Game preservation is a passionate topic in the industry with many clamoring for accessible and affordable ways to play retro games. Although it's a complicated matter, a newly-elected Japanese politician is passionate about enacting legal measures to make game preservation a major success.Many classic games are no longer in a playable state as the decades pass and old consoles are not supported. Companies such as Nintendo and PlayStation offer services for a variety of classic games, but a majority of classic titles are not available on the latest consoles. In March 2021, PlayStation announced the closure of PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and PlayStation Portable storefronts. The decision was reversed in April 2021 due to the overwhelming outcry of PlayStation fans wanting classic PS3, PS Vita, and PSP games to remain available. Emulation continues to make strides for platforms such as the PS3, but a large-scale closure would greatly hinder game preservation for beloved PlayStation titles.Renowned Love Hina manga author Ken Akamatsu was elected into the Japanese National Diet's House of Councilors on July 10, and one of his many goals in office is strengthening legal avenues of game preservation. Through his official Twitter account, Akamatsu announced that a team of game preservation experts was formed with the Legal System Subcommittee's Digital Rights team of the Digital Archive Society. The team has begun to work on the legal preservation of retro games in a playable state. Additionally, Akamatsu said archiving and usability of retro content is a passion of his, and he wants to help this endeavor succeed.
Akamatsu was elected as a member of the House of Councilors after running with the popular Liberal Democratic Party. His campaign focused on protecting creators' freedom of expression and artistic values from outside sources and censorship. Furthermore, Akamatsu became the first manga author to win a national election in Japan. His most famous work, Love Hina, was serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shounen Magazine from 1998 to 2001. The success of Love Hina would spawn multiple OVAs, an anime series, light novels, and games.
Akamatsu's electoral win is a major driving force for game preservation in Japan. Many classic Japanese games may be saved from inoperability through Akamatsu's legal measures. If Akamatsu is successful, other world leaders may join in supporting game preservation in a legal manner.
However, game preservation continues to be a daunting challenge around the world. PlayStation and Nintendo store closures for older consoles remains a bleak possibility. At the very least, Akamatsu's first actions in office provides an outlet of optimism.
Source: Twinfinite