Episode 152: Japanese Mobile Game Preservation

More from Video Game History Hour

1. 

   S2 · E155 · 13 May 2026 · 48 min

   Episode 155: What’s Your Deal, Lindsey Kurano?

   In this episode, Phil Salvador sits down with Lindsey Kurano, the Curator of Electronic Games at The Strong Museum of Play, to explore the intricate world of video game preservation. Lindsay shares her unconventional journey from a high school exchange student in Japan to a specialist in film preservation, and ultimately, a lead steward of gaming history. We delve into the behind-the-scenes of museum life from building massive collections through donor outreach to the meticulous process of curating an engaging exhibit. In this episode, we also discuss her recent exhibit on Japanese indie…

2. 

   S2 · E154 · 15 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 22 min

   Episode 154: Sega in the 90’s: An Economic Post-Mortem

   Historian Alex Smith (author and host of They Create Worlds ) joins us to challenge the prevailing "Genesis does what Nintendon't" narrative. While Sega’s bravado captured the American imagination, the reality behind the ledger was far more precarious. We dissect how aggressive price wars and a strengthening Japanese yen turned market-share victories into hollow financial gains, creating a "leaky bucket" that even Sonic couldn't outrun. Our conversation traverses the internal friction between Sega of America and Sega of Japan, the fragmented rollout of the 32X and Saturn, and the precise…

3. 

   S2 · E153 · 1 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 16 min

   Episode 153: Sega Channel

   Well before Xbox Game Pass or Steam, we had Sega Channel: a visionary service that delivered video games directly into homes via cable TV lines. This week, host Phil Salvador is joined by some of the team that made the "impossible" happen: Michael Shorrock, Ray McFadden, and Willard Stanback. In this mini Sega Channel reunion, the team discusses the technical hurdles of digital data distribution over 1990’s cable infrastructure, reminisces about the high-stakes world of game licensing, and shares how partnerships and the bold leadership of Stan Thomas shaped the service. We explore how…

4. 

   S2 · E151 · 3 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 2 min

   Episode 151: Games Preservation at MIT Museum

   From vacuum tubes to virtual worlds, Dr. Flori Pierri, Associate Curator of Science and Technology at the MIT Museum, joins us to explore their unexpected journey into the world of video game preservation. Dr. Pierri oversees diverse collections from science photography to physics homework, and, of course, video games. MIT Museum has had a recent focus on computer games and a focus on play, starting with the Michael Dornbrook Collection and plans for a 2028 computer game exhibition. Dr. Pierri shares the importance of using original equipment for exhibits and the new challenges of preserving…

5. 

   S2 · E150 · 25 Feb 2026 · 1 hr 27 min

   Episode 150: VGHF Founding Retrospective

   It’s our 9th birthday and our 150th episode all at once; let’s party! Host and VGHF Director Frank Cifaldi is joined by two founding board members Simon Carless and Steve Lin. This casual retrospective meanders through the foundation's origins, its mission to preserve and interpret video game history, and its growth over the years. Our three hosts highlight the foundation's journey from a small, resource-constrained organization to a robust digital library with over 100,000 unique users. The conversation covers their initial challenges, the importance of community support, and future goals,…

6. 

   S2 · E149 · 5 Feb 2026 · 1 hr 35 min

   Episode 149: Jeremy Parish Works

   Frank is joined by Guest Host Kate Willaert, author, historian, and YouTuber, to interview Jeremy Parish, media curator at Limited Run Games, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. Jeremy has a series of “Works” books and videos as part of a massive project to chronologize the 8-bit era. Jeremy’s work covers various consoles, including Game Boy, NES, SG-1000, and Famicom, highlighting the significance of third-party developers and the impact of the NES on game design. We share a universal complaint of the challenges of maintaining a comprehensive and accurate release list for systems like the…

7. 

   S2 · E165 · 8 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 17 minNew

   Episode 165: VGHF Q3 Update

   It’s time for another quarterly update seeing as how we’re now well into October. In this episode, we share some of our latest accomplishments: hitting a milestone of over 5,000 magazines digitized, completing our donor-data cleanup, new project-specific giving initiatives, major technical upgrades to our Japanese-language OCR and large image galleries (which helped power the successful launch of our E3 historical collection), active community research for the first EULA, and so much more! You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5…

8. 

   S2 · E164 · 23 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 4 min

   Episode 164: National Virtual Forum for Digital Games in Libraries (DGIL)

   Phil Salvador is joined by Dr. Colin Post and Marisa Marzilli from University of North Carolina at Greensboro to discuss their upcoming Digital Games in Libraries (DGIL) National Virtual Forum , a conversation for the cultural preservation of digital-only indie video games to be held October 29-30 . In this episode they introduce the DGIL initiative and its origin, discuss collection models, and ideate on future phases and resources for these efforts. 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…

9. 

   S2 · E163 · 11 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 9 min

   Episode 163: The Complexities of EULAs

   Phil Salvador interviews Amy Thomas, legal expert and author of Copyright, Contract, and Video Games: Terms of Play , about the evolving landscape of digital rights and ownership in gaming. In this episode, Amy discusses her journey from studying Microsoft's Xbox One EULA in 2013; the complexities of EULAs, user rights, and the impact of digital ownership on game preservation; her research on possibly the earliest EULA, found in 1985 for Pitfall II; and the challenges of digital preservation, including implications of Sony's recent decision to discontinue physical PlayStation discs.…

10. 

    S2 · E162 · 26 Aug 2026 · 58 min

    Episode 162: Roberta Vaughn’s Retro Adventures

    Library Director Phil Salvador is joined by guests Heather Fryling and Daniel Greenberg to discuss Roberta Vaughn’s Retro Adventures, a nonprofit organization that creates traveling, living exhibits focused on the history of adventure games and entertainment. The RVRA, founded to honor the legacy of adventure games collector and enthusiast Roberta Vaughn, travels to conventions like Portland Retro Game Expo and PAX West to share their curated exhibits, original interviews, and special guest appearances. You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day…

Every episode of Video Game History Hour →