Sailing the High Seas Could Become the Only Way to ‘Own’ a Game, Per Game Preservation Expert

Things are looking bleak for physical media. Frank Cifaldi, founder of the game preservation and dissemination non-profit Video Game History Foundation, has said that piracy remains the only viable way to truly own a game and keep it under one’s control as companies abandon game discs and push toward locked‑down digital ecosystems.

Cifaldi was responding to a Bluesky post in which a user argued that “piracy is the only extant form of media preservation that exists in games right now.” Cifaldi agreed, expressing a touch of professional exasperation at the industry’s refusal to offer a “meaningful alternative” to piracy.

It’s difficult to find new copies of old games at major retailers these days, and not everyone has a mom-and-pop store nearby that lets them buy and trade used games. On top of that, many games debut on their original console or platform and never return to newer systems. Without remasters, collections, or new digital versions, they basically disappear from the market.

Digital “ownership” isn’t a perfect solution: Many games depend on online services, patches, or DRM, so preserving discs or downloads doesn’t always guarantee future playability. US copyright law still restricts libraries and museums from offering remote access to titles in their collections, even when those games are long out of print.

It’s no wonder that the folks committed to game ownership and preservation are preparing to set sail, if they haven’t already left the harbor.