from Hacker News

Embracer Games Archive is preserving 75000 video games and needs contributions

by draugadrotten on 5/10/25, 11:19 AM with 91 comments

  • by mzajc on 5/10/25, 3:51 PM

    From their FAQ

    > Can I visit the archive?

    > The archive is for everyone, and we welcome all inquiries. However, we prioritize requests that support gaming culture, gaming history, and the games industry. /../ While the archive is not open to the public, we hope /../

    The archive is for everyone, but it's only for these groups of people, and it's also not open to the public... Yikes.

    I'd much rather support initiatives that actually make the games and software required to run them open to the public, like GOG.com and Internet Archive. This feels like a one-way transaction - society puts games in, society gets nothing back.

  • by forgotTheLast on 5/10/25, 2:51 PM

    Isn't that the company that bought the IP to a bunch of games franchises just to kill all ongoing development? Ironic.

  • by pogue on 5/10/25, 1:04 PM

    The contributions they're looking for are apparently games and not monetary donations.

    What exactly they're doing with the archive isn't stated. The FAQ doesn't explain, other than vague intentions to have the ability to do research and possibly some sort of museum (I think?)

    https://embracergamesarchive.com/#faq

  • by zabzonk on 5/10/25, 2:57 PM

    > Embracer Games Archive is a part of Embracer Group - the parent company of businesses led by entrepreneurs in PC, console and mobile games, as well as other related media.

    very unclear who these people actually are

  • by biglyburrito on 5/10/25, 12:34 PM

    Sorry, but I don't trust Embracer with being a good steward of games in any capacity.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embracer_Group#History

  • by nrb on 5/10/25, 2:26 PM

    Is it too cynical to think they’re just building this to train AI against your donated games?

  • by integricho on 5/10/25, 12:57 PM

    what does the public gain from them?

  • by jll29 on 5/10/25, 5:52 PM

    At least part of the collection, preferedly a rotating part, should be a public exhibit. They can charge an entrance fee, and they will get way more support if there is public awareness compared to a 100% closed shop.

  • by protocolture on 5/11/25, 9:57 AM

    I have a couple pieces that might be worth donating but after reading the history of the company thats absolutely not going to happen.

    Is there somewhere better, preferably outside the USA?

  • by MyPasswordSucks on 5/10/25, 10:32 PM

    > We aim to assist and grant access to people within the games industry, researchers, schools, and other institutions. While the archive is not open to the public, we hope our website and social media channels will offer insight into the work being done by our team. [1]

    Then maybe people within the games industry, researchers, schools, and other institutions can provide those needed contributions. Very poor form to be coming to the public, hat in hand, asking them to help finance your private vidya collection.

    1: https://embracergamesarchive.com/#faq

  • by Keyframe on 5/10/25, 9:15 PM

    now, I have a full SNES collection (without boxes since cardboard is hard to keep up), almost full N64 collection, and on my way to complete Mega Drive and Master System (with boxes) and probably more than halfway through NES games.. bunch of amigas, commodores, spectrums, SGIs, monitors, some exotics like Sam Coupe, Tatung Einstein, Schneider CPCs, etc. but this is on another level.

    Future collectors beware though, even though I collected a whole bunch as you can see, at the end of the day I still play either on Analogue's with Everdrive or original machines (RGB of course) with Everdrives. Sometimes even, yes, emulators. If anything, I'd honestly donate to a digital archive and emulator development. Only thing right now that really can't be emulated are CRTs - but I am honestly convinced we're soon close enough if not already 98% there with great 4k OLEDs (like sony A95L series) and some pre-processing. I can tell by the pixels when I'm looking at both A95L and BVM20 and/or B&O TV which I also have, to my wife's disapproval.

  • by Keyframe on 5/10/25, 9:54 PM

    this talk with acquisition manager there illuminates a lot of things, including how it started. Back of the envelope calc it looks like to be anywhere between 5-10m euro swing to get it where it is at right now (including space and people). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKXEUG_tKks

  • by merbanan on 5/10/25, 1:44 PM

    Doesn't seem like they are digitising the media.

  • by gitroom on 5/11/25, 12:48 AM

    Man, keeping all those games locked away where most can't check them out just feels off. If you're asking for people to donate, at least make it so the public can benefit too.

  • by devwastaken on 5/10/25, 4:08 PM

    this will be demolished before 5 years time. physical archives dont work, theyre inefficient and costly. people get bored. the best archive is torrent seeding.