Games preservation took steps forward in 2024 - but still has a long way to go
Silent-era American films have a better survival rate than classic video games. Let that sink in. The findings of 2023's Video Game History Foundation report suggested that 87 percent of classic video games released in the United States are "critically endangered". What this means materially is that only 13 percent of games released before 2010 are readily accessible today. Historically, preservation has been a concern exclusively for academics and dedicated game history buffs, but in the last few years, preservation as a field has made significant progress in puncturing the games culture bubble. As stories of live-service games being taken offline before they have a chance to find an audience become more frequent, the awareness that our favourite digital pastime is under an existential threat is more apparent than ever. Read more
Silent-era American films have a better survival rate than classic video games. Let that sink in. The findings of 2023's Video Game History Foundation report suggested that 87 percent of classic video games released in the United States are "critically endangered". What this means materially is that only 13 percent of games released before 2010 are readily accessible today. Historically, preservation has been a concern exclusively for academics and dedicated game history buffs, but in the last few years, preservation as a field has made significant progress in puncturing the games culture bubble. As stories of live-service games being taken offline before they have a chance to find an audience become more frequent, the awareness that our favourite digital pastime is under an existential threat is more apparent than ever.
