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Video Game History Hour: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Video Game History Foundation
Industry expert Frank Cifaldi, Executive Director of the Video Game History Foundation, brings on fellow content creators, game developers, video game historians, and storytellers to teach us a little bit about video game history. Our casual, “chatting over coffee” style interviews let us see the true life of a researcher: bang-your-head-against-a-wall dead-ends, “I can’t believe no one’s told this story before” moments, the thrill of sharing incredible history with the world, and more.
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- 1 weeks ago1h 9m
Episode 163: The Complexities of EULAs
Phil Salvador interviews Amy Thomas, legal expert and author of Copyright, Contract, and Video Games: Terms of Play, about the evolving landscape of digital rights and ownership in gaming. In this episode, Amy discusses her journey from studying Microsoft's Xbox One EULA in 2013; the complexities of EULAs, user rights, and the impact of digital ownership on game preservation; her research on possibly the earliest EULA, found in 1985 for Pitfall II; and the challenges of digital preservation, including implications of Sony's recent decision to discontinue physical PlayStation discs.Mentioned in the show: Tandy Software License: https://colorcomputerarchive.com/repo/Documents/Manuals/Games/Pitfall%20II%20(Tandy).pdfMoria License: https://free-moria.sourceforge.net/moria-non-free-license.txtYou can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.See more from Amy Thomas:LinkedIn: /amy-thomasThe Centre for Regulation of the Creative Economy, University of Glasgow: create.ac.ukUpcoming speaking engagement: Playable Heritage: Creating a Collaborative Framework for Collecting Video Game CultureVideo Game History Foundation:Email: podcast@gamehistory.orgWebsite: gamehistory.orgSupport us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
- 3 weeks ago58 min
Episode 162: Roberta Vaughn’s Retro Adventures
Library Director Phil Salvador is joined by guests Heather Fryling and Daniel Greenberg to discuss Roberta Vaughn’s Retro Adventures, a nonprofit organization that creates traveling, living exhibits focused on the history of adventure games and entertainment. The RVRA, founded to honor the legacy of adventure games collector and enthusiast Roberta Vaughn, travels to conventions like Portland Retro Game Expo and PAX West to share their curated exhibits, original interviews, and special guest appearances. You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.Mentioned in the Show:Al Lowe’s wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_LoweClassic Gamers Guild: https://www.facebook.com/ClassicGamersGuild/See more from Heather Fryling:Website: rvretro.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Roberta-Vaughans-Retro-Adventures/61580535638673/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-fryling-4336a0168Email: heather@rvretro.orgSee more from Daniel Greenberg:Bluesky: @winterion.comEmail: info (at) winterion.comHelp Daniel plant trees: patreon.com/winterionIONGAMING Live: twitch.tv/winterionIONGAMING Back Episodes: youtube.com/winteriongamestudiosGMU Game Design: game.gmu.eduVideo Game History Foundation:Email: podcast@gamehistory.orgWebsite: gamehistory.orgSupport us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
- Aug 5, 202659 min
Episode 161: Blizzard Digital Vault
Our library director Phil Salvador sits down for another What’s Your Deal? episode with Blizzard’s senior digital archivist, Leah Williams, to discuss her critical work of preserving their modern video game history. In this episode:Leah’s unconventional path to digital games preservationManaging art, UI, and visual FXCollaborating with engineers and metadata expertsWhy discoverability matters for legacy assetsBuilding vital relationships across game studiosNavigating AI tagging and digital preservation challengesMentioned in the show:YouTube 35th year anniversary 35’ table Blizzard: The Next ChapterYou can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.See more from Leah Williams:LinkedIn: /leah-williams Video Game History Foundation:Email: podcast@gamehistory.orgWebsite: gamehistory.orgSupport us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
- Aug 5, 202659 min
Episode 161: Blizzard Digital Vault
Our library director Phil Salvador sits down for another What’s Your Deal? episode with Blizzard’s senior digital archivist, Leah Williams, to discuss her critical work of preserving their modern video game history. In this episode:Leah’s unconventional path to digital games preservationManaging art, UI, and visual FXCollaborating with engineers and metadata expertsWhy discoverability matters for legacy assetsBuilding vital relationships across game studiosNavigating AI tagging and digital preservation challengesMentioned in the show:YouTube 35th year anniversary 35’ table Blizzard: The Next ChapterYou can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.See more from Leah Williams:LinkedIn: /leah-williams Video Game History Foundation:Email: podcast@gamehistory.orgWebsite: gamehistory.orgSupport us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
- Jul 22, 20261h 13m
Episode 160: Founding E3
Phil Salvador hosts a special episode of the Video Game History Hour featuring Carolyn Rauch and Doug Lowenstein to discuss the origins and evolution of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).As the former senior vice president of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), Carolyn managed E3 for roughly two decades. Doug, the ESA's founder and former president, joins her to recount the organization’s 1994 founding. Together, they explain how the industry responded to the video game violence panic along with its legislative threats and how poor placement at the annual CES tradeshow led to the creation of E3.We discuss the massive challenges of organizing the inaugural 1995 expo, including the critical task of securing industry giants like Nintendo and Sega; E3's eventual shift toward a consumer-focused format; its massive economic impact on Los Angeles; and the unexpected legal challenges surrounding the iconic E3 logo.You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.Video Game History Foundation:Email: podcast@gamehistory.orgWebsite: gamehistory.orgSupport us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
- Jul 9, 20261h 5m
Episode 159: Q1 & Q2 Update
This year’s first update starts off with the huge announcement of our newest team member, Meera Swanson, as Development Director. Meera shares some of her background as well as her vision for the rest of this year as she establishes this new department. Phil overviews all the new collections we launched this year including additions to the GamePro CD collection, speaker audio cassettes from the 2nd ever Computer Game Developers’ Conference, and Neopets The Official Magazine. Robin reviews the podcast so far this year and what’s resonated both with her and others. You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.Video Game History Foundation:Email: podcast@gamehistory.orgWebsite: gamehistory.orgSupport us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
- Jun 24, 20261h 8m
Episode 158: What’s Your Deal, Willem Hilhorst?
In this episode of the Video Game History Hour, host Phil Salvador interviews Willem Hilhorst, Media Manager for Games and Online at the Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision regarding their video game preservation efforts within the context of an audiovisual media archive. Established in 1997, the institute manages a growing collection of over 500 digital and physical Dutch-connected games. Hilhorst outlines key initiatives like the Dutch Games Canon and the Treasure Room portal for out-of-commerce media. The discussion addresses the legal and structural challenges of long-term preservation alongside the role of national identity in software design. Using Ubisoft's early French influence on Rayman as a case study, Hilhorst highlights how local cultural elements translate to international audiences. Also in this episode: the non-game material held in the archive, the potential canon inclusion of Moon Child, and Hilhorst's external work for Nintendo World Report and EFGAMP. You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.Mentioned in the Show: The Dutch Games Canon (please use translation for an English version): https://gamescanon.beeldengeluid.nl"The Treasure Room" (Schatkamer) (requires a Dutch IP address or VPN): https://schatkamer.beeldengeluid.nlThe European Federation of Game Archives, Museums and Preservation Projects: https://efgamp.eu Nintendo World Report: https://nintendoworldreport.com / https://youtube.com/@NinWRTVOut of Commerce Works Portal: https://euipo.europa.eu/out-of-commerce/Home Computer Museum: https://www.homecomputermuseum.nl/en/#introSee more from Willem Hilhorst:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whilhorst.bsky.socialSound & Vision Website: https://beeldengeluid.nl/en/Video Game History Foundation:Email: podcast@gamehistory.orgWebsite: gamehistory.orgSupport us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
- Jun 10, 20261h 27m
Episode 157: Our Library Practices
Library director Phil Salvador and producer Robin Kunimune take you through the process of preserving a collection of over 10,000 digital files from our GamePro CD collection. Phil discusses how he tackles physical and philosophical dilemmas such as balancing users’ needs to access original files of hi-res game art while also viewing quick, easy thumbnails researchers can actually open; dealing with broken or obsolete 90’s files types like old PSD/EPS files; automating bulk processing for as much data as we’re able; and balancing thorough, but concise, metadata for topics ranging from undersea wreckage salvage to hyper-specific local gaming slang. Phil and Robin also provide a sneak peak into the VGHF’s upcoming monster of a project, the Game Informer collection, and how this meager 10k file collection is really just a warm-up.Mentioned in the Show: GamePro Press CD CollectionYou can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.Video Game History Foundation:Email: podcast@gamehistory.orgWebsite: gamehistory.orgSupport us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg
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About Video Game History Hour
Industry expert Frank Cifaldi, Executive Director of the Video Game History Foundation, brings on fellow content creators, game developers, video game historians, and storytellers to teach us a little bit about video game history. Our casual, “chatting over coffee” style interviews let us see the true life of a researcher: bang-your-head-against-a-wall dead-ends, “I can’t believe no one’s told this story before” moments, the thrill of sharing incredible history with the world, and more.
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