The switch from hard copies to digital releases has made the issue of video game preservation prevalent within the video gaming community. Thanks to The Embracer Group, a conglomerate formerly known as THQ Nordic AB, their announcement provides a possible solution to this serious issue.
On May 28, 2022, PC Gamer reported The Embracer Group’s announcement of a game preservation initiative called the Embracer Games Archive, striving to “archive and save as much of the videogames industry as possible.” David Boestrum, CEO of the Embracer Games Archive, elaborated further on the future of the project on their website:
Imagine a place where all physical video games, consoles, and accessories are gathered at the same place. And think about how much that could mean for games’ culture and enabling video games research. This journey has just been started and we are at an early stage. But already now, we have a large collection to take care of at the Embracer Games Archive’s premises in Karlstad, Sweden. A team of experts has been recruited and will start building the foundation for the archive. At Embracer Games Archive, we believe that games carry a heritage worth celebrating and safeguarding for the future. Our goal is clear – We want to archive and save as much of the video games industry as possible.
Right now, The Embracer Games Archive has reportedly collected 50,000 games, consoles, and accessories in its vault in Karlstad, Sweden. The team working on this enormous project consists of a CEO, archivist, assistant, technical engineer, and supply manager. Their current focus is to begin with Nordic editions with English text or other European editions with English text. However, their long-term goal is to cover North American and Japanese editions of games.
Video game preservation is a topic that is more important now than ever before, and it is exciting to see groups like The Embracer Group be at the forefront of combatting this issue. Hopefully, as this archive progresses, more people in the gaming industry will contribute to preserving this medium.
For more information about The Embracer Games Archive, visit their website.