I thought the board could use a general thread for preservation related info, studies, articles, random social media posts, etc. that might not be worthy of their own thread + are not only about providing rom access or emulation technology. Lots of people on this board are either interested in the area or work / do academic research here so maybe some interesting stuff will get posted.
Why Video Game Preservation Matters, from the Video Game History Foundation:
Video game preservation matters because video games matter. Games are deeply ingrained in our culture, and they're here to stay. They generated an unprecedented $91 billion dollars in revenue in 2016. They're being collected by the Smithsonian, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Library of Congress. They've inspired dozens of feature films and even more books. They're used as a medium of personal expression, as the means for raising money for charity, as educational tools, and in therapy.
And yet, despite all this, video game history is disappearing. The majority of games that have been created throughout history are no longer easily accessible to study and play. And even when we can play games, that playable code is only a part of the story.
In order to know how and why games were made, how they were advertised and sold, and even how they were seen by players of their time, historians and researchers rely on ephemeral materials - artwork, interviews, reviews, packaging, advertising, internal documentation, and more - to tell a complete story. And without an organized effort to collect, document, and preserve these materials, there is a very real danger of losing them forever.
Organizations and Institutions
Video Game History Foundation
Natoinal Museum of Play
Japanese Game Preservation Society
Web Resources
Unseen64
Game Developer Research Institute
Video Game Densetsu (now 'closed' but materials being kept up)
Just threw resources here that came to mind so I might be missing a lot. Feel free to suggest things.
Why Video Game Preservation Matters, from the Video Game History Foundation:
Video game preservation matters because video games matter. Games are deeply ingrained in our culture, and they're here to stay. They generated an unprecedented $91 billion dollars in revenue in 2016. They're being collected by the Smithsonian, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Library of Congress. They've inspired dozens of feature films and even more books. They're used as a medium of personal expression, as the means for raising money for charity, as educational tools, and in therapy.
And yet, despite all this, video game history is disappearing. The majority of games that have been created throughout history are no longer easily accessible to study and play. And even when we can play games, that playable code is only a part of the story.
In order to know how and why games were made, how they were advertised and sold, and even how they were seen by players of their time, historians and researchers rely on ephemeral materials - artwork, interviews, reviews, packaging, advertising, internal documentation, and more - to tell a complete story. And without an organized effort to collect, document, and preserve these materials, there is a very real danger of losing them forever.
Organizations and Institutions
Video Game History Foundation
Natoinal Museum of Play
(Note this is a general games museum not just video games, so I'll just link that stuff)
Archival Collections Related to Video and Other Electronic Games
Video and Other Electronic Game Collections
http://www.museumofplay.org/about/icheg
Archival Collections Related to Video and Other Electronic Games
Video and Other Electronic Game Collections
Japanese Game Preservation Society
Web Resources
Unseen64
Game Developer Research Institute
Video Game Densetsu (now 'closed' but materials being kept up)
Just threw resources here that came to mind so I might be missing a lot. Feel free to suggest things.
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