The Game-shaped Archive: A Playful, Flexible Approach to the Preservation of Computer Games

Over the past decades computer games have become an established part of a rapidly transforming media landscape. As such they cannot be ignored by cultural heritage institutions. The ephemeral and interactive qualities of games do require a varied and flexible approach to their preservation. Various methods of preservation must be combined in order to do justice to the various aspects of games as cultural heritage. A playful attitude towards the preservation of computer games will help archives to navigate this complex and at times daunting task.