All articles tagged with #video game preservation
The UK government debated the Stop Killing Games campaign, which advocates for players to access online games after their end-of-life, but ultimately rejected the proposal citing concerns over development costs and complexity, despite significant public support and discussion on digital ownership and preservation.
Japan’s National Diet Library will not include Switch 2 Game-Key Cards in its video game preservation efforts, as it considers them non-physical media since they only serve as digital keys for downloads, raising concerns among preservationists about the longevity and accessibility of such digital-only content.
An unfinished and nearly complete build of the canceled Animaniacs game 'Hollywood Hypnotics' for GBA has been discovered and preserved by Hidden Palace, revealing a point-and-click adventure with platforming elements based on the popular animated series, featuring the Warner siblings thwarting Pinky and Brain's plans.
Game historian Bruno de Figueiredo has successfully preserved and shared online the ISO of TRIPITAKA, one of the rarest video games with only one known physical copy, highlighting ongoing efforts and challenges in video game preservation amid industry shifts and legal hurdles.
Steam accounts and their digital game libraries are non-transferable upon death, leaving them in legal limbo. Despite potential loopholes and physical workarounds, Valve's policies and subscriber agreements prevent the legal transfer of accounts and digital content, complicating estate planning and video game preservation efforts.
Xbox president Sarah Bond revealed in an email that Xbox has become the "number one" platform for Diablo 4 players, despite the franchise's traditional association with PC gaming. This comes as part of Microsoft's integration of Activision Blizzard King titles into its services, including launching Diablo 4 into Game Pass. Additionally, Xbox is focusing on video game preservation and forward compatibility, with plans to "future-proof" its digital libraries and deliver backward compatibility for future generations of players.
Ross Scott, creator of the Freeman’s Mind YouTube series, has launched the Stop Killing Games campaign to protest the practice of publishers shutting down or restricting access to purchased video games. The campaign aims to address the legal and consumer rights issues surrounding this industry-wide practice, with a specific focus on Ubisoft's closure of The Crew's online servers. Scott outlines plans to press charges against Ubisoft and initiate government petitions in the UK, Canada, and Australia to address video game consumer rights. The campaign seeks to hold publishers accountable and prevent further destruction of games, citing the impact on consumer rights and media preservation.
As the mobile game Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia shut down, one dedicated fan spent three years recording and rendering every cutscene to ensure the game's story and characters are preserved. The fan, known as Hatok, meticulously captured over 100 hours of footage, including battle scenes and special voice lines, to create a comprehensive record of the game's narrative and gameplay. This effort highlights the challenges of preserving mobile games, which are often vulnerable to shutdowns and removal from storefronts, leaving fans to take on the responsibility of keeping these projects alive.
The makers of the Yuzu Nintendo Switch emulator have settled with Nintendo for $2.4 million after being accused of piracy at a large scale. As part of the settlement, Tropic Haze, the developer of Yuzu, must pay the amount and agree to a list of concessions, including refraining from activities related to the emulator, deleting circumvention devices, and surrendering the emulator's web domain to Nintendo. Despite the settlement, the open-source Yuzu emulator remains available on GitHub.
CDRomance, a popular fan translation and ROM hack-sharing site, has moved its hosted files off-site following a legal challenge. The site, known for providing pre-patched ROMs of fan-translated games and fan-made improvements, complies with the DMCA but has faced pressure from IP holders. Critics argue that the removal of such sites hinders video game preservation, as fan-made versions are crucial for making older games accessible to new audiences.
2K Games has confirmed that Spec Ops: The Line will no longer be available on online storefronts due to expiring partnership licenses, leading to its delisting from digital platforms including Steam, Fanatical, Gamesplanet, and Nuuvem. The game's removal poses a challenge to video game preservation and marks a loss for the medium, as Spec Ops: The Line was acclaimed for critiquing the military shooter genre and contributing to a more critical era of video games based on modern conflict. Players who have purchased the game can still download and play it, but its availability is limited to certain platforms.
An emulator is being developed for the Zeebo, a Latin American gaming console from the Wii era that exclusively used digital downloads. The console, which aimed to target markets where its rivals were too expensive, had limited success and ceased operations in 2011. The emulator, showcased by a YouTuber, is still in early stages but offers hope for preserving the console's library and recognizing its contribution to gaming history.
YouTuber Jirard Khalil has spent almost $23,000 buying every game available on the 3DS and Wii U eShop services before they shut down at the end of March. The mission was to preserve every game before they are lost forever, and the funds were raised with the support of The Completionist's sponsors. The purchase included 866 Wii U and 1547 3DS games, taking up 1.2 TB on Wii U and 267 GB on 3DS. The entire journey was documented in a video and is well worth a watch for fans of Nintendo.