The Video Game History Foundation Launches its Digital Library Offering One-of-a-Kind Digital Archives of Gaming History
Years in the Making, The New Online Resource Features a Robust Collection of Magazines, Game Development Materials, Marketing Materials, and More for Researchers, Historians, and Curious Visitors to Explore, Discover and Learn From
EMERYVILLE, CA – Jan. 30, 2025 – The Video Game History Foundation (VGHF), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and celebration of the history of video games, has officially launched the VGHF Digital Library. The archive is currently in early access and open to anyone interested in the study of video game history for free at library.gamehistory.org.
Check out the VGHF Library launch video above
Researchers, gamers and the general public will have access to more than 30,000 curated files (with lots more to come) of industry ephemera straight from the VGHF’s physical collection, including more than 1,500 full-text searchable out-of-print video game magazines, never-before-seen game development assets, artwork, promotional materials, and more gaming relics, making it one of the largest repositories of game industry history in the world. Anyone with a need or curiosity for learning more about how gaming has evolved is encouraged to bookmark and access the wealth of information and unique physical statement pieces spanning more than 50 years.
“We’ve been working on this project since we founded the Video Game History Foundation in 2017, so we’re extremely proud to start providing access to our digital library and continue our mission to make video game history accessible to anyone,” said Frank Cifaldi, founder of the Video Game History Foundation. “We believe that with the right tools, anyone can be a video game historian, and we can’t wait to see what new stories our archive inspires. We also hope this inspires those in the video game industry to consider the importance of preserving their work and contributing to initiatives like ours.”
The VGHF Library is designed as a unique destination and research tool, allowing users to search for specific games, authors, publishers, and other metadata across public and previously internal materials:
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Want to find a chronological list of mentions of your favorite game?
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See what designers used for reference when designing classic games based on properties like Batman, Sonic the Hedgehog, the Myst series, and more?
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Search through classic magazines such as Game Informer, GamePro, Next Generation, PSM and more?
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Or maybe dig into video footage from the show floor of E3 2000?
Digitized issue of GamePro Magazine, showing a Batman Forever review for SEGA Genesis and a Mega Man X ad on SNES, plus the UI for navigating material scans
The VGHF Library also hosts more complicated digital materials, like vintage art assets and information sent to magazines for use in their publications, or viewing websites and presentations as they were originally seen.
Other highlights of the VGHF Library include:
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Guidebooks and ephemera from game events, including searchable directories and maps from the first 12 years of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).
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An extensive international collection of FromSoftware promotional materials, collected by citizen archivist Kris Urquhart, with a blessing from FromSoftware to donate them to the library.
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100 CDs of art and press releases from GamePro’s magazine archive.
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Over 100 hours of footage from the production of the Myst series, including never-before-seen interviews with the Cyan team.
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The Mark Flitman papers, a treasure trove of documents collected over the course of Flitman’s career at video game publishers like Konami, Acclaim, Atari, and more.
“At the Video Game History Foundation, we think the best way to study game history is to have access to the raw materials,” said Phil Salvador, Library Director at the VGHF. “Our vision has always been to open our collections to everyone, whoever and wherever you are, and after years of work, today we’re taking the first step towards that open digital future. We sincerely think this tool is going to change how people study video game history. We cannot wait to see what historians, researchers, authors, YouTubers, fans, and everyone in-between will discover.”
The VGHF Library is a powerful, one of a kind resource, and its dedicated team is committed to continually updating the features and offering for years to come. Community members can follow the foundation on BlueSky, follow the blog, or gamehistory.org for more information and ongoing news and updates. Game developers who wish to contribute their materials to the library can reach out to info@gamehistory.org.
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About The Video Game History Foundation