A bill advancing through the California legislature would require video game publishers to provide continued access to online games after shutting down their servers or offer refunds to consumers.

The proposed legislation targets the practice of permanently disabling games when publishers discontinue online services, leaving consumers unable to access products they purchased. Under the bill, publishers would be required to offer an "independent" play patch that allows offline functionality or provide refunds to affected customers.

The measure reflects growing consumer advocacy concerns about digital ownership rights in the gaming industry. When publishers shut down game servers, players often lose access to titles they paid for, particularly for games that require online connectivity even for single-player modes.

The bill's advancement comes amid broader discussions about consumer protections in digital markets, where companies maintain significant control over purchased content through server dependencies and licensing agreements.

If passed, California's legislation could influence industry practices nationwide, given the state's large gaming market and history of setting consumer protection standards that other states often adopt. The gaming industry has not yet provided detailed public responses to the proposed requirements.