THE STUDY
Only 13% still on sale
The Video Game History Foundation and the Software Preservation Network checked a random sample of 1,500 classic games. Just 13% were in release, with a margin of error of ±2.5%.
See the numbersSAVING OLD VIDEO GAMES
Most classic games
are out of print.
Nearly 9 in 10 older video games can no longer be bought.
Check a platform
13%still on sale
- Stores close
- Discs age
- Museums keep
- Game history needs looking after
A 2023 study of 1,500 randomly chosen games released in the US before 2010 found just 13% still on sale. Here is why games vanish, who is keeping them, and how to look after the ones on your shelf.
Updated
THE SHORT ANSWER
Games disappear
quietly.
There is no single cause.
Rights, old hardware and closing stores all play a part.
MUSEUMS
Kept, but hard to play
Museums and archives collect old games and machines. The study notes that in the US, libraries can preserve games digitally but can offer on-site access only.
Who keeps them
AT HOME
Discs need care too
A NIST guide for librarians says to hold discs by the edge, store them upright in their cases and keep them somewhere cool, dry and dark.
Look after yoursA QUICK PLATFORM CHECK
How easy is it
to buy today?
Pick a group of games to see what share the 2023 study found still in release. The bar shows how endangered that group is.
Figures are for games released in the United States, accurate to 15 April 2023.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
History is
slipping away.
One figure on how much is missing,
one on how fast a store closure can remove games.
87%
Classic games no longer on sale
The study classes these games as critically endangered. Its authors say that is close to the survival rate of American silent films (14 percent survive).
OUT OF PRINT · VGHF 2023
≈ 1,000 games
Games lost from sale in one closure
An estimated 1,000 unique games fell out of release when the 3DS and Wii U eShops closed in March 2023.
STORE CLOSURES · VGHF 2023
For comparison, the study puts the availability of pre-World War II audio recordings at 10 percent or less. Its data covers games released in the United States up to 2009.
FOUR HABITS FOR YOUR DISCS
Keep the games
you already own.
A guide written at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology for librarians and archivists gives simple rules that work at home too.
Hold by the edge
Handle discs by the outer edge or the centre hole, and do not touch the shiny surface.
Store upright, in the case
Keep discs standing like books in their cases, and put them back straight after use. Avoid lying them flat for years.
Cool, dry and dark
Avoid heat, high humidity, quick swings in temperature and long spells in sunlight. The guide suggests 18°C and 40% humidity for long-term storage.
Wipe outwards, not round
Clean with soft cotton in straight lines from the centre to the edge, never around the disc. Skip sticky labels.
WHO KEEPS THE GAMES
Museums are
the safety net.
In the UK, the National Videogame Museum in Sheffield says it preserves 5,000 objects of videogame heritage and has over 100 playable exhibits, from retro arcade machines to modern consoles.
In the US, The Strong National Museum of Play says its games centre holds more than 60,000 artifacts. The museum also maintains hundreds of decades-old arcade and pinball machines and runs three labs dedicated to digital preservation.
Questions
Questions people ask
Is it true most old video games cannot be bought?
For games released in the US before 2010, yes. A 2023 study of a random sample of 1,500 games found only 13 percent still in release, with a margin of error of ±2.5 percent.
Why do games go out of print?
The study points to technical issues, rights issues, low commercial value and the shutdown of digital stores. Some classic games are re-released on just one service, so they vanish if it closes.
Does buying a digital copy keep a game safe?
Not necessarily. The study found that an estimated 1,000 unique games fell out of release when the 3DS and Wii U eShops closed in March 2023.
How should I store old game discs?
NIST's care guide says to store discs upright in their cases, somewhere cool, dry, dark and clean, to hold them by the edge and to avoid adhesive labels. It suggests 18°C and 40% relative humidity for long-term storage.
Where can I see and play old games in the UK?
The National Videogame Museum in Sheffield describes itself as the UK's only museum dedicated solely to videogames, with over 100 playable exhibits.
Where the facts come from
- Video Game History Foundation: 87% Missing, the disappearance of classic video games
- Video Game History Foundation: The game availability study, explained
- NIST Special Publication 500-252: Care and Handling of CDs and DVDs (Byers, 2003)
- National Videogame Museum: Our story
- The Strong National Museum of Play: International Center for the History of Electronic Games
- The Strong National Museum of Play: Preservation