Lost iPod Clickwheel Games Now Fully Preserved for History
▼ Summary
– A community project aimed to preserve iPod clickwheel games by bypassing Apple’s DRM using a shared virtual machine library.
– The project successfully acquired all 54 official iPod games after adding Real Soccer 2009, making them accessible in one place.
– Initial progress was rapid, with multiple contributors providing large game libraries shortly after the project’s launch in October.
– The effort stalled for months due to technical issues and false leads, requiring persistent coaching and troubleshooting by the organizer.
– Real Soccer 2009 was particularly difficult to obtain, with multiple failed attempts and even a device corruption incident.
The complete library of official iPod clickwheel games has now been successfully preserved, marking a significant milestone in digital gaming history. After a year-long community effort to bypass Apple’s restrictive FairPlay DRM, all 54 titles, including the elusive Real Soccer 2009, are available in a playable format for future generations. This achievement ensures that a unique slice of early mobile gaming culture won’t fade into obscurity.
The preservation project, initiated by GitHub user Olsro, relied on a clever workaround involving a shared Virtual Machine. iPod owners with original game purchases synchronized their accounts to this central library, allowing the DRM-protected titles to be unlocked and distributed. Early progress was swift, with several contributors, including a dedicated YouTuber who owned 39 games, quickly providing most of the needed titles.
However, the effort soon hit a wall. For months, the search for the remaining games stalled due to technical glitches and unsuccessful leads. Olsro spent considerable time guiding participants through the complex authorization and file transfer process, often dealing with corrupted devices or failed sync attempts.
The final hurdle, Real Soccer 2009, proved particularly troublesome. Multiple attempts to secure a working copy ended in frustration, including one instance where an iPod’s storage became corrupted during recovery efforts. A breakthrough finally came just recently, when a new contributor successfully completed the preservation steps, closing the gap in the collection.
This initiative stands as a testament to grassroots preservation, ensuring that these nostalgic games remain accessible long after official support has ended.
(Source: Ars Technica)