gameObject Permanence

Videogame worlds are remarkable feats of creativity and technology – entire universes conjured from code. But these worlds – our worlds – do not last forever. Some are shut down by studios, others left unfinished, and many simply fade as players move on.

The same financial, technological and creative forces that bring these worlds into being also make them fragile, vulnerable to abandonment and decay. A Video Game History Foundation report shows that 87% of classic games are considered lost media.

gameObject Permanence is a four-part video work that moves from digital fragility and commercial ambition to personal reflection and mourning, exploring how virtual worlds end. From glitched-out demo discs to abandoned development projects, it paints a complex portrait of game development, money and play. The work traces ambitious games that never made it to release, simulation titles left behind by shifting markets, and MMOs whose shutdowns became communal moments of grief and remembrance.

Even as these worlds vanish, traces remain – ghost data, farewell screenshots, players dancing through the ‘disconnect’ message. Endings in games are not always dramatic. Sometimes, they are just a simple notice: “No games found.”

These lost worlds raise important questions. What happens when shared digital spaces die? Who preserves them? And what do they mean to those who once called them home?

gameObject Permanence shows the uncertain, sometimes strange lifecycles of virtual worlds – and how they shape the players and developers who made them their own.

Demo Disc

A flickering start screen, corrupted boot logos, an empty disc menu. These ghostly fragments conjure lost futures and games that never were. Some virtual worlds don’t end – they never begin. “No games found” is the only message that remains.

Unfinished Worlds

Cancelled games leave behind fragments of play: isolated sprites, blank maps, unfinished mechanics. These abandoned prototypes reveal the tension between ambition and limitation – and raise important questions about authorship, preservation, and how we document digital spaces that never fully materialised.

Development

Simulation games once promised expansive control, but behind the scenes are stories of collapse. This section examines the realities of development – creative conflict, corporate interference, and fading communities – complicating the fantasy of linear progress in game design and technological innovation.

The Final Day

Multiplayer game shutdowns mark the end of shared worlds. This footage captures moments of collective farewell – players logging in to dance, protest, or simply be there. These endings reveal how virtual spaces become social places, leaving emotional traces long after servers go offline.