software engineering2 min read

EA Releases 25 Classic 1990s Games on Steam and GOG

AI Summary

Electronic Arts has released 25 lightly remastered classic games from the 1990s on Steam and GOG, including titles from the Wing Commander and Ultima series, alongside Road Rash and Theme Hospital. Senior producer Jim Vessella detailed the preservation effort, which involved discovering lost physical media archives at EA's Redwood Shores campus, digitizing original full-motion-video cutscenes, and collaborating with community modders.

Key Takeaways

  • 25 classic titles were added to Steam and GOG.
  • The recovery project began by cataloging poorly labeled physical media at EA's Redwood Shores campus.
  • Original full-motion video assets for Wing Commander III and IV were digitized and remastered with help from community contributors.

Why it matters

This release highlights software preservation challenges, the value of physical media archives, and how publishers can successfully collaborate with open-source and fan communities to modernize legacy codebases and assets.

# game preservation# legacy code# software engineering# archival

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