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Playable Heritage: Major UK Conference in Edinburgh to Map the Future of Video Game Preservation

On Wednesday 16 September 2026, the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh will host a landmark event: Playable Heritage: Creating a Collaborative Framework for Collecting Video Game Culture. Co-hosted by National Museums Scotland, the National Library of Scotland, the National Videogame Museum, and Ukie, this free, one-day conference represents a major, coordinated attempt to build a UK-wide roadmap for digital preservation.

The conference arrives at a time of growing global recognition of the cultural and historical value of digital media. With games now firmly established as a significant creative medium, the challenge of capturing, curating, and preserving their heritage has moved from a niche academic pursuit to a priority for national organisations, institutions and the wider industry.

A Unifying Moment for UK Heritage

What makes this conference particularly significant is the breadth of the coalition involved. It brings together national galleries, libraries, industry trade bodies, academic institutions, and game developers to address the complex technical, legal, and curatorial hurdles of preserving an ever-evolving interactive medium.

I am incredibly pleased and proud that I / the Scottish Games Network, have been invited to participate in this important conversation. I will be chairing the opening panel session of the day: How Do We Collect, Preserve and Share Video Game Heritage?

This day will feature insights from Geoff Belknap, Tacye Phillipson, and Mhairi Maxwell from National Museums Scotland, Matthew Horsfall from the Science Museum Group, Natalie Kane from the V&A, and John O’Shea from the National Videogame Museum. Together with historians Nick Webber and Esther Wright, the event will explore the criteria required to make value judgements on what to collect and how to capture the living history of the incredible digital work designed and developed across the UK.

Building on Regional Momentum

For the Scottish games community, this event builds on a series of significant local milestones, including the recently announced video game heritage PhD studentship and the ongoing public consultation by National Museums Scotland. These initiatives prove that Scotland is fast becoming a primary hub for digital preservation research and practice.

The conference will conclude with a session from Mike Dailly of Sumo Digital and Neil Thomas of Retro Collective, titled Oh No! We Left it Too Late, which serves as a timely reminder of the urgency of this work. With physical media decaying and old source code being lost, the window to capture the foundational years of our industry is actively closing.

Playable Heritage Programme

Introduction
Welcome – Sam Alberti (Director of Collections, National Museums Scotland)

Overview and Scene Setting – National Museums Scotland, National Library of Scotland, National Videogame Museum, Ukie

Histories of Video Game Heritage in the UK – James Newman (Bath Spa University)

Session 1: How Do We Collect, Preserve and Share Video Game Heritage? – Chaired by Brian Baglow (Scottish Games Network)

Open Discussion: Collecting Video Game Heritage Games – Geoff Belknap, Tacye Phillipson & Mhairi Maxwell (National Museums Scotland), Matthew Horsfall (Science Museum Group), Natalie Kane (V&A), John O’Shea (National Videogame Museum)

Collecting from Promotion to Play – Nick Webber (Birmingham City University) and Esther Wright (Cardiff University)

Rebellion: Video Game Archiving in the Industry – Charlene Taylor (Rebellion)

Session 2: Challenges and Opportunities – Chaired by Karen Porter (National Library of Scotland)

Preservation and the law: challenges and opportunities
Participants: Professor Kristofer Erickson (CREATe, University of Glasgow), Dr Amy Thomas (CREATe, University of Glasgow), Bartolomeo Meletti (CREATe, University of Glasgow), Dr Yin Harn Lee (University of Bristol), Dr Abigail Rekas-Rosalbo (University of Galway)

Session 3: Challenges and Opportunities (continued) – Chaired by Robin Sloan (Abertay University)

FUTURE NOSTALGIA X DISKOVERY: Videogame Knowledge as Oral History for Preservationists & Emulating Amiga Coverdisks – Dr Leontein Talboom (University of Cambridge) and Conor Walker (National Library of Scotland)

“The Ultimate Archive”: Building a system of legal deposit for digital entertainment – Chris van der Kuyl and Brian Gomez (4J Studios)

Session 3: “Cash in the attic – how your back catalogue can power your studio’s future”
Chaired by Nick Poole (CEO of UKie and Chair of National Videogame Museum)
Followed by keynote address from Charles Cecil (Revolution) and panel discussion.
                    

Session 4: Why Do We Collect, Preserve and Share Video Game Heritage? – Chaired by Brian Gomez (4J Studios)

Game as Museum: Authenticity, Community, and Curating Playable Pasts – Glaire Anderson (University of Edinburgh & DLIVCC)

Behind the Screens – Videogame Industry Survey, National Videogame Museum, British Film Institute, Ukie

Oh No! We Left it Too Late – Mike Dailly (Sumo Digital) and Neil Thomas (Retro Collective)

Wrap up and Close – Amina Shah (CEO and National Librarian, National Library of Scotland)

Event Details:

• Date: Wednesday 16 September 2026
• Time: 09:00 – 17:30 (Registration from 09:00)
• Location: National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
• Cost: Free (Booking required)

Register and view the full programme: National Museums Scotland Event Booking
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