An archive of video game history digitized from physical media

July 7, 2023 8:13 AM

We Found & Saved 10 YEARS of Lost Video Game History [YouTube] Noclip, a Youtube channel famous for video game development documentaries, has just salvaged an entire decade of lost video game history. The findings consist of dozens of boxes filled with video tapes. The above video explains the how and what and why of it all. You can subscribe to the archive via the @NoclipArchive YouTube channel or archive.org. Highlights from the archive include: Microsoft E3 2009 Press Conference, A young Hideo Kojima interviewed about the American Metal Gear Solid 4 reveal trailer, Infinity Ward Studio Tour During Development of COD:4 Modern Warfare, Exploring Nintendo of America's Employee-Only Museum, Tony Hawk Half Pipe Demo - Games Convention 2007. [via: Destructoid]
posted by Fizz (10 comments total)

That 2009 E3 video is definitely worth your time. And the quality of that video is something you rarely see with archival gaming footage from that era. It's spectacular. So thankful to the people over at Noclip for doing this.
posted by Fizz at 8:24 AM on July 7, 2023

Also, young Kojima is still the most Kojima ass Kojima he can be. Always thinking and talking in terms of symbolism and grand thematic ideas playing out in his head. :-)
posted by Fizz at 8:27 AM on July 7, 2023

Wait, is something from 2009 "history" already? What year is this?
posted by rikschell at 9:01 AM on July 7, 2023 [5 favorites]

Video game years are like dog years.
posted by cortex at 9:02 AM on July 7, 2023 [4 favorites]

Wait, is something from 2009 "history" already?

2009 was 36 years ago!!
posted by Fizz at 9:14 AM on July 7, 2023 [9 favorites]

But back on topic, I look forward to this archive growing in the coming years. Gaming industry press events, trailers, & interviews from the 90's & 00's is permanently etched into my brain. Everything feels like it was sponsored by MountainDewRed or has the words "TO THE MAX" in parentheses. Going down this archival rabbit-hole of commercials, demonstrations, etc just scratches a very particular type of itch.
posted by Fizz at 9:27 AM on July 7, 2023

2009 E3! I was at E3 that year. Oh, those were the days.

I'd like to step into that Nintendo museum video and hang out for a few hours.
posted by Servo5678 at 10:27 AM on July 7, 2023 [1 favorite]

The one preview video I have etched in my head and home is in this collection is Bungie going over the development process on Halo, and showing a Warthog prototyped in the Myth engine.
posted by thecjm at 11:51 AM on July 7, 2023

I heard that the IHCEG at the Strong Museum of Play was involved in something very similar.
posted by Wild_Eep at 2:14 PM on July 7, 2023 [1 favorite]

Fizz, I don't know how you find so many great video game links, but I sure appreciate you sharing them here. This is really cool. Thanks.
posted by straight at 2:37 PM on July 8, 2023