Video Game History Hour

Industry expert Frank Cifaldi, Executive Director of the Video Game History Foundation, brings on fellow content creators, game developers, video game historians, and storytellers to teach us a little bit about video game history. Our casual, “chatting over coffee” style interviews let us see the true life of a researcher: bang-your-head-against-a-wall dead-ends, “I can’t believe no one’s told this story before” moments, the thrill of sharing incredible history with the world, and more. Pull up a chair and join us!

Video Game History Hour is a leisure podcast hosted by Video Game History Foundation, with 147 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 83. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Video Game History Foundation hosts Video Game History Hour, a leisure show with 147 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #161

  Episode 161: Blizzard Digital Vault

  Aug 5, 202659 minS2

  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

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  Episode #160

  Episode 160: Founding E3

  Jul 22, 20261h 14mS2

  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

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  Episode #158

  Episode 158: What’s Your Deal, Willem Hilhorst?

  Jun 24, 20261h 9mS2

  In this episode of the Video Game History Hour, host Phil Salvador interviews Willem Hilhorst, Media Manager for Games and Online at the Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision regarding their video game preservation efforts within the context of an audiovisual media archive. Established in 1997, the institute manages a growing collection of over 500 digital and physical Dutch-connected games. Hilhorst outlines key initiatives like the Dutch Games Canon and the Treasure Room portal for out-of-commerce media. The discussion addresses the legal and structural challenges of long-term preservation alongside the role of national identity in software design. Using Ubisoft's early French influence on Rayman as a case study, Hilhorst highlights how local cultural elements translate to international audiences. Also in this episode: the non-game material held in the archive, the potential canon inclusion of Moon Child, and Hilhorst's external work for Nintendo World Report and EFGAMP. 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: The Dutch Games Canon (please use translation for an English version): https://gamescanon.beeldengeluid.nl "The Treasure Room" (Schatkamer) (requires a Dutch IP address or VPN): https://schatkamer.beeldengeluid.nl The European Federation of Game Archives, Museums and Preservation Projects: https://efgamp.eu Nintendo World Report: https://nintendoworldreport.com / https://youtube.com/@NinWRTV Out of Commerce Works Portal: https://euipo.europa.eu/out-of-commerce/ Home Computer Museum: https://www.homecomputermuseum.nl/en/#intro See more from Willem Hilhorst: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whilhorst.bsky.social Sound & Vision Website: https://beeldengeluid.nl/en/ Video Game History Foundation: Email: podcast@gamehistory.org Website: gamehistory.org Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg

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  Episode #157

  Episode 157: Our Library Practices

  Jun 10, 20261h 27mS2

  Library director Phil Salvador and producer Robin Kunimune take you through the process of preserving a collection of over 10,000 digital files from our GamePro CD collection. Phil discusses how he tackles physical and philosophical dilemmas such as balancing users’ needs to access original files of hi-res game art while also viewing quick, easy thumbnails researchers can actually open; dealing with broken or obsolete 90’s files types like old PSD/EPS files; automating bulk processing for as much data as we’re able; and balancing thorough, but concise, metadata for topics ranging from undersea wreckage salvage to hyper-specific local gaming slang. Phil and Robin also provide a sneak peak into the VGHF’s upcoming monster of a project, the Game Informer collection, and how this meager 10k file collection is really just a warm-up. Mentioned in the Show: GamePro Press CD Collection 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

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  Episode #156

  Episode 156: Read Only Memo

  May 27, 20261h 13mS2

  Host Frank Cifaldi is joined this week by Wes Fenlon, author of the bi-weekly newsletter Read Only Memo , which focuses on emulation, ROM hacks, translations, and decompilations. The two discuss the niche nature of Wes’ content while he emphasizes the importance of emulation and fan translations, highlighting their role in making old games accessible. Wes and Frank get way into the weeds as they chat about the challenges and innovations in emulation, such as static recompilation and decompilation, the impact of companies like Nintendo on the emulation community, and the potential for fan-driven innovations to influence commercial retro game releases. Mentioned in the show: GitHub ShaderBeam and Blur Busters article - an overlay you can run over a window: https://github.com/mausimus/ShaderBeam 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 Wes Fenlon: Bluesky: @wes.readonlymemo.com Newsletter: Read Only Memo PC Gamer: pcgamer.com/author/wes-fenlon Video Game History Foundation: Email: podcast@gamehistory.org Website: gamehistory.org Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg

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