Xbox

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Preserving Video Games Is Not Just About Saving Games

The Museo del Videojuego describes its purpose as preserving the history of the medium so it can be explained to people who did not know periods before PlayStation or Xbox. Its account does not separate games, consoles and computing: it presents an interconnected history of arcade machines, consoles, handhelds and computers. That breadth matters. A history reduced to famous titles leaves out the supports and practices that made the experience possible.

Preserving Video Games Means Preserving More Than Games

The Museo del Videojuego says that its aim includes preserving history so that people unfamiliar with the periods before PlayStation or Xbox can learn about them. Its collection brings together records of games and consoles, as well as magazines, images, and videos. The Embracer Games Archive, according to information reported by Microsiervos, is another archival initiative devoted to games, consoles, and accessories, with cataloguing and digitization work. These examples do not allow a comprehensive comparison of their methods, but they do illustrate that preservation takes different institutional forms.