Embracer launches video game protection

Imagine a place where all the physical video games, consoles and accessories are in one place. And imagine what all of this could mean for the culture of gaming and enabling video game research.can we read on the Embracer group site, as an introduction to the Embracer Games Archive.

The goal of the group, formerly called THQ Nordic, is save the video game industry as much as possible.

So far, 50,000 games, consoles and accessories related to the video game industry are kept in a safe in Sweden, where the company’s headquarters are located. A team consisting of a CEO, but also an archivist and a technical engineer, among others, was specifically put together for the Embracer Games Archive. Investigators can also follow their work on the Embracer group’s YouTube channel.

Towards public access

From the very beginning, the Embracer Games Archive did not make the archives public. However, creating a collection database that is accessible for journalists, academia, but also museums, is on the cards. The company also aims to showcase its collection of video games, specifically at traveling exhibitions.

Several video game archiving initiatives already exist, usually on public initiative. Let’s consider in particular the Internet Archives which, through a concerted effort led by Internet users, were able to maintain several Flash-based video games, before the software disappeared in January 2021. The museums were there is also a video games custody mission, such as The Strong Museum in the United States, which is also responsible for the Video Game Hall of Fame.

The Embracer Group contains a rich catalog of video games, primarily due to its acquisitions, such as Gearbox studios and, more recently, Square Enix’s North American studios that developed series such as Tomb Raider and Deus Ex.