I've previously discussed the recent DMCA exemption on game archiving, and I'm delighted to note that Stanford University's Henry Lowood has taken over the IGDA Preservation SIG, and is intending to kickstart preservation activities in 2007 and beyond.

He notes a GDC talk: 10 Games You need to Play," with Warren Spector, Christopher Grant, Steve Meretzky, Matteo Bittanti and [Lowood], which "is closely linked to the U.S. Library of Congress' interest in funding a major project towards game preservation as part of this program."

Lowood explains: "I can tell you that a consortium consisting of Stanford, U. Maryland and U. Illlinois has put together an expression of interest for a major preservation project, though we do not know yet if it will be funded. However, we hope that it will be, and that the panel will play a role in defining an initial project focus around a canon of important titles in game history."

I'm presuming that they will be trying to archive development and other materials based around specific important games - which would be amazingly good news if funded, and the right idea, I think. Go check it out and contribute to the SIG's other volunteer positions and objectives, if you can.