This exemption would make it easier for libraries to share out-of-print games with researchers, without hurting the game industry. In fact, two major retro game companies (Antstream and Limited Run Games) SUPPORT the exemption! Read their comments: copyright.gov/1201/2024/comm…

We're taking the fight for game preservation to DC! Next Thursday (4/18, 11am EDT), our library director Phil is testifying to the Copyright Office to support a new exemption for game preservation in libraries. Watch on the Copyright Office's website: copyright.gov/1201/2024/

NEW VIDEO | The Story of The Oregon Trail

In 1971, three student teachers created a computer game about traveling the Oregon Trail. It became one of the best-selling edutainment games of all time. But the creators never made a penny.

Runtime: 1hr 27 min

youtu.be/8QbjlHeoLdc

We held our closing party last month during GDC, and among the festivities was a retrospective display of Feminist Frequency's 15-year history put together by Video Game History Foundation. Thanks to everyone who celebrated with us at this capstone event!

This bouncy Japanese ad featuring its creator's distinctive bee logo (bottom left) is for Hudson Soft's classic multiplayer title Bomberman '94 on the PC Engine. [Ad scan via the VGHF Library.]

One of our vintage magazine 'blind box' recipients this month (…game-history-foundation.myshopify.com/collections/fe…) will be lucky (?!) enough to receive this hideous Major Damage cover for P.S.X. magazine. (Capcom's PS1 game was canned before its 1997 release, btw.)

Here's a very early Sega arcade game ad - for 1976's Bullet Mark, which was a first-person light gun shooter - segaretro.org/Bullet_Mark (Ad scan via the VGHF Library.)

Some of the most recent general-interest books about video games in the U.S. - like this one from 2016 - are produced exclusively for Scholastic kids book clubs. (We have quite a few of these to collect!)

ICE's rare electro-mechanical arcade game Fire Escape was showcased in this 1984 U.S. arcade operator magazine ad. [Ad scan via the VGHF Library.]

A 1990 issue of Mad Magazine included a whole series of video game spoofs - here's George Steinbrenner Baseball, goofing on the irascible New York Yankees boss. [Ad via the VGHF Library.]

This 2005 U.S. print ad showcases two later Viewtiful Joe games - for the DS and Gamecube - the latter of which has Super Smash Bros-style gameplay, intriguingly. [Ad scan via the VGHF Library.]

Thanks to everyone who visited the VGHF Game History Gallery at Game Developers Conference 2024! (Here's a few pics from GDC's own photographer.)

Less well-known than many of its games, Origin's top-down RPG Moebius: The Orb of Celestial Harmony came out in 1985 for Apple II, and 1987 for DOS. (It also has a Karateka-style side view combat!)

This 1999 U.S. print ad for Eidos' publisher line-up twins the legendary (Tomb Raider, Legacy Of Kain) with the 'legendary' (we love you, Gex!) [Ad via the VGHF Library.]

Video Game History Foundation honors gaming’s past with museum-style displays trib.al/mqlQiNL

Really interesting talk from Video Game History Foundation at MAGFest about the state of game preservation today. I can recommend giving it a watch!

youtu.be/aVyvp4qt9P8?si…

Gyruss is a 1983 'tube shooter' arcade game created by Yoshiki Okamoto (Street Fighter II, Monster Strike) - here's a B2B arcade operator ad from its initial U.S. distribution by Centuri. [Ad scan via the VGHF Library.]