Frank Cifaldi, director of the Video Game History Foundation (VGHF), has issued a stark warning regarding the future of game preservation. As the industry moves toward a digital-only model, Cifaldi suggests that piracy may soon become the only practical way to keep older titles accessible.
The comments follow Sony's recent confirmation that it will stop producing physical discs for new PlayStation games starting in January 2028. Alongside this move, the company plans to shutter older digital storefronts, including those for the PS3 and PS Vita.
Discs Are No Longer Enough
While many players view physical media as the gold standard for game ownership and preservation, the VGHF argues that the reality is more complicated. In a statement posted on Bluesky, the foundation noted that the loss of physical PlayStation media is a blow to consumer rights and the resale market, but emphasized that discs themselves are no longer a total solution.
"The reality is that the vast majority of video games produced over the last two decades were not made for dedicated home video game consoles, let alone pressed to physical media."
The group pointed out that even when games are released on disc, they frequently rely on day-one digital patches. This means the data physically present on the disc often does not reflect the version of the game that players actually experience, rendering the physical copy an incomplete record.
Legal Barriers to Preservation
The VGHF has been vocal about the precarious state of gaming history. A 2023 study published by the foundation claimed that 87% of classic video games are not currently in active release, labeling them "critically endangered." According to the foundation, legal barriers currently prevent libraries and archives from sharing preserved games for research purposes.
Cifaldi noted that his organization has attempted to work with the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) to find a legal path forward for digital preservation, but claims the industry's trade organization has refused to offer a meaningful alternative. The foundation asserts that the ESA has repeatedly opposed efforts by cultural heritage institutions to reform digital copy protection laws.
Addressing the role of the Library of Congress, Cifaldi pushed back on the idea that copyright deposits serve as a sufficient safety net. He stated that very few video game companies register their work with the library, and the current process has not historically required the submission of a full physical copy of a game.
When asked about the role of piracy in this landscape, Cifaldi agreed with the assessment that it is currently the only extant form of media preservation for games, stating, "As the director of a historical video game preservation institution, and someone who has dedicated his entire adult life to this cause, this is accurate."