The Disappearing Legacy: 87% of Classic Games Lost to Time

A study by the Video Game History Foundation reveals that 87% of games released in the US before 2010 are no longer commercially available, highlighting the poor market availability of reissued games and the gaming industry's failure to preserve its own history. While libraries, archives, and software pirates have helped ensure some accessibility, the study argues for the need to provide more tools to libraries and archives to preserve access to classic games. The availability of legacy games varies across different eras, with only 2.6% of games released in or before 1984 currently in print. The study emphasizes the importance of preserving access to classic games for researchers and developers studying the industry's evolution over time.