Video Game History Hour

Phil Salvador interviews Amy Thomas, legal expert and author of Copyright, Contract, and Video Games: Terms of Play, about the evolving landscape of digital rights and ownership in gaming. In this episode, Amy discusses her journey from studying Microsoft's Xbox One EULA in 2013; the complexities of EULAs, user rights, and the impact of digital ownership on game preservation; her research on possibly the earliest EULA, found in 1985 for Pitfall II; and the challenges of digital preservation, including implications of Sony's recent decision to discontinue physical PlayStation discs.

Mentioned in the show: 
Tandy Software License: https://colorcomputerarchive.com/repo/Documents/Manuals/Games/Pitfall%20II%20(Tandy).pdf
Moria License: https://free-moria.sourceforge.net/moria-non-free-license.txt

You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.

See more from Amy Thomas:
LinkedIn: /amy-thomas
The Centre for Regulation of the Creative Economy, University of Glasgow: create.ac.uk
Upcoming speaking engagement: Playable Heritage: Creating a Collaborative Framework for Collecting Video Game Culture

Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg

Library Director Phil Salvador is joined by guests Heather Fryling and Daniel Greenberg to discuss Roberta Vaughn’s Retro Adventures, a nonprofit organization that creates traveling, living exhibits focused on the history of adventure games and entertainment. The RVRA, founded to honor the legacy of adventure games collector and enthusiast Roberta Vaughn, travels to conventions like Portland Retro Game Expo and PAX West to share their curated exhibits, original interviews, and special guest appearances. 

You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.

Mentioned in the Show:
Al Lowe’s wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Lowe
Classic Gamers Guild: https://www.facebook.com/ClassicGamersGuild/

See more from Heather Fryling:
Website: rvretro.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Roberta-Vaughans-Retro-Adventures/61580535638673/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-fryling-4336a0168
Email: heather@rvretro.org

See more from Daniel Greenberg:
Bluesky: @winterion.com
Email: info (at) winterion.com
Help Daniel plant trees: patreon.com/winterion
IONGAMING Live: twitch.tv/winterion
IONGAMING Back Episodes: youtube.com/winteriongamestudios
GMU Game Design: game.gmu.edu

Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg

Our library director Phil Salvador sits down for another What’s Your Deal? episode with Blizzard’s senior digital archivist, Leah Williams, to discuss her critical work of preserving their modern video game history. In this episode:
Leah’s unconventional path to digital games preservation

Managing art, UI, and visual FX

Collaborating with engineers and metadata experts

Why discoverability matters for legacy assets

Building vital relationships across game studios

Navigating AI tagging and digital preservation challenges

Mentioned in the show:
YouTube 35th year anniversary 35’ table Blizzard: The Next Chapter

You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.

See more from Leah Williams:
LinkedIn: /leah-williams 

Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg

Our library director Phil Salvador sits down for another What’s Your Deal? episode with Blizzard’s senior digital archivist, Leah Williams, to discuss her critical work of preserving their modern video game history. In this episode:
Leah’s unconventional path to digital games preservation

Managing art, UI, and visual FX

Collaborating with engineers and metadata experts

Why discoverability matters for legacy assets

Building vital relationships across game studios

Navigating AI tagging and digital preservation challenges

Mentioned in the show:
YouTube 35th year anniversary 35’ table Blizzard: The Next Chapter

You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.

See more from Leah Williams:
LinkedIn: /leah-williams 

Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg

Phil Salvador hosts a special episode of the Video Game History Hour featuring Carolyn Rauch and Doug Lowenstein to discuss the origins and evolution of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).
As the former senior vice president of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), Carolyn managed E3 for roughly two decades. Doug, the ESA's founder and former president, joins her to recount the organization’s 1994 founding. Together, they explain how the industry responded to the video game violence panic along with its legislative threats and how poor placement at the annual CES tradeshow led to the creation of E3.
We discuss the massive challenges of organizing the inaugural 1995 expo, including the critical task of securing industry giants like Nintendo and Sega; E3's eventual shift toward a consumer-focused format; its massive economic impact on Los Angeles; and the unexpected legal challenges surrounding the iconic E3 logo.

You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.

Video Game History Foundation:
Email: podcast@gamehistory.org
Website: gamehistory.org
Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg