A Disappearing History
Every year, games become unplayable. Servers shut down, digital storefronts close, and titles that defined generations of players simply vanish. The gaming industry has a preservation crisis, and it's time we talked about it.
The Scale of the Problem
Studies estimate that a significant portion of games released before 2010 are no longer commercially available through any legal means. For online-only games, the situation is even more dire — when the servers go dark, the game effectively ceases to exist.
Who's Fighting to Save Games?
The Video Game History Foundation
Leading the charge in cataloging and preserving gaming history, advocating for legal frameworks that protect preservation efforts.
The Internet Archive
Housing thousands of playable classic games through browser emulation, making gaming history accessible to everyone.
Fan Communities
ROM preservation groups, modding communities, and dedicated fans often do the heavy lifting of keeping games alive long after their official support ends.
The Legal Challenge
Current copyright law makes game preservation legally complex. The DMCA's anti-circumvention provisions can make it illegal to modify games to keep them running, even when no commercial alternative exists.
What Can We Do?
- Support preservation organizations financially and vocally
- Buy physical when possible — physical media is easier to preserve
- Advocate for better laws around digital preservation
- Document gaming history through reviews, let's plays, and articles
- Support developers who release source code for older titles
The Future
The good news is that awareness is growing. More developers are open-sourcing old games, and legal frameworks are slowly evolving. But the race against time continues.
Every game is someone's favorite. Every game is a piece of cultural history. And every game deserves the chance to be experienced by future generations.
