A ground-breaking study conducted by the Video Game History Foundation in collaboration with the Software Preservation Network has revealed disheartening findings regarding the accessibility of classic video games. According to the study, an alarming 87% of classic video games released in the United States are currently classified as critically endangered.
- 87% of classic games are not in release, and are considered critically endangered
- Availability is low across every platform and time period tracked in the study
- Libraries and archives can digitally preserve, but not digitally share video games, and can provide on-premises access only
- Libraries and archives are allowed to digitally share other media types, such as books, film, and audio, and are not restricted to on-premises access
- The Entertainment Software Association, the video game industry’s lobbying group, has consistently fought against expanding video game preservation within libraries and archives
Consider a scenario where the sole method of experiencing the iconic movie Ghostbusters was by hunting down a secondhand VHS tape and maintaining antiquated equipment solely for that purpose. Moreover, imagine that even prestigious institutions like the Library of Congress were unable to offer a more convenient solution. While this might sound absurd, it reflects the unfortunate reality faced by the world of video games—a thriving industry valued at $180 billion—where games and their rich history are progressively vanishing.
Its estimated that only 13% of video game history is available on the various marketplace platforms, so for around nearly 9 in 10 classic games there is not much solution other than to travel the World to find the original media, beg, borrow or steal from a friend who has it, or using your previous backed up copy or piracy.
Head over to The Video Game History Foundation for more on this report, and see if you can get actively involved with the almost absurd copyright laws!
