Trying to save a game as a fan is pretty easy — get a copy, keep it safe, and that’s pretty much it. For game developers, there’s a lot more to hold onto and maintain. So what steps have the three console manufacturers taken to preserve their software libraries?
Even if it’s not something that is normally seen by the public, all three have gone to great lengths to maintain their respective histories, Gamasutra reports. Microsoft, for example, keeps several copies of games it has published in “humidity- and temperature-controlled environments” at Microsoft and off-site locations.
“The source code and all the materials used to build the products for the games released after 2000 are already stored on highly reliable present-day storage media, in secure, temperature & humidity controlled locations. Retrieving the source code and even rebuilding the games is a part of our comprehensive business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) program,” explained Microsoft Game Studios’ Ken Lobb.
