About Us
Preserving Gaming's Legacy for Future Generations
Founded in 2018 by a group of passionate gaming historians and digital preservation specialists, EpicArchives began as a small project in Melbourne to document Australia's unique contribution to gaming history. What started as cataloging locally developed games from the 1980s and 1990s quickly expanded into a comprehensive initiative to preserve gaming artifacts, stories, and cultural impact from around the world.
Our team's early breakthrough came when we recovered and restored source code from several presumed-lost Australian-developed games from the Commodore 64 era. This led to partnerships with international preservation groups and established our reputation for technical expertise in digital archaeology.
Today, EpicArchives operates from our Melbourne headquarters with a global network of contributors, combining academic research methodologies with accessible storytelling to ensure that gaming's rich history is documented, preserved, and celebrated for future generations.
Our Mission & Values
Mission Statement
EpicArchives is dedicated to documenting, preserving, and celebrating the artistic, technical, and cultural legacy of video games through rigorous research, innovative digital preservation, and engaging storytelling that makes gaming history accessible to everyone.
Our Core Values
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Authenticity
We maintain rigorous standards in our research and documentation, verifying information through multiple sources and technological analysis to ensure the historical record is accurate and reliable.
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Accessibility
We believe gaming history belongs to everyone. Our archives and educational resources are designed to be accessible regardless of technical knowledge, academic background, or physical abilities.
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Innovation
We develop and implement cutting-edge preservation techniques to capture both the technical aspects of games and the experiences they create, constantly evolving our methods as technology changes.
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Inclusivity
We actively seek out and document diverse perspectives within gaming history, highlighting contributions from underrepresented developers, regions, and gaming communities that shaped the medium.
Meet Our Team
The passionate experts behind EpicArchives
Dr. Eleanor Zhang
Director of Archives
With a Ph.D. in Digital Preservation from the University of Melbourne and previous experience at the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, Eleanor brings rigorous academic standards to our preservation methodologies. She pioneered our bit-level preservation techniques for obsolete storage media and leads our partnerships with major institutions worldwide.
Jackson Reid
Technical Restoration Specialist
A former game developer with 15 years of industry experience, Jackson specializes in recovering and restoring code from obsolete formats and damaged media. His background in electrical engineering and software development allows him to repair vintage hardware and create emulation environments that accurately reproduce original gaming experiences.
Sophia Okafor
Oral History Curator
With a background in cultural anthropology and documentary filmmaking, Sophia leads our efforts to collect and preserve firsthand accounts from developers, players, and industry figures. She has conducted over 200 interviews with gaming pioneers, creating a rich archive of personal narratives that complement our technical preservation work.
Dr. Luis Mendoza
Research Partnerships Coordinator
Dr. Mendoza connects EpicArchives with academic institutions, museums, and private collectors worldwide. His background in cultural heritage law and digital humanities helps navigate the complex legal and ethical questions surrounding game preservation, especially for titles with uncertain copyright status or abandoned properties.
Our Achievements
Key milestones in our journey to preserve gaming history
Oceania Game Development Archive
Established the first comprehensive catalog of games developed in Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Island nations from 1980-2000, including over 800 titles previously undocumented in academic literature.
Beam Software Recovery Project
Successfully recovered and preserved source code from Australia's pioneering game development studio Beam Software (Melbourne House), including previously lost assets from their groundbreaking 1980s titles.
Digital Preservation Grant
Received a $1.2 million grant from the Australian Research Council to develop open-source preservation tools specifically designed for interactive media, now used by cultural institutions worldwide.
Gaming Pioneers Oral History
Completed over 300 hours of interviews with developers, artists, musicians, and players from the 1970s through 2000s, creating the largest publicly accessible oral history collection focused on gaming culture.
Education Outreach Program
Developed curriculum resources using gaming history to teach technological evolution, artistic development, and cultural trends, now implemented in over 50 educational institutions across Australia.
International Preservation Network
Established collaborative relationships with 23 international archives and museums, creating standardized preservation protocols for gaming artifacts and facilitating global research initiatives.
What Our Partners Say
Feedback from institutions and individuals we've worked with
"EpicArchives' technical expertise was instrumental in recovering the source code and design documents from our studio's early works. What we thought was lost forever is now preserved for future generations, helping us reconnect with our own creative history."
"The collaborative framework EpicArchives established between academic researchers and industry veterans has transformed how we approach video game preservation. Their methodologies set a new standard for documenting interactive media as both technological artifacts and cultural expressions."
"As a museum curator focused on interactive media, I've found EpicArchives' resources invaluable. Their combination of technical documentation, contextual research, and first-hand accounts provides a comprehensive framework for interpreting games as cultural artifacts."
Our Work in Action
Visual glimpses into our preservation activities
Join Our Mission to Preserve Gaming History
Whether you're looking to contribute artifacts, share your gaming stories, volunteer your expertise, or support our preservation efforts, we'd love to hear from you. Together, we can ensure that gaming's rich cultural legacy continues to inspire future generations.