The new tech making game preservation more authentic and future-proof

For a medium that’s just a little over 40 years old (give or take), it’s kind of incredible just how many truly classic video games are completely out of print. Yes, there is a relative handful of random games available for download through Nintendo’s Virtual Console, Sony’s PlayStation Network, or Microsoft’s new Xbox 360 backwards compatibility. There’s an even smaller subset of games that have gotten the full “HD remake” treatment in recent years, making them once again available on a new generation of consoles.

For the vast majority of video games that exist, though, the only way to legally obtain a copy is to track down original hardware and used software that may not have been produced for decades. Digital Eclipse is looking to change that, using a mix of technology and attention to historical detail to ensure that the classics of gaming remain in circulation in a cost-effective, accurate, and respectful manner.

“Classic games are being devalued in the way they’re released,” Digital Eclipse’s Head of Restoration Frank Cifaldi told Ars in an interview (note: Cifaldi and I used to work together at Gamasutra). “The Virtual Console is a great platform for just buying a game and playing it, [but] I feel as a consumer when I download something like that, ‘OK, you sold me a ROM and an emulator. Is that all you've got for me?’”