Video Game History Foundation

ICYMI: in the latest Video Game History Hour podcast, host Phil Salvador is joined by two digital preservationists, Ellen Cooper and Max Solensky, to explore the world of Japanese mobile game preservation: gamehistory.org/episode-152-ja…

GDC history flashback: today, we’re opening a new collection of talk recordings from the 1989 Computer Game Developers’ Conference! gamehistory.org/cgdc-1989-tape… (Here's Origin's Robert Garriott - Richard's brother - saying there's too many games on the market... in 1989.)

ICOM's classic point & click adventure Shadowgate got this stylish 1989 U.S. print ad for the NES version from Kemco. (Ad scan via the VGHF Library.)

One of the most profitable games of the '90s? PC hunting game megahit Deer Hunter, which ruled Wal-Mart in 1998 and eventually sold millions. (Dev cost? <$100k, as this E3 Show Daily - archive.gamehistory.org/item/e21d2d78-… - article says.)

What did the Electronics Boutique catalog in 1997 have for Sega consoles? How about the Saturn NetLink, Manx TT for the Sega Saturn, and Jurassic Park: The Lost World for Saturn, Genesis and Game Gear?

A librarian's gotta do what a librarian's gotta do. youtu.be/Thw5X1AQ4ac?si…

The mid-'80s had a lot of auteur-led ads for games, hence Mark Cerny himself starring in this U.S. print ad for Atari arcade classic Marble Madness, c.1985...

Within Activision's internal notes for a company trip to Japan in 1992, a recounting of a visit to Nintendo - with confirmation that Street Fighter II gave Nintendo Of America approval woes: archive.gamehistory.org/item/84f550c6-…

Would you like to be jumpscared by disorganized numbering on a video game magazine series? Well, the VGHF has just the video for you: youtube.com/watch?v=Thw5X1…

Best Buy's Nintendo Wii launch guide from 2006 - archive.gamehistory.org/item/ae213784-… - included first-party Nintendo ads for classics like Wii (and GameCube!) title The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Pinrcess.

Interplay and Activision's graphically-enhanced text adventure Mindshadow (from 1985!) got this striking U.S. print ad in Computer Entertainer Magazine. (Ad scan via the VGHF.)

Also in the last issue of CD-ROM Today - archive.gamehistory.org/item/126f3e5b-… - these multimedia classified ads, revealing that The 7th Guest was only $16 at some retailers back in 1996! (But Phantasmagoria was still $42...)

Are you currently working for Activision in the year 1994 and missing your blank expense form? VGHF (via the William Volk papers!) can help with that: archive.gamehistory.org/folder/f903669…

To say Game Player's was a confusing magazine to sort would be an understatement. youtu.be/Thw5X1AQ4ac

Video games being easily playable and accessible to all? Nintendo cares about that - hence this 2006 U.S. print ad for their Touch Generations titles for Nintendo DS.

The last-ever issue of CD-ROM Today magazine in 1996 includes ads for such interactive gems as Piper (starring Jason David Frank from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers!)

We'll be at GDC 2026 (@official_gdc) next week! Here's everywhere you can find us, plus more exciting history content happening throughout the week: gamehistory.org/gdc-2026/

In the latest Video Game History Hour podcast, MIT Museum's Dr. Flori Pierri joins us to explore their unexpected journey into the world of video game preservation: gamehistory.org/episode-151-ga… (Pictured: Michael Dornbrook, Infocom.)

This ad for early retro Activision x Atari 2600 compilation arrived (in 1995!) with a hilariously sinister 'Activision Centre for Addictive Entertainment' logo.

Do you think this Virtual Boy Mario Land demo was a playable game, or just an animation like plenty of other Virtual Boy demos? If you missed our Virtual Boy and Winter CES 1995 video check it out here: youtu.be/N_FEmue0Yu4