The Japanese Game Preservation Society, or GPS, has launched Patreon with the aim of securing sustainable self-funding, while seeking to establish a sister organization in the United States. This step comes after Japanese government support was reduced due to regulatory disputes.
The Japanese government stopped its support for the association in July 2025, over accusations of violating laws, including scanning magazines and game cover images to create a digital archive, which is legally prohibited in Japan. Despite this, the association continued its activities from its headquarters in Tokyo.
The crisis worsened when official authorities raised two main objections: obtaining images of books, magazines, and game covers, and scanning entire magazine pages for private archiving purposes.
The association’s president, Josh Redon, explained that the authorities reduced support without providing a clear explanation, which prompted GPS to hire a lawyer and contact the Cultural Affairs Agency.
Later, the association continued to receive government funding but only after a 20% fine, while the deficit has been covered by donations since April 2025. Despite the challenges, GPS has expanded its headquarters, archiving more than 855 Famicom game manuals, along with saving more than 7,000 advertisements from that year’s magazines.
Through Patreon, the association aims to be completely independent from government funding. The platform offers a free tier for updates, and a $5 per month subscription for news via email, with plans to add features such as live streaming and longer reports.
Redon stressed that all proceeds will be allocated to archiving and preservation only, noting that reaching 300 supporters is enough to grant the association complete financial independence, allowing it to maintain its integrity and cultural mission.
