(EN) Game preservation and industry obligations | Mundo Gamer Jobs

Have you ever wondered what will happen to the thousands of new games that have increasingly become exclusive to digital media over the years? And what about the numerous others that were released in the past and are now difficult to access? These are questions that are increasingly being discussed within the gamer community and by developers in the field, who find themselves both under pressure and obligated to preserve their games.

Recently, Microsoft announced the creation of a division entirely dedicated to the preservation of Xbox games. This need comes with the realization that many old games have been lost over time and have become difficult to access for players who want to try them or learn about their history. Moreover, the developer had closed its physical games sector shortly before creating the new preservation team.

A study released by the Video Game History Foundation (VGHF) and the Software Preservation Network, institutions dedicated to the preservation of computer software and games, revealed that 87% of classic games released in the United States are at risk of being lost over time. The research analyzed about 4,000 games released before 2010, and found that a large part of them are not easily accessible.

A much-discussed aspect is the closure of online stores from past generations. This was the case with Nintendo for the 3DS and Wii U, which had their stores closed and no longer allow players to buy official games online. Considering older consoles, the GameBoy is one of the least accessible today. The VGHF estimates that only 25 of the 1,873 video game titles released in the USA are easily accessible.

Corporate Obligations and Emulation

Despite Microsoft and Xbox's concern with backward compatibility of games and preservation, not all companies and developers make a similar investment. And, when talking about preservation, it refers to the accessibility of original copies of a title.

It is a fact that emulation plays a crucial role in the longevity of these games since, oftentimes, it is the only option for accessing titles no longer sold or lost in time. However, the issue of emulation, especially regarding the distribution of ROMs and pirated copies of games, is constantly discussed and considered a crime due to copyright laws. This does not prevent players from having access to emulation programs and files, but it does highlight the urgent need for companies and developers to pay attention to the issue of preservation.

If emulation becomes the only path to game preservation, it is safe to say that the video game industry lacks attention to this matter. It is necessary that the issue be addressed beyond a commercial logic that dominates the field.

Preserving games will hardly be highly profitable initially for major developers, but it represents an extremely important value beyond revenue. The historicity, reference value, and QUALITY of old games should not be lost and restricted to their era, or depend solely on emulation. For this, it is necessary that the industry values principles beyond the commercial and recognizes the importance of its history.

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Author: Guilherme Henrique Novais Moreira