9 out of 10 classic video games are not available

From fixing old, defunct Sega Saturns to dropping hundreds of dollars on eBay for rare titles like the GameCube’s Eternal Darkness: Requiem for ReasonFans of retro games already know the struggle of enjoying the early games. For video game historians, the situation is even worse. There are many Nationally recognized and commended services to watch thousands of classic movies, but a new study shows that for the vast majority of gaming history from the 1970s onward, nine out of 10 games are still not available to customers, and thus, the growing sector of video game archivers.

a a report From the Video Game History Foundation working in conjunction with the Software Preservation Network, claims that the vast majority of games from the 1970s through 2009 have largely remained out of the hands of gamers and historians. Only 13% of games released in the US were released prior to the era of mass digital distribution Available legally and commercially. The remaining 87% is only playable through some museum or through industry-defeated piracy. Otherwise, you will need to spend large amounts of time and money collecting old software and hardware to experience the relics of your gaming past.

In a phone interview with Gizmodo, Phil Salvador — library director at VGHF — compared the situation to film where there is a lot of buying from the film industry in general to save. “Imagine if you could just have it Titanic on VHS, and even then you can only see it behind a glass case. “

in the group reconnaissanceThey examined 4,000 historical video games released before 2010 and looked at whether they were still available through legitimate rights holders. This included games from obsolete platforms such as the Commodore 64 and more from still widely available consoles such as the PlayStation 2. Although the latter system was one of the most popular game consoles ever, with a long lifespan that continued even after the PlayStation 3 was released, Only 12% of his games remain available. There was no five-year period prior to 2010 when availability rose above 20%. For games released before 1985, only 3% is now reachable.

Salvador said the researchers were surprised that even some of the most popular games were still not available. Surely, few are really excited about it ratatouille GameBoy tie-in, but no way to play even massively successful games like Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Outside of owning the title on a defunct PS3 or emulating it on PC. As stated in the company blog postthe closest comparison available to other historical media would be a century old, such as pre-World War II sound at 10% and silent films at 14%.

“It shows, even with all the interest in some of these older titles, that you’re not going to cross the 30% or more barrier,” Salvador said.

There are currently centers of video game history, such as the Powerful Gameplay Museum in Rochester, New York, but the problem is access. A researcher shouldn’t have to fly hundreds or even thousands of miles and then saddle up for what could be 10, 20, or even 50 hours of gameplay in order to understand the gaming past. Occasionally, game publishers will Open the window to allow more users to play part of your video game history before closing it. It has created a cottage industry of small businesses and individuals who Make aftermarket or modified consoles Capable of running early programs.

Some companies like Digital Eclipse has created a modern simulation of classic gamesHowever, some companies remain very protective of their content. Nintendo is probably the most IP-sensitive company out there of any major company, and ever since The company has closed access to its online store In March, players and savers were unable to access much of the company’s early catalog.

Rights issues keep ancient games out of the hands of historians

The non-profit VGHF Foundation founded by noted game historian Frank Cifaldi with the goal of preserving and publishing the history of the medium. The organization has complained that the current ruling on copyright law, particularly in relation to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, means that some companies store their intellectual property despite calls to make it available for archival purposes.

The nonprofit has cited the Entertainment Software Association as the main lobby group arguing the US Copyright Office is doing enough to grant access to older titles. ESA Trade Group claimed That the companies that operate under their banner — which include the likes of Nintendo, Sony, Electronic Arts, and Activision Blizzard — already make enough of their content commercial. The group cited some game console knockoffs such as Sony PlayStation Classic That comes with only 20 games in the box.

In a statement sent to Gizmodo, an ESA spokesperson said: “The economic and creative vitality of the video game industry depends on strong copyright protection. ESA and its member companies are committed to supporting professional efforts to preserve, and actively support, video games in ways that do not jeopardize economic opportunity.” The future of their creative work is at risk.”

The situation isn’t necessarily hostile, Salvador said, but there simply wasn’t enough data to show how big of a problem it is for people trying to make sure a gaming record is maintained and academically accessible. Some games also have very complex rights situations, which prevents publishers from giving them a full vacation. Archivists are very concerned about getting on the wrong side of an intellectual property lawsuit, so they are less likely to seek pardon than permission.

“In a lot of cases, there’s some confusion with pricing, there are licenses tied to someone, or they depend on a specific console, BIOS, or some underlying code that they don’t have access to,” Salvador said. “It’s not so much about discrediting the industry for not keeping games in print. To them, it’s not worth it economically…we just need something more sustainable.”