The Shocking Truth About Video Game Preservation

Explore the world of video game preservation in this insightful video. Learn about the importance of preserving video game history for future generations.
🕒TimeStamp🕒
0:00 Intro
1:57 The Challenges of preserving old Video Games
6:00 Barriers to video game preservation
Case studies:
8:45 The Silent Hill HD Collection
9:55 Darkspore
11:05 Any Multiplayer-focused Games
Potential solutions for Video Game Preservation:
12:25 Remasters and Remakes
14:36 Releasing the Source Code
15:47 Emulation
17:31 The future of preservation
19:10 Conclusion
19: 50 Watch Next
This video is part of the Hotfix Gaming, Gaming Trends playlist. Why not check out these other recommendations: • 10 Worst Trends In Gam...
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#retrogaming #futureofgaming #gaming

[@HotFix_Gaming]

Hey Everyone, been wanting to try and do this video for a while now so let us know your thoughts about this subject? Good news, however there has been rumors Sony are working on backwards compatibility for PS3 games.

[@bearnip]

Mythical homepage pull

[@SuijinMS]

Yessssir! Grabbed me too!

[@NitroRonin23]

Stock up on roms and isos. Got it.

[@Sondi]

Especially stock up before they all get striked by nintendo

[@zZiL341yRj736]

@@Sondi Hell YEA.

[@EBrant_3rd]

HotFix Gaming fam and subscribers, what's good?! I hope that everyone is doing well and having a good 4th of July break. Fortunately, I am off work for the rest of the week, which gives me time to rest and play a few games. I just want to say that I really like the style and presentation of this video. I can tell that you did your due diligence with research on this topic of game preservation. Also, you are passionate about not only video games, but also the history and legacy of it. You are absolutely right when you say that unfortunately, video games are not held to the same level of prestige and respect as an art from like other forms of media like books, TV shows, movies, etc. For some reason or another, they're predominantly seen as a form of entertainment and not deemed by society in general to have done enough to solidy itself as art. This should not be as it can be argued that video games are just as much a form of art as these other mediums, if not more. It is lucrative for sure and a lot of money goes into making games and can be generated from them as such. I believe we had a conversation around the time I first stumbled upon and subscribed to this channel. I was unemployed and in a financial bind at the time and ended up having to sell my older video games and consoles. I'm glad to say that I'm in a better place now and won't be making that mistake in the future. 😅 I something wish that I can reach into my storage closet and pull out some older games I used to have and play them. That must be a great feeling to just pull out your older consoles and games at will. As a matter of fact, you showed some of them in this video like Super Mario Bros, Double Dragon, and The Karate Kid, just to name a few. Now, if I want to play these games, I have to either repurchase older consoles through Amazon, EBay, pawn shop, or some kind of store that resells older games and consoles. I've been missing WWF No Mercy a lot lately. I was at my cousin's house around this same time last year and we were playing Duck Hunt on his NES. The nostalgia hit me like a ton of bricks, but at the same time, I noticed that something was off. He had one of the newer NES models. I guess it was a mass-produced remake or whatever you want to call it. Although the visuals on screen were pretty much the same, the controller and console felt like a different grade or texture of plastic. The plastic felt like an inferior quality compared to what I remembered growing up. I guess the best way I can explain it is like buying a vehicle made in the mid 2000s and earlier where it was all steel versus the synthetic plastic/metal blend they charge us for so much today where it'll dent just by an acorn dropping on it. 😂 Emulators are also a good way to play older games, like you said. I purchased a modded Nintendo 3DS a few years ago and I can play all of the old Pokémon and DBZ games, for instance, since I no longer have my physical GameBoy games and consoles. The only thing I don't particularly like about emulated games is that for some, the controls are on the screen, which looks awkward and can block out some of the action. Sony is definitely working on backwards compatibility with PS3 titles, which is a good thing. They're going back even further than that as I downloaded and played the first two Tekken and Syphon Filter games from the original PlayStation on my PS5. Maybe one day, they'll make the whole library of all PlayStation generation games available for us to play. However, as you pointed out, licensing would play a huge role in that possibility. Remasters and remakes are also a great way to preserve games and introduce them to a newer audience or to create that nostalgia factor for those of us who played many of the originals. Many people say that the Mafia Remaster they did a few years ago only enhanced its legacy in gaming history and I have to agree. It's absurd to believe how many games are lost and no longer playable. Also, I never knew about the source code for Silent Hill 1 & 2 having been lost by Konami. That definitely explains the unpolished look we see. Source code access is definitely important as this shows us. A lot of effort is really placed on anti-piracy laws for games and making a profit, but there is very little effort in game preservation, which makes this situation even more baffling. This is a case study that I would like to see more content creators, archivists, and lawmakers address.

