Australia National Archive of Cinema and Sound recently conducted a survey on international game preservation. The results show how dire game preservation efforts are around the world, and how they will hit the local industry the hardest.
In the NFSA survey (conducted in 2023), respondents cited key obstacles such as legal and technical access, lack of dedicated staff, and funding. Its summary also notes that most groups treat preservation as part of a larger operation rather than as a key objective.
Like last year's survey Foundation for the History of Video GamesThe NFSA said the industry was facing a “significant loss of assets”, particularly in the Australian video games industry.
His website reveals that over 96 percent of Australian classic games are “critically endangered,” substantially worse than the 87 percent of US games before 2010. And while the US has the support of the Library of Congress, Conservation is not a priority for all countries.
Even newer games are said to be at risk, as organizations have saved them as digital titles rather than physical releases, which they are “nearly twice as likely to be.”
One interviewee candidly stated that the industry needs to prioritize preservation over playability and “decide how 'original' to keep artifacts.”
“Collecting and preserving [games] “It's a developing field that is growing beyond today's institutions,” said NFSA CEO Patrick McIntyre. Citing the loss of pre-1929 films, he said the survey shows the games need an international preservation effort to avoid a similar outcome.
Interviewees cited collaborative networks such as the Software Preservation Network and the Digital Preservation Coalition. But more structured international partnerships are needed, as are “standardized cataloging systems.”
You can read the NFSA's full findings on the country's game conservation issues Here.