video game history Archives

AppWizard

February 20, 2025

The survival game with the best car ever has sold over a million copies in a year, and is now 40% off on Steam

Pacific Drive, launched a year ago, has sold over a million copies, making it a leading survival game of 2024. Developed by Ironwood Studios, the game features a station wagon that evolves into a versatile vehicle equipped with sci-fi gadgets, enhancing the gameplay experience. Players develop a bond with the vehicle, which serves as a resilient companion in the game's chaotic environment.

AppWizard

December 3, 2024

GOG expands preservation program to protect delisted games

GOG launched a preservation program for older PC games, which now includes delisted titles like Warcraft 1 and Warcraft 2. Blizzard requested the removal of these games from GOG's storefront on December 13, and GOG complied but will continue to support these titles through its preservation program. GOG guarantees ongoing technical support for users who own these delisted games, ensuring compatibility with future Windows operating systems. The program currently focuses on Windows platforms and includes other notable titles such as the first three installments of Resident Evil and Alpha Protocol. A 2023 study indicated that nearly all games released before 2010 are now inaccessible. The U.S. Copyright Office recently rejected a proposal by the Video Game History Foundation for an exemption to DMCA rules, siding with the Entertainment Software Association, which argues that preservation is the responsibility of publishers.

AppWizard

November 16, 2024

Unreal Gold and Unreal Tournament are now free on the Internet Archive, and Epic says that’s a-okay

The Internet Archive has made the classic 1998 shooter Unreal and its multiplayer successor Unreal Tournament available for free, with the endorsement of Epic Games. This announcement was first shared on the OldUnreal Discord and later gained traction on Resetera. An Epic spokesperson confirmed that the games are hosted on archive.org, allowing players to link to and play these versions. Players can download and install the games from the Internet Archive or use new installers available at oldunreal.com. The games may have quirks due to their age, such as a default resolution of 640x480 and inverted mouse controls. Epic had previously removed these titles from sale, and their decision to make them freely accessible is seen as a positive step for game preservation.

AppWizard

November 13, 2024

GOG’s new preservation program intends to keep classic games playable ‘forever’

GOG has launched a Preservation Program to ensure retro games remain playable for current and future generations, committing resources to maintain compatibility with modern systems. The program starts with 100 titles, including Diablo, System Shock 2, and Resident Evil 1-3, with plans for expansion. Benefits for purchasers include compatibility assurance, comprehensive content, technical support, and offline access to installers. GOG aims to acquire all games no longer updated by their original publishers, addressing the issue that 87 percent of games released before 2010 are no longer playable. The program positions GOG as a leader in video game preservation.

AppWizard

November 13, 2024

GOG.com Preservation Program Aims to Keep Old PC Games Playable

GOG.com is launching a "Preservation Program" to safeguard the compatibility of 100 classic PC games, including titles like System Shock 2, Diablo, and Myst, for modern operating systems. The initiative aims to preserve gaming history as 87% of games created before 2010 are now inaccessible, according to the Video Game History Foundation. The selected titles will feature updated or quality-tested builds to enhance gameplay, marked with a "Preserved by GOG" stamp and accompanied by a “Preservation Log” detailing enhancements. GOG.com plans to expand the program by adding more games from its catalog and new classic releases.

AppWizard

November 13, 2024

GOG Preservation Program aims to keep old games playable on modern PCs

GOG has launched a Preservation Program to protect classic video games, re-releasing 100 titles with updated builds for modern systems. These titles are marked with a dedicated stamp in the GOG store, and details of enhancements can be found in the Preservation Log. The initial lineup includes games from franchises like Resident Evil, Warcraft, Dragon Age, Fallout, System Shock, Diablo, Heroes of Might and Magic, Dungeon Keeper, The Witcher, and Monkey Island. GOG plans to expand the program over time. Additionally, the PC version of the remaster of Croc: Legend of the Gobbos will be exclusive to GOG and is available for wishlisting, with a release expected later this year. The Video Game History Foundation reported that 87% of games released before 2010 are currently inaccessible, underscoring the need for preservation efforts.

AppWizard

October 29, 2024

US Copyright Office denies DMCA exception for game preservation

The United States Copyright Office has denied a proposal to grant access to out-of-print video games, maintaining current restrictions that allow only one user to access computer programs on the physical premises of holding institutions. The Video Game History Foundation (VGHF) and the Software Preservation Network have been advocating for a more inclusive approach since 2021, but institutions are prohibited from breaking copy protection to share out-of-print titles online. VGHF reported that approximately 87 percent of video games released in the U.S. before 2010 remain out of print. The failure of the proposal was influenced by lobbying from major publishers, including the Entertainment Software Association, which opposes changes to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) that would allow greater access for research.

AppWizard

August 30, 2024

Step Into Virtual Texas: Minecraft’s Stunning Replicas Of Texan Icons

A Reddit user named “AtmosphericBeats” created a 1:1 scale map of El Paso, Texas, in Minecraft, featuring landmarks like the Franklin Mountains and the Rio Grande. Other Texas locations recreated in Minecraft include Globe Life Park, Choctaw Stadium, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre House, and McCollum High School. UT Dallas has produced an official trailer for their campus in Minecraft, and the Alamo has also been recreated with a historical narrative. The National Videogame Museum is located in Frisco, Texas, focusing on the history of video games. The Texas Bucket List highlights ten popular destinations in the state.

AppWizard

August 5, 2024

Miladycraft: The Grand Remilia Ball and ‘Network Spirituality’ in Minecraft – Decrypt

A custom Minecraft game server called Miladycraft serves as a community hub and artistic project for holders of the Remilia Corporation NFT collections, including Milady Maker and Redacted Remilio Babies. It was developed by community members in collaboration with collection founder Charlotte Fang, who articulated a vision of exploring sociality through the server. The "Milady World Minecraft Server White Paper" discusses the significance of Minecraft as a platform for genuine social interactions and critiques its management by Mojang. The server hosts social experiments like the Second Annual Grand Remilia Ball, where attendees are encouraged to engage in real-world interactions to find partners for the event. The concept of "network spirituality" is central to the Miladycraft community, emphasizing collective digital existence and artistic expression. The server is viewed as a philosophical exploration of human experience within the virtual realm, contributing to a shared cultural narrative among its players.

AppWizard

July 13, 2024

The Challenge Of Teaching Game History In The Age Of Minecraft, Netflix And ChatGPT

- Schools offer classes on video game history with reading material, interviews with developers, and assignments to play classic games. - The purpose of researching and educating about game history is to benefit the wider world, including the modern games industry. - Understanding the history, evolution, and genealogy of games is important due to the growth of the industry. - Games are unique in their ability to incorporate various elements and are capable of more than any previous human creative endeavor. - Teachers face challenges in engaging students due to media distractions and changes in evaluation methods.