Antstream Arcade: Streaming, Preservation and the Future of Retro Gaming with Steve Cottam

Phil is joined by Steve Cottam, CEO and founder of Antstream Arcade, the service offering instant access to more than 1,300 officially licensed retro games. Steve shares the story behind Antstream, his ambition to create a kind of "Spotify for retro games", and the challenges of licensing titles whose ownership can stretch back decades. The conversation also tackles physical versus digital preservation, introducing classic games to new generations, and why Antstream is looking beyond the past to indie and modern-retro games. In this episode, we explore: 1️⃣ The story behind Antstream Arcade How Steve turned an ambitious idea into a major retro game streaming service. 2️⃣ Physical vs digital What does preservation really mean when cartridges, discs and hardware won't last forever? 3️⃣ The licensing puzzle Why securing the rights to decades-old games can be surprisingly complicated. 4️⃣ Making old games feel new How challenges and tournaments give classic titles a different way to be played. 5️⃣ Where retro gaming goes next Antstream's plans for indie and modern-retro games – and bringing the classics to new generations. Plus, Steve takes on our Games of Your Life, our regular feature where guests share the most influential games of their lives.  🔗 Guest links Antstream Arcade – antstream.com 🎙️ Credits Sponsored by Thalamus Digital Publishing Production: Rocket Media Voiceover: Mark Silk Music: "8 Bit Skyway" © Piotr Pacyna