Game Preservation
Ongoing coverage on Game Preservation.
Latest coverage
Almost 28 years later, the mystery of what's under women's skirts in Elder Scrolls spin-off Redguard has…
A long-standing mystery regarding the appearance of women's skirts in the 1998 game The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard has reportedly been solved. The Redguard Unity project, which aims to improve the game's stability and visuals, has shed light on this nearly 28-year-old secret. The project also plans to add modern control schemes and mod support to the action-adventure title.
Game Leak Highlights Ongoing Emulation Security Battles
Recent game leaks running on emulators highlight the ongoing security battles within the gaming industry. These incidents demonstrate the increasing sophistication of emulation tools and the challenges publishers face in protecting their intellectual property through DRM and encryption. The article discusses the technical arms race between pirates and publishers, the impact of leaks on marketing and sales, and the industry's exploration of cloud gaming as a potential solution to piracy concerns.
Stop Killing Games Movement Hits European Parliament – And This Time, It’s Serious | Invision Game Community
The Stop Killing Games movement has brought the issue of digital ownership and game preservation to the European Parliament. The movement, led by Ross Scott, argues that when publishers shut down servers for games that require them to function, players effectively lose access to products they have purchased. A key example cited is Ubisoft's decision to make The Crew unplayable after server shutdown, highlighting a lack of clear regulation and a potential legal grey area that benefits publishers.
Game History and Preservation
Stop Killing Games presented a compelling case for game preservation during a hearing in the European Parliament. The organization reported a highly positive reception from parliament members, indicating strong support for initiatives to protect video game history.
Stop Killing Games delivers 'absolutely incredible' hearing in European Parliament: 'There was no [parliament member] that wasn't responding positively'
Stop Killing Games founder Ross Scott and organizer Moritz Katzner presented their case for game preservation to the European Parliament, receiving positive responses from various political groups. The initiative aims to establish requirements to prevent server-dependent games from being shut down when they are no longer profitable, with the organization also launching NGOs in the EU and US for long-term counter-lobbying.
EU Parliament Takes Aim at Publishers Who Kill Your Games
The European Parliament has initiated a hearing to address whether publishers should be allowed to disable games that consumers have already purchased. This legislative body is examining the concept of digital ownership, questioning what it truly means to buy a digital game and whether publishers should be obligated to support games indefinitely or provide offline modes. The outcome of these discussions could lead to new laws impacting how games are sold and owned globally.
Lost Nintendo game lives after 50 years as arcade collector uses ancient film reels and Wii-style tech to create "what might be the only playable Wild Gunman" machine in the world
An arcade collector named Callan Brown has recreated Nintendo's lost 1974 arcade game, Wild Gunman, using digitized film reels and modern technology. The recreation utilizes Unity for the game logic, infrared LEDs for gun detection similar to the Wii remote, and an Arduino for score tracking. Brown plans to showcase the machine and potentially release the code and game assets in the future.
As fans revive Nier Reincarnation, game devs say giving live-service titles offline versions is trickier than you might expect – potentially more than "building something from scratch"
A developer explained that creating offline versions of live-service games is more complex than it appears, often requiring development effort comparable to building a game from scratch. This discussion arises as fans attempt to revive Nier Reincarnation with an offline version, highlighting the challenges of game preservation for titles that cease online support.
PlayStation 3 emulator RPCS3 can now auto-configure games for you
The open-source PlayStation 3 emulator RPCS3 has introduced an auto-configuration feature that uses its wiki data to automatically set up games, reducing the need for manual adjustments. Additionally, the emulator has seen performance improvements due to new SPU usage patterns discovered for the PS3's Cell CPU, benefiting all games, including a 5-7% average FPS increase in Twisted Metal. RPCS3 can now also load encrypted ISO games.
'A real concern for millions and probably hundreds of millions of European citizens' - Stop Killing Games has its day in European Parliament and it seems to go very well
The initiative Stop Killing Games presented its case for regulation in the European Parliament to address the issue of video games becoming unplayable after sale due to discontinued services. The hearing, which garnered over 1 million European citizen signatures, highlighted concerns about consumer rights and the permanent disabling of sold games, with officials pledging to investigate copyright regulations and potential solutions. Founder Ross Scott emphasized that this practice, exemplified by games like The Crew, results in consumers losing access to products they have paid for without adequate recourse.
