The Video Game History Foundation (VHGF)’s digital archive of video game research has launched its first round of online early access to it’s library. It’s free to access anywhere in the world and intended for “anyone who wants to study video game history.”

What do they have?

• Never-before-seen game development materials.
• Artwork, press kits, and promotional materials from iconic video games.
• Over 1500 full-text searchable out-of-print video game magazines—including game industry trade magazines rarely available to the public.
• The first 100 CDs from the art and press release archives of GamePro magazine.
• Guidebooks and ephemera from video game events, including searchable directories and maps from the first 12 years of the Electronic Entertainment Expo.
• Over 100 hours of footage from the production of the Myst series
• the Mark Flitman papers

There are some caveats: There are no playable games in the archive due to copyright restrictions and VGHF said it “cannot give express permission” for users to reproduce materials in the library unless explicitly stated otherwise though researchers may be exempt under fair use cases.