Computer Game Collection
The computer game collection contains more than 4,000 Danish computer, mobile or console games that have been collected on CD-ROM, cassettes and as digital downloads since the late 1990s.
The games are collected if they have some sort of connection to Denmark. This means that the collection mostly consists of games where the creator is Danish, the game concerns Danish circumstances, the game can be played in Danish, or contributing Danish artists have had a decisive influence on either the game or its artistic expression.
The collection is made up of approximately 4,000 computer games distributed on a wide range of technical platforms, and we collect these as part of the Danish Legal Deposit Act.
The collection consists of games that are either:
- Published on physical media (DVD, Cassette and more) - Danish-developed games and foreign games versionised to Danish
- Published online or for mobile phones
Splitting the collection into two sections happens primarily because games on physical media are collected and registered as part of the legal deposit of physical publications. The other games, which are often distributed online, are identified, collected and registered manually.
List of all Danish computer games
We have a list of all Danish computer games. At present, the list is only available as a PDF file. It contains basic information about all known Danish computer, console and smartphone games with a specification on whether or not we have collected the game.
If you are interested in seeing this list, please contact us.
The collection's content and history
The computer game collection was begun in 1998, when computer games and other interactive works were included in the Danish Legal Deposit Act. In 2005, the legislation was revised to also include material published online. This created the basis for the current computer game collection.
The earliest part of the collection consists entirely of games on physical media, but the volume has been declining for a number of years. By contrast, more and more Danish games are being published online and for smartphones and tablets. The development in both production and distribution systems results in a steady increase of Danish-produced computer games each year.
The collection is not complete but it does contain a very varied selection of games in both form and genre. We do not assess each individual game's quality, sales data or the like when we collect and preserve them. Our aim is to provide the best possible overview of modern-day digital culture.
Limitations and alternative strategies for preservation
We try to collect and preserve all Danish games but due to technical reasons, a number of games cannot be collected and preserved in a state where they can be played at a later date. This is especially true for games that in part rely on other systems such as servers. This applies to MMO games, for instance LEGO Universe, and other games that makes use of active online components when being played.
In these cases, we try to create or collect records for the games, for instance through descriptive text material and/or screen dumps and so on. At present, our records are for internal use only.