Proposed EU rule could offer 2-year software guarantee

The BBC reports that Commissioners Viviane Reding and Meglena Kuneva want to expand current consumer protection regulations to include licensed software. Such a move would encompass games as well as virtually every other type of software. If this EU proposal becomes law though, European consumers stuck in either situation would be able to return the game in question without issue. According to the proposal, consumers would be guaranteed that their games would work for up to 2 years:

Consumers need good quality products - that is only reasonable - but if the legislation is too heavy-handed it could make publishers and developers very cautious... Games takes years to develop and software teams often have to predict what new technology will be in place when the game is actually finished.

If there is an onus on developers to have software that is 'near perfect' then it could stifle new ideas as people could end up just playing it safe.

Digital content is not a tangible good and should not be subject to the same liability rules as toasters.