87% of Classic Video Games Are Now Impossible to Buy Legally, Study Finds

If you want to play a classic video game from before 2010, good luck buying it legally. A new study from the Video Game History Foundation has dropped some absolutely depressing statistics: 87% of classic video games are now completely unavailable through any legal purchase channel. They might as well not exist as far as the market is concerned.

The Video Game History Foundation published their research showing the scale of video game inaccessibility. Unlike classic films or books which are generally available for purchase or through libraries, the vast majority of gaming history has simply vanished from legitimate commerce.

Think about what this means. Video games are now one of the most significant cultural art forms of the past 50 years. Theyre a multi-billion dollar industry. They influence everything from movies to music to how we socialize. And were just… letting 87% of that history disappear.

The reasons are complicated. Copyright law means you cant legally copy old games even if the company that made them no longer exists. Ars Technica explored the legal and practical barriers to game preservation. Physical media degrades over time. Old consoles become impossible to repair. And publishers often have little financial incentive to re-release games that might only appeal to niche audiences.

Compare this to other media. If you want to watch a classic film from the 1940s, you can probably find it on streaming, buy a Blu-ray, or at least check it out from a library. Books from hundreds of years ago remain in print. But a video game from 2005? Might as well be ancient history.

The gaming industry continues to grow exponentially each year, but theres still no coherent strategy for preserving its past. Libraries dont collect games the way they collect books. Copyright reform hasnt kept pace with digital media. And emulation – the most practical preservation method – exists in a legal gray area at best.

We’re the first generation to have grown up with video games as a major art form. And were at risk of being the generation that lets most of that art simply vanish. Thats not just a shame for nostalgic gamers. Its a cultural tragedy.