A consumer rights focused classification system for game availability and preservation after official support ends.
Aligned with the Stop Killing Games movement campaign and EU consumer protection advocacy.
Spec version:VGPR v1.0
What publishers do when ending support for their games may vary vastly, ranging from honoring the purchases to not even letting players keep the game in their digital libraries. This rating system serves to make that range clear and instantly understood to the customers.
| Rating | Meaning |
|---|---|
| p5 | No dead infrastructure dependency, fully playable |
| p4 | Minor losses, community-sustainable |
| p3 | Notable content loss, core experience reachable |
| p2 | Barely functional, broken without dead servers |
| p1 | Deliberately destroyed, no recourse for consumer |
| NR | EoL not reached or pending review |
| Tag | Meaning |
|---|---|
| OS | Source code officially released |
| SDK | Full dev/modding toolkit released |
| SRV | Dedicated server binaries released |
| SP | Sunset patch issued, game made offline-capable |
| ON | Online-oriented, online is the core design intent |
| DRM | Always-online DRM with no gameplay justification |
| DLS | Delisted and cannot be legally acquired by new players |
| Game | Rating | Tags |
|---|---|---|
| The Crew | p1 | ON, DLS |
| Anthem | p1 | ON, DLS |
| SimCity (2013) | p4 | DRM |
| Left 4 Dead 2 | p4 | SDK, SRV, DRM |
| Quake | p5 | OS, SDK, SRV |
Shield badges:
Link to the specific rating file when one exists:
[](https://github.com/makovanilya/VGPR/blob/main/ratings/the-crew.md)Or link to the repo root if no file exists yet:
[](https://github.com/makovanilya/VGPR)You can also include tags in the badge label:
[](https://github.com/makovanilya/VGPR/blob/main/ratings/the-crew.md)- Submit a rating → open an issue
- Dispute a rating → open a discussion
- Read the full rules → CONTRIBUTING.md
All ratings require sourced evidence. See CRITERIA.md for exact definitions.
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
| CRITERIA.md | Full falsifiable criteria for every tier and modifier |
| CONTRIBUTING.md | How to submit and dispute ratings |
| docs/faq.md | Common questions |
| CHANGELOG.md | Spec version history |
CC0 1.0 Universal — Public domain. Use freely, no attribution required.