Majority of Classic Video Games at Risk of Being Lost Forever, Study Reveals

A significant number of classic video games released in the US have become inaccessible, a recent study has found. The Video Game History Foundation, in collaboration with the Software Preservation Network, conducted research on the availability of games released prior to 2010. The study's findings indicate that a staggering 87% of retro games in the US are 'critically endangered', making them difficult to access in both physical and digital formats. Only 13.27% of classic games can be easily played without relying on methods such as travelling to a library, maintaining outdated gaming hardware, using emulators, or resorting to piracy. For instance, a mere 5.8% of games from the Gameboy family of handheld consoles are currently available for digital purchase, while a paltry 4.5% of Commodore 64 games analyzed can be bought through digital stores. The re-release of classic games is alarmingly low, particularly for titles released before 1985, which account for a mere 3% of the current market. Although organizations like the Video Game History Foundation and the Software Preservation Network can digitally preserve these games, they are prohibited from sharing them due to copyright laws. The recent closure of Nintendo's Wii U and 3DS digital storefronts has further exacerbated the issue of digital game availability. According to Chris Young, a librarian and curator, the constant updates to games have made preservation increasingly difficult, with the task of tracking changes to these games over time being 'almost impossible' to a certain extent.