[@HotFix_Gaming]

Hey @EBrant_3rd , so far so good thank you, happy 4th of July, hope you'll enjoy your time off you have and happy gaming. Think it is being more recognised by developers and publishers to being the old games back in modern system so that is a positive. I'm glad you are place now and at the end of the day if you had to get rid of items in order to get by that will always be a wise choice. Get what you mean yes and didn't know they were newer version of NES, duck hunt was a great game remember playing it with friends when was still a kid. Really hope Sony will focus on that. Xbox has done it perfectly backwards compatible. Sony seems to be improving with it. Nintendo is another story however. But that's good you got a modded 3ds. Saw on a channel recently, the Wii is a good console to mod. Agree with what you said in regards of the remasters and they are brilliant when done right. It is baffling how much got lost and it is a shame as there are few games would love to go back and play but can not as I simple do not have a way to play them currently. Glad you like it and tha k you again.

[@EBrant_3rd]

@HotFix_Gaming I agree with everything you just said. I've just been playing Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and this new game that just came out called Zenless Zone Zero. It's a free to play RPG that's made by the same people who did Hoyoverse, and it puts you in the mind of Genshin Impact, if you're into that. The character designs, combat, and game levels are all great. Yeah I really didn't want to sell of my old games and consoles because it's almost like I lost a big part of me at the time. Sony, for as much flack as they've been getting over the years, is trying to do better and we'll just wish the best for Nintendo. 😅 I heard that a Wii was one if the best consoles as far as modding and emulating is concerned.

[@HotFix_Gaming]

No first time hearing about it and never played those games so I do not know if I'll like them or not. They do seem they are trying but we shall see if they carry on this way.

[@EBrant_3rd]

@@HotFix_Gaming I hear ya. 💯

[@saubea]

Great deep dive! I can't imagine the effort that went into making this video. +sub ❤

[@waled7564]

Piracy is the only way of saving those games because the original hardware will wear off in couple years

[@prolifik302]

Emulation not piracy

[@waled7564]

@@prolifik302 What the difference?

[@sebastianaliandkulche]

​@@prolifik302Unless you want to spend hundreds of dollars, im not gonna be able to play it otherwise.

[@lpfan4491]

@@prolifik302 *Emulation AND piracy. Many games are unavailable and a good chunk of those were digital only.

[@Dean123123100]

I firmly believe that online only games should release server hosting code or apps alongside the game so that players can continue playing. Especially for games like Ghost Recon Breakpoint, which doesn't need to be online only yet for some reason was made as such.

[@HotFix_Gaming]

Completely agree with you there

[@mateus53415]

You Don't need to preservate everthing. Just accepted that

[@Snaaake_Beater]

Tbh if the most influental games are playable im good with it. Nobody will remember a random indie game like skullgirls or animal well in 50 years anyway excceot you played it

[@wandatorres1628]

I find this being due to irresponsibility there has to be a way to back up the plans the blueprints to re-create anything that’s ever been made. It’s like a recipe once you have it you can make it. This makes no sense to me. This is weird. are these type of things destroyed on purpose so that way we could be forced to buy more and that’s where in lies the problem of being able to play it or find it again??? it’s bonkers.

[@weissair1601]

I am so grateful for emulation and I'm amazed at how far it has come over the years. I will use and support it for as long as these companies keep doing this. Capitalism will destroy everything you love and hold dear if it means a line on a graph might go up. Don't let it.

[@zZiL341yRj736]

Can't wait til Nintendo DMCA this video too.

[@DedlefJaklovis]

its funny that game piracy saves games perservation. its actually the job of the companies, not of some amateur people who do that in their free time. thats sad

[@splashingblast1016]

If it was or once a Japanese exclusive game, it's better that it's forgotten.

[@perfectlyroundcircle]

This is content from Modern Vintage Gamer, lol.

[@HebrewGamer100]

How can you say Nintendo ostracizes emulation when they used it for virtual console, NES and SNES classic, as well as NSO? Why should Nintendo not go after Rom sites pirating games they have made available on their online service and digital storefront?

[@megaman37456]

Nintendo can go after rom sites until they're bankrupt, they'll never kill off emulation even if they somehow make it illegal in the states people such as myself will continue emulating.

[@Robert_D_Mercer]

@@megaman37456 yup it's pointless. It's not physical so to restrict it is like resricting online speech. Not a route u wanna go down with yt.

[@justinmercado1185]

1st world problem…