainment over alleged anticompetitive practices on the PlayStation Store. Eligible US PlayStation Network users who bought certain digital games or vouchers from April 1, 2019, to December 31, 2023, could receive automatic store credits or refunds, even if accounts are inactive (contact lawyers if former user). A final fairness hearing is set for October 15, 2026.

The California State Assembly passed the Protect Our Games Act by a 43 to 16 vote. The bill addresses consumer rights for video games as outlined by the Stop Killing Games movement.

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The Entertainment Software Association has spoken out against a proposed consumer protection law in California that would require game companies to offer offline versions, patches, or refunds when online services end.

Two Nintendo customers have filed a class action lawsuit against the company, seeking refunds for higher prices paid due to now-invalidated tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. The suit, filed on April 21 in the United States District Court’s Western District of Washington, argues that Nintendo passed tariff costs to consumers while pursuing government refunds. As first reported by Aftermath, the plaintiffs aim to prevent Nintendo from profiting twice from the same payments.

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New demonstrations confirm the 30-day internet check DRM affects both PS4 and PS5 digital games bought after March, as initially reported last week. Content creators replicated license blocks after offline simulations, while PlayStation Support has given conflicting answers. Sony remains silent.

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