GOG.com has released “Video Game Preservation Recap 2024,” a documentary featuring industry experts discussing the importance of video game preservation and highlighting significant developments in the field over the past year. The initiative underscores the growing recognition of video games as a vital part of cultural heritage.
Industry Leaders Champion Preservation Efforts
The documentary features insights from prominent figures in video game preservation, including Frank Cifaldi (Video Game History Foundation), Andrew Borman (Strong National Museum of Play), Christian Bartsch and Istvan Fabian (Kryoflux GMBH), Matthias Oborski (Computerspielemuseum in Berlin), Daniel Ondruska (Stop Killing Games), Mike Arkin (Argonaut Games), David Bostrom and Natalia Kovalainen (Embracer Games Archive), Jason Scott (Internet Archive), Stephen Kick and Larry Kuperman (Nightdive Studios), Willem Hilhorst (Sound & Vision Archive), and Marcin Paczyński (GOG).
Andrew Borman emphasized the urgency of preservation, stating, “We need to act now to preserve our history—we cannot wait!”
2024: A Year of Progress
“Video Game Preservation Recap 2024” celebrates several key achievements in video game preservation during 2024:
- The launch of GOG’s Preservation Program, ensuring the accessibility and playability of over 100 classic games on modern systems.
- Legislative progress in the European Union recognizing video games as digital heritage, alongside initiatives like Stop Killing Video Games advocating for systematic preservation efforts.
- Significant acquisitions by museums, enriching collections with rare prototypes, developer notes, and original artwork.
- Remasters and re-releases of iconic games offering insights into their development processes while balancing modernization with the preservation of their original essence.
A Call to Action: Preserving Gaming’s Legacy
Mike Arkin issued a passionate plea for developers to preserve their work, urging them to save old hard drives containing game code and donate archival materials to museums. This call to action has already yielded positive results, with some developers donating valuable archives.
GOG Joins EFGAMP, Reinforcing Commitment
GOG further solidified its dedication to video game preservation by becoming the first Polish institution to join the European Federation of Game Archives, Museums, and Preservation Projects (EFGAMP) in January 2025. Founded in 2012, EFGAMP is the largest European organization focused on preserving video games and digital media as cultural heritage.
GOG preservation program: https://www.gog.com/en/gog-preservation-program
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