Strong Museum Acquires 30 Years of Volition's Game Development History

The Strong National Museum of Play has received a massive donation from former staff members of Volition, capturing 30 years of video game development history.

This significant collection includes thousands of game builds, source materials, documentation, awards, and props from the studio that closed its doors in 2023.

Andrew Borman, Director of Digital Preservation at The Strong, announced the acquisition, which even features builds for canceled games like Saints Row: Undercover, which was planned for release on PlayStation Portable.

This preservation effort is particularly important because Volition was one of the longest-running game development studios still making new games before its shutdown by parent company Embracer Group. Founded in 1993, the studio survived numerous industry changes while creating popular and innovative titles throughout its lifetime.

According to The Strong, Volition created the first "fully 3D first person shooter" called Descent, which is now part of the museum's collection. The studio was also famous for developing the Saints Row series, which became one of the defining franchises during the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 era.

The donated materials also contain valuable historical artifacts like livestreams and design documents that reveal the development process behind these iconic games.

One fascinating discovery in the collection is a prototype of the original Saints Row when it was still known as "Bling Bling." The Strong revealed a brief video of this "phase five" prototype, showing unfinished levels that were later adapted into the final game, with some elements being removed or changed along the way.

In the coming months, archivists will work to convert this data to modern formats, ensuring Volition's history can be shared with future generations.