The Video Game History Foundation (VGHF) has made a groundbreaking announcement regarding its digital collection of video game content. The non-profit organization revealed that the collection will allow users to access and view all video game-related content from all over the world through a web browser.
This includes game-related magazines, publications, CDs, original coded content, and more. The digital collection is set to be completed by 2020, with specific details to be announced in the following years.
The VGHF has been collecting a vast amount of video game information from its headquarters in Oakland, California and making it available to the public for free. The organization’s mission is to preserve video game history, which is in danger due to the rapid disappearance of many games from the market.
Research statistics show that approximately 87% of classic video games released in the United States are at high risk of disappearing, and only 13% of video games promoted before 2010 are still available through commercial channels. This trend is likely to continue, with even popular consoles like the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo 3DS featuring a dwindling number of available games.
The VGHF believes that outdated copyright regulations and commercial interests make it difficult to preserve and make video game content publicly available. However, the organization sees the importance of digitizing and systematically categorizing the content to facilitate access for the public.
The release of the digital video game content will allow users to search for specific keywords, time periods, and other conditions. It will also include over 7,000 game-related magazines from different categories, as well as game development materials such as art concept designs and music content.
With the announcement of this digital collection, the Video Game History Foundation is leading the charge in preserving and making accessible a crucial part of our cultural history.