Old games lose space with the offer of technology and increasingly immersive platforms in the games industry. In addition, the growing competitiveness of the video game market also allows classic games to be destined for oblivion.
For this reason, groups and institutions, such as the Video Game History Foundation (VGHF), work to preserve the memory and importance of old games. Additionally, they study to understand what are the motivations behind the disappearance of old games.
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In this sense, a study carried out by the VGHF and the Software Preservation Network identified that 87% of classic video games are unavailable in the United States.
Among the main affirmations are: the lack of preservation of the materials, the market competitiveness and the constant need of video game players to access new graphics, narratives and universes that bring new experiences.
Why are old games disappearing?
In principle, a determining factor for the lack of demand for old games is that the video game industry itself is built through a competitive sphere.
This dynamic affects the production, dissemination and continuity of classic games that revolutionized an era and conquered a legion of fans.
Another worrying point is the speed with which hardware, platforms and software become obsolete, requiring users and game graphics to be updated.
The reflection of this reality is that only 13% of historic games are still on the market. In addition, the data indicate that no historical period from 1960 to 2009 managed to have more than 20% representation in products.
According to the Video Game History Foundation:
“To access nearly 9 out of 10 classic games, there are few options: finding and keeping old collectible games and hardware, traveling across the country to visit a library, or… piracy. Neither of these options is desirable, which means that most video games are inaccessible to all but the most die-hard and dedicated fans.”
So, to access a classic game that was much loved in the past, you need to look for collectibles.
Old technologies, such as CDs, DVDs and cartridges, also do not contribute positively to the preservation, since users do not always know how to handle it correctly to avoid damages with the pass time.
For the institution, the most ideal measure for the preservation of old games is the use of libraries to catalog and maintain live the history of games, just as society does with books, periodicals and other materials that must be kept for the future. future.
In general, video game advocates are trying to make society aware of the incalculable losses that occur due to lack of preservation of games old. They can be considered as historical items that represent an industry and a culture.