Video Game Preservation Matters: GOG and Partners Reflect on Key Moments of 2024
At GOG, we believe preserving video games is more than just keeping old titles playable - it’s about safeguarding a vital part of our cultural heritage. That’s why we teamed up with leading organizations, institutions, and companies dedicated to or deeply connected with video game preservation, who are also some of the most respected voices in the industry, to create Video Game Preservation Recap 2024 - a video that explains why video game preservation is so important and highlights the most significant developments in this field over the past year.
The video features insights from industry experts and institutions dedicated to preserving gaming history, including:
Frank Cifaldi, Video Game History Foundation
Andrew Borman, Strong National Museum of Play
Christian Bartsch and Istvan Fabian, Kryoflux GMBH
Matthias Oborski, Computerspielemuseum in Berlin
Daniel Ondruska, Stop Killing Games
Mike Arkin, Argonaut Games
David Bostrom and Natalia Kovalainen, Embracer Games Archive
Jason Scott, Internet Archive
Stephen Kick and Larry Kuperman, Nightdive Studios
Willem Hilhorst, Sound & Vision Archive
Marcin Paczynski, GOG
One of our goals is to think not just about what researchers and museum guests are interested in today, but about what researchers 100 years from now will need to best understand the history of video games. We need to act now to preserve our history-we cannot wait!Andrew Borman, Digital Games Curator at The Strong Museum of Play.
The video celebrates the progress made in 2024, focusing on several key achievements in video game preservation, including:
The launch of the GOG Preservation Program, ensuring over 100 classic games remain accessible and playable on modern systems.
Legislative progress in the European Union, which recognized video games as digital heritage, and initiatives like Stop Killing Video Games that advocate for systematic preservation efforts.
Exciting acquisitions by museums, such as rare prototypes, developer notes, and original artwork, which enrich collections and preserve key pieces of gaming history.
Remasters and re-releases of iconic games, offering insights into their development processes and the importance of balancing modernization with the preservation of their original essence.
The documentary also features a heartfelt appeal from Mike Arkin, CEO of Argonaut Games:
Do you have an old hard drive with code from a game you worked on? Please save it. Don’t throw anything away. Archive it, find someone who might want it, or donate it to a museum.Mike Arkin, CEO of Argonaut Games
This powerful message has already shown early results. Some developers have donated archival drives and materials to museums. These contributions ensure their work is preserved for future generations, demonstrating how collective action can make a tangible difference in safeguarding gaming history. As a platform deeply committed to video game preservation, we’re proud and grateful that so many distinguished figures dedicated to safeguarding gaming history shared their time and insights. We hope to lead more initiatives like this in the future, continuing to highlight the importance of gaming’s cultural legacy.
In January 2025, we’re further reinforcing our dedication to video game preservation by becoming the first Polish institution to join the European Federation of Game Archives, Museums, and Preservation Projects (EFGAMP). Founded in 2012, EFGAMP is the largest European organization focused on preserving video games and digital media as cultural heritage. The video is now available on GOG’s official channels.