The Vergecast cover image

The Vergecast

The fight to save old games

Nov 13, 2023
Join Polygon journalists Russ Frushtick and Chris Plante as they dive into the intricate world of video game preservation and emulation. They unpack the challenges of saving vintage games from obsolete hardware and discuss the ethical dilemmas surrounding legal emulation. The duo highlights the cultural significance of maintaining access to classic titles and the difficulty of balancing artistic intent with modern playability. Plus, they celebrate the nostalgia of gaming history, inviting listeners to reminisce about their own gaming adventures.
01:11:34

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Quick takeaways

  • Preservation of video games is crucial to understanding the history of the medium and efforts should be made to prevent the loss of important cultural artifacts.
  • The process of preserving and emulating older video games faces challenges due to legal complexities and the prioritization of creating new games and generating profits.

Deep dives

Preserving video games as historical artifacts

Preservation of video games is crucial to understanding the history of the medium. Similar to the early days of the film industry, many games from the past have been lost due to lack of preservation efforts. The video game history foundation focuses on preserving games and providing context to understand their significance in the broader cultural landscape. While there is a debate about whether games should be preserved as they originally were or if they should be updated for modern platforms, the goal is to ensure that these important pieces of history are not lost forever.

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