The Video Game History Foundation has issued a harsh statement accusing Nintendo of “actively destroying” video game history.
Founded in 1997 by Frank Cifaldi, one of the world’s leading authorities on video game preservation, this non-profit organization’s mission is to archive, digitize and preserve video games and related materials (documentation, source code, kits press releases, photographs, etc.) for posterity, preserving the history of the medium for study and for later generations.
“Although it is unfortunate that people will not be able to digitally purchase 3DS or Wii U games ever again, we understand the realities of the business that influenced this decision. What we don’t understand is what path Nintendo expects fans to take if they want to play these games in the future.”
“As a paying member of the Entertainment Software Association, Nintendo actively funds lobbying that prevents even libraries from offering legal access to those games. Not offering commercial access is understandable, but also avoiding institutional work to preserve those titles is actively destroy the history of the video game.
The organization encourages “ESA members such as Nintendo to reassess their position on this problem and work with existing institutions to find a solution”, pointing out that other companies such as Sony, Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Activision Blizzard, Epic Games o Take-Two should work with institutions to try to ensure that at least the libraries keep their titles.
Cifaldi has added in your personal account that “the commercial industry is never going to offer the catalog of games from the past, and our own federal government is making it impossible for even libraries to help with access. No one will save video game history except all of us, and that will never change” , he concludes.
Our statement on the closure of Nintendo’s legacy digital shops. pic.twitter.com/mG5GzuGH4G
— Video Game History Foundation (@GameHistoryOrg) February 17, 2022
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