In the grand scheme of things, video games haven’t been around all that long, and yet video game preservation has been a trending topic in recent years. Retro video games from the 80s that have been lovingly preserved are selling for thousands, if not millions, of dollars. Now that we are about 50 years since the birth of video games, many look to the dwindling supply of older consoles and their games with concern. Fewer older systems such as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and original PlayStation and their games continue to work. Many collect dust, sold at yard sales–or even worse, discarded all together, and back then, there was no e-copy or cloud to save your data on.
Many people now ask how we can ensure these older games can be accessible in the future. Unlike books and film, there are many challenges when addressing video games.
There are currently few options such as porting and emulation. Sometimes, publishers will port a popular game to an updated console and sell it at a high price point. While there are some official emulators, many gamers simply download one on their computer and utilize ROMs; however, that can get them into legal trouble, and some publishers (e.g. Nintendo) are willing to take action.
Who is responsible for game preservation? Is it up to the fans or publisher? Should the government be involved? What if the publisher has no intention of re-releasing a game made in the 80s because it makes no financial sense to them? There also isn’t much clarity regarding how video games can become public domain like music can, which leaves avid fans with their hands tied.
Video games, like any other form of art, deserves to be preserved. Now that games created in the 80s have become rare to come across, it’s more important than ever to ensure people can continue to enjoy them–whether to play or appreciate it as a piece of history. It may be easy to point the finger at publishers like Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft, but without much regulation on the matter, we have little control over how we would like to see these games preserved. Perhaps as fans, we should start voicing our opinions more, and advocate for a consistent and positive impact on video game preservation.
What are your thoughts on game preservation? Should gamers be able to emulate more? Should publishers ease up on legal action? Let us know all your thoughts on our Boss Rush Discord!
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