As important as releasing new games is, it's even more important to keep them. That's why Sony invested in the PlayStation Studios Vault, an operation dedicated to storing more than 200 million game development files on tapes that even the top executives in the mine shaft can't access.
It's also why Japan's National Diet Library has announced that it won't keep game cards because cartridges “don't qualify” as content, a massive decision after 25 years of archiving physical media.
However, in a massive blow to this effort, one of the largest game protection sites, Myrient, has announced that it will be shutting down effective March 31, 2026.
In a statement shared on Discord, the site's owner shared some of the reasons behind the decision, including rising RAM and HDD prices, as well as insufficient funding to sustain the effort.
“As attendance continued to increase last year, the amount of funds from donations remained the same,” part of the memo read. “I'm paying over $6,000 out of pocket every month to cover the difference, which is not sustainable.”
In addition, the site experienced an influx of download managers that were used to bypass the site's security limits and donation messages. “Such blatant and abusive use of the site can no longer be tolerated,” commented its owner.
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“Since last September, RAM, SSD and HDD prices have risen dramatically and continue to rise due to continued extreme demand for AI data centers,” the post continued. “This caused Myrient's hosting costs to rise as well. The necessary storage and cache infrastructure upgrades only exacerbated the problem. With the large number of servers and the aforementioned existing monthly deficit of over $6,000 out of pocket, there is no way to pay for the increased hosting options and hardware upgrades.”
In the end it was all too much.
“In short, I can't afford to run the site anymore.”
It's a brutal end to a massive conservation effort that is arguably the most extensive of any kind.
What is Myrient?
For those curious, Myrient is “a fast and reliable video game preservation service with over 390 terabytes of curated collections publicly available for download.”
In addition to its extensive library, it's also most notable for its focus on accessibility and making things as stress-free as possible, including a distinct lack of ads, paywalls, and pop-ups on the site.
“We understand that a poor user experience can be frustrating, and that video game retention is only as effective as how you access it,” the site claims.
Despite an onslaught of users willing to contribute in the wake of Thursday's news drop, the site's fate appears set in stone. With 33 days until March 31st, users are working double time to try to manage their own libraries as well as create potential backups that could then be shared after the shutdown.
However, given how expensive the effort is and will undeniably continue to be, it's unclear how far things will go. It's clear that Myrient hasn't been around for long, and that's unfortunate.
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