Nearly 90% of Classic Video Games are Being Lost to Time

The gaming business has expanded significantly over the last ten years and is now the entertainment industry with the biggest revenue.

However, the industry is collapsing, and digital games are largely to blame for the loss of almost 90% of vintage video games.

(Photo: INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images) A boy plays the "Pacman" retro game at the Video games trade fair Gamescom in Cologne, western Germany, on August 21, 2019.

Brink of Disappearing

According to a survey by The Video Game History Foundation and Software Preservation Network, 87% of historical video games are in danger of being lost forever since they aren't available on the commercial market. Games that were released before 2010, when digital game distribution started, are included.

The VGHF offers a number of suggestions to keep these endangered sports alive.

Due to a lack of fresh ideas, game creators are turning to beloved intellectual properties (IP) for inspiration. This is not always a bad thing because it gives them the freedom to experiment and stay creative.

How Remaking Preserves Games

Classic video game remakes like Diablo 2 and Warcraft 3 provide distinctive gaming experiences by maintaining the original stories and gameplay elements while modernizing the graphics to fit industry standards.

The majority of remakes, meanwhile, depart from the core of the original, leading to a new release.

Harsh Reality

The majority of the original classic video games have been lost to the passage of time, and those that have been kept are frequently incompatible with current hardware. There are just a few possibilities left, like treating them like collectibles, relying on theft and emulation, or utilizing their own platforms.

Keeping up with a sizable collection is challenging due to rising prices for older games and equipment. Emulation and piracy may appear rational, yet they are no longer sustainable due to litigation from businesses like Nintendo.

Preservation attempts are hampered by copyright rules and groups like the Entertainment Software Association. Aiming to empower consumers and make rescued games commercially available on digital platforms, movements supporting exemptions and repair rights.

The availability and preservation of vintage video games in the future may be dramatically impacted by the 2024 copyright hearing.