The International Computer Game Collection is closing
The International Computer Game Collection (ICS) is supposed to permanently preserve more than 60,000 games. Now, the project is coming to an end due to a lack of funds. This couldn’t have come at a worse time, when physical games are slowly disappearing from everyday life.
Video games disappear faster than many people realise. Sometimes, all it takes is a server that’s been shut down. Or a download store disappears. Or maybe you don’t have the right hardware, an outdated copy protection driver or an operating system that hardly anyone uses any more.
The International Computer Game Collection was intended to alleviate this problem, at least in Germany. It was intended to collect, preserve and make more than 60,000 video games accessible over the long term. Now the project is on the verge of being closed.
The participating institutions won’t continue maintaining their collections under the current conditions. The reason is a lack of ongoing finance. Public funding expired at the end of April 2026, and no permanent solution was reached afterward.
An archive consisting of several collections
The ICS brought together collections from several partners: the Foundation for Digital Game Culture, the Berlin Computer Games Museum, the Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body, the DIGAREC Center at the University of Potsdam and the industry association Game. The project was organised by the Foundation for Digital Game Culture.
A central database containing approximately 40,000 records went online as early as 2019. Later, the collections were to be consolidated in one location. This second phase won’t be happening for now.
That doesn’t mean the games are automatically lost. They remain with the participating institutions. However, without an overarching structure, they’re more difficult to develop, maintain and make accessible. So it’s only partially accurate to say they’ll be lost. It’s not the entire collection that’s disappearing, but the prospect of a permanently accessible, publicly funded archive.
Why video games are especially difficult to preserve
According to reports, approximately 1.5 million euros were invested into founding of the collection. However, the money wasn’t enough to fund ongoing operations. Once funding ended, the collection needed a long-term solution. That’s exactly why they’re in this position.
This marks a turning point for gaming culture. Video games age differently than books or movies. A game can become inaccessible after just a few years if servers are shut down, platforms are closed or activation systems are no longer supported.
With older PC games, the storage medium often isn’t enough. You may need a specific version of Windows, a sound card or a copy protection driver. Console games depend on hardware that works properly. Online games need servers. Mobile games often disappear completely from app stores.
An archive therefore stores more than just files. It must document versions, maintain technical environments, clarify rights and get games up and running again later.
Bad timing
The discontinuation comes at a time when physical games are already losing their appeal. Sales are shifting to digital stores. Subscription plans and cloud offerings make games available as long as the licence agreements remain in effect. At the same time, players are less and less likely to have a complete, permanently usable version on their shelves.
Sony is a prime example of this kind of shift. Starting in January 2028, new PlayStation games will only be released in digital format. In his opinion piece on the shift to digital, my colleague Rainer explained why this isn’t just a problem for collectors.
Subscription services are also shifting their focus to games. You no longer necessarily buy a single game; instead, you pay for limited-time access to a catalogue that changes over time. It sounds like it could be convenient. But in terms of preservation, that’s a problem. If a game’s only available through a store or a plan, its future depends on licences, accounts, servers and platform operators.
The fragility of digital ownership isn’t limited to video games. Sony is currently removing hundreds of purchased movies from British PlayStation libraries. Switzerland won’t be affected, but the case illustrates the close tie that remains between digital purchases, platforms and licence agreements.
Even physical storage media don’t completely solve the problem. CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays can age, become damaged or become unreadable. This has already happened with certain Warner DVDs released between 2006 and 2008: Warner Bros. confirmed this was a case of «disc rot».
Cultural heritage without a stable infrastructure
Games have long been considered cultural assets. They shape pop culture, technology, design, music and narrative forms. In the field of archiving, however, they often lack the natural appeal that books or movies have.
It’s still unclear what’ll happen next with the database and the catalogued collections. One thing we do know is that without a central structure, the International Computer Game Collection loses its most important purpose. It shouldn’t just collect materials, but also consolidate, catalogue and make them available for long-term use.
This isn’t some crazy overnight disaster. It’s a gradual loss of infrastructure. That’s exactly what makes it dangerous. When archives disappear, it’s often not until years later that you realise what’s missing.
My interests are varied, I just like to enjoy life. Always on the lookout for news about darts, gaming, films and series.
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