Preserving Worlds is an indie TV docuseries about preserving classic MMORPGs

So here’s something fun we just learned about thanks to a friendly tweet: Preserving Worlds is a 2021 indie TV show on Means TV that operates as a documentary exploring MMORPGs and specifically the preservation of, well, “beloved aging virtual worlds.”

“Virtual worlds are delicate things, and they can vanish with hardly a trace. Under Capitalism, preservation is often the last priority,” the showrunners say. “But even if you manage to archive the offline software, a dead world can only tell you so much. It’s just as important to document how people spent their time within it. With this series, filmmakers Derek Murphy and Mitchell Zemil offer an entertaining glimpse into these worlds and create historical records of them that may someday be of use. […] Join us as we explore dated chat environments, appreciate player-created art, and meet people working against obsolescence to keep the communities they care about alive and accessible.”

Season one, which is free to stream, had six full episodes touching on games from Myst Online to Second Life. The docuseries is actually already on its second season and has thus far covered RPG Maker and Meridian 59. So there you go – something MMOsy to watch!

Virtual worlds are delicate things that can vanish with hardly a trace. Under Capitalism, preservation is often the last priority.

PRESERVING WORLDS is a series about beloved aging virtual worlds.

Watch Season 1 for free! https://t.co/zOt5XIeyzQ pic.twitter.com/8GL70WvbnK

— MEANS TV (@means_tv) January 31, 2022

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