This is a topic dear to my heart. I also think it is important to preserve prototype and prerelease versions of games from all possible sources - they can give

This is a topic dear to my heart. I also think it is important to preserve prototype and prerelease versions of games from all possible sources - they can give an insight into a game's development that can only be matched by the actual developers speaking on the process. Such versions of games are at far more risk of being lost to time - how many prototype cartridges or discs are holed up in publisher/developer vaults, and how many of those do they actually pull out and test from time to time to make sure their archive isn't rotting away? Very few seem to do this, or if they do they're not open about it. Retail-released games usually have several extant specimen to be able to preserve. With prototypes the total number of copies of any specific build may be single-digit. This also includes builds of games used for public display at events like E3. A personal example - I am part of a decently-sized community centered around the Harmonix-developed Guitar Hero and Rock Band games. For years, we've known that a handful of illegitimate copies of the Guitar Hero II E3 2006 build have existed. However, the two people we've talked to that actually possessed such copies either no longer have them, or the disc does not work. We also know that the official copy of this disc exists within the walls of Activision. One of our community members was in a position to be able to ask them if they could potentially have the disc. The response? "Sorry, we must hold onto it or destroy it." What chance do we have to preserve many of these games, if destruction is even an option? Speaking of that. If anyone reading this had access to the Malaysian video game black market in early to mid 2006, and you bought a chipped PS2 bundle with two third-party guitars and two discs labeled "A" and "B", please get in contact with me (my email is in my profile here). We believe the "B" disc to be the GH2 E3 build, and we'd like to double check whether the "A" disc is retail GH1 or not. Or, if you got any weird copy of GH2 on the black market, anywhere. We're also looking for a pressed copy of the GH1 demo, which would have the game ID SLUS-29177. We do know it exists, we narrowly missed an eBay auction for one last year (and in fact, that auction is the only reason we even have a picture of that disc). Fortunately, we also know that Harmonix is really diligent at archiving their games. I have seen a photo of their GH2 binder with burns of daily builds, and I also have it on good authority from a former employee that they also have an extremely thorough digital archive. But, still, none of these are accessible for datamining and analysis, which is vital to truly preserving these games.