The National Videogame Museum has launched a UK-wide survey to find out where the country’s videogame collections are held, from development artwork and hardware to design documents, marketing material and company archives.
Supported by the BFI Screen Heritage Fund through National Lottery funding, the project aims to help protect the history of a UK industry that has shaped global videogaming for more than 40 years.
Building a clearer picture of Britain’s gaming past
The survey is being run by the National Videogame Museum in partnership with Ukie, the trade body for the UK games industry. Developers, publishers, studios, former industry professionals, collectors and anyone responsible for videogame-related collections are being encouraged to take part.
At present, there are no formal processes across the games industry or heritage sector for preserving the work produced by the UK’s videogame scene. That becomes more difficult as digital distribution grows and fewer games, documents and other physical items are produced.
The museum says the survey will help identify important collections and highlight opportunities to safeguard them. It will also explore how people in the industry understand and value videogame preservation.
Protecting more than the games themselves
Videogame heritage includes far more than the finished software. The project is looking at the creative and business records that reveal how games were made and promoted, including artwork, design documents, hardware, marketing assets and company archives.
The findings will inform future discussions about how the UK can preserve, celebrate and share its videogame history. They are also intended to encourage more collaboration between the games industry, collectors and heritage organisations.
The survey forms part of a wider project called Behind The Screens. The National Videogame Museum describes it as an important first step towards understanding what already exists and how it can be protected for future generations.
Why this is good news for Britain
The project could help keep British videogame stories, skills and creative records accessible as the industry becomes increasingly digital. It gives developers, former professionals and collectors a route to contribute to a clearer national record of one of the UK’s important creative industries. Click through to the official website below to complete the survey
