Introducing the Video Game History Foundation's Digital Archive

The Video Game History Foundation has officially launched its VGHF Digital Library, a comprehensive archive comprising over 30,000 carefully curated files from its vast physical collection. Currently in early access, the library will continue to grow, but already features an impressive array of content, including over 1,500 full-text searchable out-of-print video game magazines, previously unseen development assets, artwork, and promotional materials. Users can search for specific games, authors, publishers, and other metadata, cross-referencing both publicly available and previously internal materials. The archive encompasses a wide range of materials, such as guidebooks and items from the first 12 years of E3, an extensive international collection of FromSoftware promotional materials curated by Kris Urqhart, and 100 CDs of art and press releases from GamePro's magazine archive. Frank Cifaldi, founder of the VGHF, expressed his pride in the project, stating, "Since our inception in 2017, we've been dedicated to making video game history accessible to everyone, and we're thrilled to begin providing access to our digital library." He added, "We believe that with the right tools, anyone can become a video game historian, and we're eager to see the new stories our archive will inspire. We hope this initiative will also encourage those in the video game industry to prioritize preserving their work and contributing to efforts like ours." Phil Salvador, VGHF library director, shared his vision, saying, "Our goal has always been to make our collections available to everyone, regardless of their location or background. After years of hard work, we're taking the first step towards an open digital future." He emphasized, "We firmly believe this tool will revolutionize the way people study video game history, and we can't wait to see the discoveries made by historians, researchers, authors, YouTubers, fans, and everyone in between."