Exit game? Any unsaved progress will be lost : En praktikteoretisk analys av relationen mellan svenska spelföretag och ABM-institutioner

Sammanfattning: This thesis analyzes the relationship between Swedish video game companies and the institutions for Archive, Libraries and Museums (ALM). The aim is to further the discussion regarding preservation of digital games. The thesis is based on semi-structured interviews with four video game companies and three institutions; an archive, a library and a museum. The theoretical foundation resides within practice theory, with the assumption that a practice is a combination of what people do and what they say. By analyzing what video game companies say they do the authors ascertain which methods of preservation is currently. The analysis is a cross-examination of the seven interviews with the result indicating that while video game companies are interested in the preservation of digital games they do not participate actively in the discussion on the best method of doing so. Communica- tion between video game companies and ALM institutions has room for improvement, as it is virtually non- existent. Furthermore, the findings indicate different motivations for preserving games and it is unclear which perspective the preservation should have; a technical perspective, cultural perspective or for the company’s bene- fit. In conclusion the current situation is that ALM institutions preserve games with a cultural and/or a technical perspective while game companies preserve their games for the company’s benefit.