International Video Games Preservation
Survey Report
Over 96% of classic Australian video games are critically endangered and at risk of being lost forever. But it’s not game over! The NFSA, in collaboration with The Strong National Museum of Play and supported by the BFI National Archive, conducted a landmark survey in late 2023. This report explores the challenges and opportunities in preserving our gaming heritage, and calls for increased international collaboration.
Arneil C (2024) International Video Game Preservation Survey Report, National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, Australian Government.
Executive summary
Over 50 organisations responded to the survey, including major cultural institutions, game preservation societies, universities, video game companies and private archives.
The International Video Game Preservation Survey, conducted by the NFSA in collaboration with The Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games and supported by the BFI National Archive, sheds light on the state of video game preservation worldwide.
Despite the cultural significance of video games, much of their history remains inaccessible. The survey identified key challenges, including limited resources, legal and technical barriers, and the need for better collaboration and expertise.
Findings emphasise the importance of ongoing efforts to preserve video games, highlighting the necessity for regular surveys to track trends and changing priorities.
As digital distribution and cloud streaming expand, understanding how organisations manage these shifts will be crucial for preserving mobile games and other emerging platforms.
Key findings
Diverse drivers
Responses from a diverse range of groups showed video games are being collected and preserved for a variety of reasons – as artworks, objects of study, published works, technology, objects of play, intellectual property, contemporary media and cultural heritage.
Access challenges
While most organisations offered some form of access to their collections, challenges around legal and technical issues limited the extent of access provided.
Underpowered preservation
Most public and cultural organisations performing video game preservation activities did this work without dedicated staffing resources.
Critical under-resourcing
Financial and resourcing issues, staff time constraints and institutional support/recognition posed the most significant challenges for organisations. Preservation activities were often mentioned as being critically under-resourced for the amount of attention they require.
Low priority, high stakes
In nearly all cases, public and cultural institutions performed video game preservation activities as a small part of their overall remit.
Digital disparity
Organisations were almost twice as likely to hold software on physical carriers than contemporary digitally distributed video games, placing these contemporary titles at risk.
Expertise imbalance
Organisations were more likely to face barriers of expertise in the early stages of developing their video game preservation programs, while legal and rights issues were raised more by organisations in the later stages.
Industry alliances
Over half of the organisations surveyed had contact or formal agreements with the video game industry or developers, facilitating partnerships for preservation efforts.
Network activation
Despite limited active partnerships between organisations and groups, participation in networks like the Software Preservation Network and the Digital Preservation Coalition was notable.
Quest for collaboration
Respondents recognised the need for more structured collaboration and information sharing within the field, suggesting initiatives such as international associations and standardised cataloguing systems.
Game Not Over
Organisations around the world are hitting the start button on preserving our video game history.
More on games
The NFSA’s video game collection continues to expand rapidly as the institution evolves in response to trends in media production and consumption in the 21st century.
The NFSA is internationally recognised as a leader in audiovisual digitisation and preservation, renowned for landmark initiatives and projects.