Just like Mario falling into an infinite void, the world's video game heritage is at risk of being lost forever, without more resources to preserve it. A landmark global survey by Australia's National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) has found many cultural institutions don't recognise games as culture worth saving, and lack the resources to collect and take care of them. "There is still a lag in people really understanding that games are a pervasive and influential form of culture," the archive's chief executive Patrick McIntyre told AAP.
Gaming has over the last several decades become culturally dominant: globally, the video game industry is bigger than commercial music and film combined, he said. "Something that once felt like a technological novelty is now the way that people engage with each other, share experiences and express themselves, and document human life on the planet." McIntyre sees parallels with the early days of cinema - it's estimated 90 per cent of early film has been lost - and for video games culture the loss is expected to be even greater.
The survey is the first major project to ask cultural institutions globally about collecting and saving video games, with more than 50 organisations responding, including universities and video game companies. The survey found most institutions working to save video game history don't have dedicated funding or staff to do so, with many respondents saying their efforts are critically under-resourced. Another big challenge.