The classic Xenosaga series is finally making its PC debut, but don't get too excited because it's a 2004…
The classic JRPG Xenosaga: Pied Piper, originally released for Japanese mobile phones in 2004, is coming to PC via Steam. Developed by Monolith Soft and published by G-Mode, this port will not include an English translation or modern quality-of-life improvements. This release highlights G-Mode's efforts in game preservation, though it is unlikely to lead to modern ports of the main Xenosaga trilogy due to Nintendo's ownership of Monolith Soft.
Game History and Preservation
Ross Scott addressed the European Parliament regarding the "Stop Killing Games" initiative, emphasizing the importance of preserving video game history. The discussion highlighted concerns over the loss of older titles and the need for proactive measures to ensure their availability for future generations.
Xenosaga shows signs of life for the first time in 20 years as Japan-only spin-off JRPG gets official Steam and Switch…
The JRPG series Xenosaga is seeing its first official release in 20 years with Xenosaga: Pied Piper, a spin-off originally released for Japanese feature phones in 2004. This canonical side story featuring turn-based combat will be available on Steam and Nintendo Switch, though it will only be released in Japanese. This marks a significant moment for game preservation, bringing a previously obscure title to modern platforms.
Red Dead Redemption Gets Cheaper PS5 Physical Edition This May
Red Dead Redemption will receive its first physical PlayStation 5 edition in Europe on May 7, 2026, priced at €34.99, undercutting the current digital version's cost. This release marks a significant moment for physical media collectors and raises questions about pricing strategies and game preservation. While currently only announced for Europe, the release could set a precedent for future physical editions of older games.
Steam’s Retro Revival Is Finally Giving Classic Games the Love They Deserve
Steam is becoming a hub for retro gaming, with publishers like Capcom re-releasing classic titles such as Resident Evil and Warhammer. This revival is driven by a demand for games with personality and creative risks, contrasting with modern, focus-grouped releases. The article highlights the importance of proper controller support and the ongoing challenges of game preservation due to licensing issues.
PSA: Xenoblade Chronicles X Now Available Physically For Switch 2
Nintendo has released a physical edition of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition for the Nintendo Switch 2, priced at approximately £50 in the UK and $65 in the US. The release has been met with controversy due to perceived AI upscaling issues, with some players preferring the original Switch's performance and even requesting refunds.
Nasty Pokemon XD Gale of Darkness Switch 2 bug that was costing players progress has been fixed: "This happened to…
A bug in Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness that caused players to lose progress by forcefully quitting the game has been fixed. The issue affected the Nintendo Classics app version on the Nintendo Switch. Players can now continue their game without the risk of losing hours of playtime.
Disney’s Silent Steam Purge: 15 Games Vanish Including Star Wars Titles
Disney has quietly removed 15 games, including several classic Star Wars titles, from the Steam platform without prior announcement. While players who already own these games can still access them, the delistings highlight concerns about game preservation and corporate control over digital content. This action is part of a broader trend of entertainment companies treating digital games as disposable rather than cultural artifacts.
EU Parliament Takes Aim at Game-Killing Publishers This Week
The European Parliament is holding a public hearing on the 'Stop Destroying Videogames' initiative to address concerns about publishers shutting down servers for games that players have purchased. The initiative aims to establish clearer digital ownership rights and explore options for community-run servers after official ones are decommissioned. This move signifies a growing regulatory focus on consumer rights within the gaming industry, with potential implications for how games are sold and maintained.
Beautiful, flawed MMO Book of Travels is now a $5 singleplayer RPG, in a break from the industry trend of killing off struggling online games
Might & Delight is shutting down the servers for their MMO "Book of Travels" on July 31st, transitioning the game into a singleplayer RPG. The game will be rebalanced for solo play, receive official mod support, and its price has been reduced to $4.99. This move aims to sustain the project by moving away from the unsustainable MMO foundation.
