PROTECTING VIDEO GAMES’ LEGACY


Ryan Brown from Lost in Cult on the challenges of video game preservation, and how some around the industry are taking new steps to change the ‘lost media’ status quo


W Ryan Brown, Lost in Cult


ith online storefronts closing, recent network outages on consoles, and entire access to video games removed


completely with delistings and shutdowns, the topic of preservation and access to games seems to be one that is slowly rising in awareness within a certain section of gamers. Of course, it’s still very much an issue that just appeals to a niche subsection of industry workers and players - at least for now. The idea that the biggest and, in our opinion,


greatest entertainment medium may have successful, influential, or otherwise creatively and artistically important titles simply disappear forever is absurd, yet it is the reality we live in. While other mediums like music and film face similar issues in the face of the subscription-based, digital-only future, none of that compares to gaming. A recent report by The Video Game History Foundation found that a shocking 87% of classic video games released in the US are considered critically endangered, meaning 9 out of 10 games released on older hardware are simply unavailable without acquiring its vintage original hardware and an original physical copy, visiting one of the few video game-supporting libraries or archives, or slightly more grey area means. Global copyright laws and, unfortunately, the lack of massive money signs for most older content means some game companies either don’t care for or cannot afford to make older video games more consistently available. When we talk about


“preservation”, we seem to be talking largely about access to


8 | MCV/DEVELOP February/March 2025


games, both for classic games and, more recently as a hot topic, continued ownership and access to modern console AAA and indie games. Gamers are increasingly becoming concerned at the idea that one day, the games they buy now will be completely inaccessible, be it from digital services shutting down, or internet connectivity and updates needed for even some single-player physical releases. It’s more important, now than ever, that a physical copy of a game on your shelf will still work perfectly when you pop it into your console 20 years from now. Certain campaigns like that of the Stop


Killing Games petition have been raising some awareness of title shutdowns and arguing for government intervention, while groups like Does it Play test and review both retail and limited print physical games to determine whether they’re fully playable offline and have all of the content on its disc or cartridge. But, as well as accessibility, there is a deeper


preservation aspect that we at Lost In Cult know only too well: lost art, lost stories, lost experiences. This wealth of knowledge, of researchable artwork and development stories, is almost always lost to the ether, and is one our preservation, prestige and design-focused company are working hard at doing our bit to address with our deep dive Design Works books, showcasing all the concept art, doodles, and full developmental journey from the mouths of developers themselves (and our talented editorial writers). Games are a serious art form, and they should be treated as such, just like other mediums, and while other groups and companies like us are doing our bit, we can’t do it alone. We’re working on a new physical secret range


that we hope addresses most of these preservation and video game access issues in our own small way, so watch this space.


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