The fragile nature of digital-only independent video games has taken center stage in the latest installment of the Video Game History Hour. In Episode 164, host Phil Salvador welcomed Dr. Colin Post and Marisa Marzilli from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) to discuss an escalating crisis in interactive media archiving. The primary focus of the discussion centered on the upcoming Digital Games in Libraries (DGIL) National Virtual Forum, a specialized academic and cultural conference scheduled to take place virtually on October 29 and 30.

Throughout the episode, Salvador, Post, and Marzilli explored the genesis of the DGIL initiative, evaluated current academic and public collection models, and brainstormed future phases and resource allocation strategies necessary to secure digital-only indie titles against technological obsolescence. The conversation highlights a growing movement within the cultural heritage sector to shift how modern libraries perceive, acquire, and preserve interactive media, particularly titles released exclusively through digital distribution platforms like Steam, itch.io, and console digital storefronts.

Main Facts and the DGIL Initiative

The Digital Games in Libraries National Virtual Forum represents a critical milestone in the ongoing effort to integrate video games into traditional public and academic archiving frameworks. Unlike physical cartridge- or disc-based media, which can be stored on physical shelves, digital-only indie games exist as transient data files dependent on specific operating systems, proprietary launcher software, server connectivity, and hardware architectures. When these supporting digital infrastructures disappear, the games themselves frequently become entirely inaccessible.

The upcoming forum, hosted by UNCG, is designed to bring together librarians, archivists, game developers, scholars, and cultural preservationists to address these systemic vulnerabilities. According to Dr. Colin Post and Marisa Marzilli, the initiative seeks to establish standardized collection models that public and university libraries can adopt. By treating video games not merely as recreational commodities but as vital cultural artifacts, the DGIL project aims to formulate practical workflows for digital acquisition, cataloging, and long-term preservation compliance under current intellectual property and digital rights management (DRM) frameworks.

Chronology of the Digital Preservation Crisis

The movement to preserve digital-only independent video games has accelerated significantly over the past decade, driven by alarming statistics regarding the availability of classic and contemporary software.

In July 2023, the Video Game History Foundation, in partnership with the Software Preservation Network, released a landmark study examining the availability of historical video games released in the United States. The findings revealed a staggering industry-wide deficit: approximately 87% of classic video games released in the U.S. are currently classified as critically endangered. While physical media faces severe deterioration and hardware decay, digital-only software faces an even more precarious timeline due to storefront closures, licensing expirations, and the server shutdowns of platforms like the Nintendo eShop, Xbox Marketplace, and PlayStation Store.

The conceptualization of the DGIL initiative emerged directly from these systemic vulnerabilities. Recognizing that major institutional archives alone cannot shoulder the massive burden of preserving the thousands of independent titles released annually, researchers at UNCG began developing frameworks to empower local libraries. By leveraging the community-oriented infrastructure of public and academic libraries, the DGIL project bridges the gap between grassroots indie developers and formal cultural preservation institutions. The announcement of the October 29-30 virtual forum marks the transition of the DGIL initiative from a theoretical research model into a collaborative, national action plan.

Supporting Data and Industry Context

The economic and cultural weight of the independent video game sector underscores the urgency highlighted in Episode 164. Independent developers are frequently credited with driving the artistic evolution of the medium, pioneering narrative techniques, and exploring experimental gameplay mechanics that large commercial publishers often avoid.

However, the indie landscape is overwhelmingly digital. According to data from independent game tracking platforms and digital storefront aggregators, more than 90% of indie games released annually lack physical editions. Platforms like Steam routinely publish tens of thousands of new titles every year, the vast majority of which are vulnerable to sudden delisting. Reasons for delisting range from expired music licensing agreements and engine dependencies to the dissolution of small development studios that can no longer afford maintenance costs or server hosting fees.

Public and academic libraries have historically served as the primary custodians of cultural memory, collecting books, films, music, and local historical records. Yet, library systems have historically struggled to incorporate digital video games into their collections due to restrictive licensing agreements. Unlike a physical book, which a library can purchase and lend indefinitely under the doctrine of first sale, digital games are almost universally acquired through restrictive End User License Agreements (EULAs) and subscription models. These legal frameworks often prohibit libraries from archiving, lending, or even running multiple copies of a digital title without specialized enterprise permissions.

Official Perspectives and Stakeholder Responses

While specific official statements from external institutional bodies are continuously evolving, the consensus among archival researchers, including those at UNCG and the Video Game History Foundation, points to an urgent need for legislative and policy reform.

In statements accompanying their ongoing research initiatives, representatives from the Video Game History Foundation have repeatedly emphasized that current exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) granted by the U.S. Copyright Office remain overly restrictive. While researchers have won limited exemptions allowing remote access to archived software under strict conditions, these exemptions largely exclude public libraries from preserving and providing access to digital-only indie games for everyday patrons and students.

Dr. Colin Post and Marisa Marzilli have noted in academic presentations leading up to the DGIL forum that libraries represent an untapped reservoir for digital preservation. Because libraries are embedded within local communities, they possess a unique capacity to collect regional indie games—titles developed by local creators that might otherwise be entirely lost to mainstream historical accounts. By fostering a dialogue during the October forum, the UNCG team aims to provide stakeholders with actionable legal, technical, and logistical guidelines to navigate the complex landscape of digital software acquisition.

Broader Impact and Implications

The implications of failing to preserve digital-only indie video games extend far beyond the entertainment industry, directly impacting cultural history, software engineering education, and digital literacy.

As software becomes increasingly integrated into daily life, video games serve as complex testaments to human creativity, technological advancement, and cultural commentary in the 21st century. When an indie game is lost due to a server shutdown or the deprecation of a software framework, a piece of contemporary culture vanishes. Furthermore, aspiring game developers and computer science students lose access to the foundational source material and design iterations of past creators.

The work being highlighted by the Video Game History Hour and spearheaded by the UNCG Digital Games in Libraries initiative points toward a potential structural evolution in how society values digital heritage. By establishing scalable collection models and fostering national collaboration between libraries, archivists, and creators, the initiative lays the groundwork for a more resilient digital archive.

Listeners interested in engaging further with these preservation efforts can access Episode 164 of the Video Game History Hour across major podcast platforms, including Spotify and the official Video Game History Foundation website, with early access available via Patreon. Additional resources, registration details for the October 29-30 DGIL National Virtual Forum, and ongoing updates are available through the official UNCG Digital Games in Libraries website and associated Substack publications.