Video game preservation: Difference between revisions
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'''Video game preservation''', which falls in the broader category of media preservation, is the act of ensuring the accessibility and playability of older video games for the future. There are many reasons why this practice is necessary. | '''Video game preservation''', which falls in the broader category of media preservation, is the act of ensuring the accessibility and playability of older video games for the future. There are many reasons why this practice is necessary. | ||
== Reasonings == | |||
===Live-service killing=== | ===Live-service killing=== | ||
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===Few numbers of physical copies=== | ===Few numbers of physical copies=== | ||
Some video games only exist in physical copies and these copies are in a limited quantity. Also the amount of playable copies could be reduced because of the possibility that copies could deteriorate over time. Digitalization makes easier to copy, adapt and create backups of the original video game, making it more available to public as well. | Some video games only exist in physical copies and these copies are in a limited quantity. Also the amount of playable copies could be reduced because of the possibility that copies could deteriorate over time. Digitalization makes easier to copy, adapt and create backups of the original video game, making it more available to public as well. | ||
== Efforts == | |||
=== Publishing source code === | |||
On 18 February 2025, Valve released an update to the {{Wplink|Source_(game_engine)|Source}} SDK, which added all the {{Wplink|Team Fortress 2}} client and server game code. With the source code content creators are allowed to build new games based off TF2.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 Feb 2025 |title=The TF2 SDK has arrived! |url=https://www.teamfortress.com/post.php?id=238809 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250218201538/https://www.teamfortress.com/post.php?id=238809 |archive-date=18 Feb 2025 |access-date=10 Mar 2025 |website=Team Fortress}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=21 Feb 2025 |title=Valve Releases Team Fortress 2 Source Code, Now open to Modders |url=https://bitskins.com/blog/valve-releases-team-fortress-2-source-code-now-open-to-modders/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250310111654/https://bitskins.com/blog/valve-releases-team-fortress-2-source-code-now-open-to-modders/ |archive-date=10 Mar 2025 |access-date=10 Mar 2025 |website=BitSkins}}</ref> | |||
In February 2025, [[Electronic Arts]] (EA) made an announcement that the source code of older titles from the {{Wplink|Command & Conquer}} video game franchise were recovered, and made public under the GPLv3 license.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Vessella |first=Jim |date=27 Feb 2025 |title=C&C Steam Workshop Support & Source Code |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/commandandconquer/comments/1izmpmb/cc_steam_workshop_support_source_code/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250626052744/https://old.reddit.com/r/commandandconquer/comments/1izmpmb/cc_steam_workshop_support_source_code/ |archive-date=26 Jun 2025 |access-date=9 Mar 2025 |via=Reddit}}</ref> To help the community further, the Steam Workshop has also been integrated into these titles to add additional community content.<ref name=":0" /> | |||
==Further reading== | ==Further reading== | ||
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*[[Storefront shutdown]] | *[[Storefront shutdown]] | ||
*[[GOG.com]] | *[[GOG.com]] | ||
== References == | ==References== | ||
[[Category:Common terms]] | [[Category:Common terms]] | ||