Picture your favorite museum. You walk through its halls and see paintings from the Renaissance and fossils from millions of years ago. These objects are preserved. They are studied. They are safe. Now, think about your favourite video game.
Not a game on a cartridge or a disc, but a “live service” game… a vast, online world that exists on faraway servers. What happens when the company that runs it decides to shut it down? The lights go out. The servers are switched off, and just like that, an entire world, a piece of digital culture, vanishes. Forever.
This is the growing crisis of digital preservation. We are in a race against time to save these “dead” games from disappearing into the void. By understanding the relics of our past, you can enjoy and cherish the games you love at 22 Bit even more. You don’t have to give up the luxuries of modernity to do so, so let’s get started!
What Exactly is a “Dead” Game?
In the old days, a game was a physical object where you bought a cartridge, put it in a console, and it worked. As long as you had the hardware, you had the game. It was yours. Live service games are different, as they are experiences you only rent. Newer titles like Destiny 2 and Overwatch are constantly evolving. They add new characters, new story missions, maps, and special limited-time events.
But nothing lives forever.
A “dead” live service game is one where the devs have “pulled the plug.” Their servers are taken offline, meaning no one can log in and play anymore. The world becomes inaccessible. Some famous examples include the original LawBreakers and Battleborn.
Why Letting Them Vanish is a Problem
We Lose Art and History
The incredible visual design, the complex code, the sweeping musical scores, the voice acting… It’s all a form of collaborative art. Future historians won’t be able to study the complete evolution of this medium if entire chapters are missing.
We Erase Social Spaces
For millions of users, these games are where friendships are forged, where they met their best friends, their partners, or found a supportive group. When a beloved title dies, that specific digital “third place” is annihilated. The memories remain, but the world that hosted them is gone.
Game Developers Lose Their Legacy
The work of hundreds of programmers and designers is wiped out in an instant. It is a particular tragedy for smaller, cult-hit games that were loved but not monetarily successful enough to keep running.
The Heroes of Preservation
Preservation incentives are being pushed by a coalition of fans and dedicated non-profits:
- The Video Game History Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to preserving and celebrating the history of video games.
- Modders/Fans often take matters into their own hands. When a game is scheduled to be shut down, they sometimes work frantically to create private servers or “reimplementation” projects.
- Museums and Libraries like the Strong Museum of Play are increasingly adding video games to their collections.
