[game_preservation] Preservation Whitepaper Brainstorm Progress

[Andrew Armstrong]

Oh, I agree that feelies for some games are very important to preserve - 
several older games which started it actually had important in-game 
information (and puzzles) on them, which must have sucked if you only 
got the game second hand without them, making the game unwinnable!

And who can forget "Turn to page 55 and input this line" or "Answer this 
obscure question when the answer is in the manual" - there was a period 
of this (the original Civilization had it). There were code wheels (I 
remember Premier Manager 3 had "Match the kit top and bottom", haha) and 
so on. Unique "Anti-piracy" measures - which the feelies I described as 
breaking the game if missing also were.

These are part of the game - preserving the videogame usually implies 
preserving these too, although the unnecessary and easily damaged items 
might be really hard to get. Maps, manuals are important at least from 
certain capacities (and of varying importance - the Baldur's Gate maps 
were not necessary for completing the games since they had much better 
in-game maps rather then vague overworld maps :) ).

I also remember the original GTA (and GTA2) needed a map in almost all 
senses of the word since it included no in-game one. Once GTA3 added a 
map (which was improved dramatically in usability in later editions) the 
phyiscal map you got with the game was less important - budget releases 
no longer include it (and don't for GTA1 and 2, making those games quite 
difficult at times!).

We'll make a note to try and get it added to the paper in some capacity. 
In some respects, the quite a few of the actual videogames with these 
were actually of poorer quality then the actual feelies and manuals they 
came with (some coming with entire books, or whatever).

Andrew

Devin Monnens wrote:

> How relevant are, say, cloth maps from Ultima? Originally, I think 

> this sort of thing was used to 'enhance the experience,' but I haven't 

> read anything regarding how much that really DOES affect player 

> experience. Nowadays, I just consider most of that stuff to be schwag.

>

> But yeah, the key fact that we are preserving more than just bits is 

> important. Manuals and packaging are in themselves important as it 

> helps put the game into context (and as you noted, some are unplayable 

> without them - just try beating Metal Gear Solid without the game case 

> OR consulting a guide if you haven't beaten it already). More 

> importantly, we know that some games contained information that could 

> not be - or simply was not - communicated through gameplay, which is 

> essential to chronicling the development of the medium.

>

> -Devin

>

> On Mon, Nov 10, 2008 at 10:08 PM, Stuart Feldhamer 

> <stuart.feldhamer at gmail.com <mailto:stuart.feldhamer at gmail.com>> wrote:

>

>     Andrew,

>

>     I read this stuff a long time ago and at the time, I had some

>     insightful

>     comments. Unfortunately, I've since forgotten most of them. : )

>

>     However, one point I wanted to make that I didn't see expressed on

>     the wiki

>     as well as I would have liked is that game preservation needs to

>     be about

>     more than preserving the bits. You do mention preserving ancillary

>     documentation such as design journals and the like, but what isn't

>     there is

>     the fact that most of the older games were packaged not only with

>     manuals

>     (which themselves are exceedingly rare nowadays), but also with

>     "feelies"

>     (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feelies). Feelies provided

>     another level

>     of immersion into the game world that complemented actually

>     booting up the

>     disk and playing the game. When preserving games, all the supporting

>     materials need to be preserved as well. They are critical for

>     enjoying and

>     appreciating the older games as they were intended to be

>     experienced by

>     their creators.

>

>     Stuart

>

>     > -----Original Message-----

>     > From: game_preservation-bounces at igda.org

>     <mailto:game_preservation-bounces at igda.org>

>     [mailto:game_preservation- <mailto:game_preservation->

>     > bounces at igda.org <mailto:bounces at igda.org>] On Behalf Of Andrew

>     Armstrong

>     > Sent: Monday, October 06, 2008 7:00 PM

>     > To: IGDA Game Preservation SIG

>     > Subject: [game_preservation] Preservation Whitepaper Brainstorm

>     > Progress

>     >

>     > Hey All,

>     >

>     > Comments are still needed, nay, required for the Whitepaper. I'm

>     > forming

>     > some of my own opinions, but Devin has provided a wide range of

>     > examples

>     > (see here:

>     >

>     http://www.igda.org/wiki/Game_Preservation_SIG/White_paper_brainstorm/C

>     > ompelling_Examples

>     > ) which I finally got online (sorry for the delay!) and might

>     even be

>     > updated when Devin finishes some other bits.

>     >

>     > There is a need for more examples, more points to be raised in the

>     > paper

>     > (

>     >

>     http://www.igda.org/wiki/Game_Preservation_SIG/White_paper_brainstorm/C

>     > ore_Concepts

>     > ), and even name suggestions - scoffing that the examples (

>     >

>     http://www.igda.org/wiki/Game_Preservation_SIG/White_paper_brainstorm/T

>     > itle_Suggestions

>     > ) are not well thought out privately doesn't help, post here if they

>     > are

>     > rubbish! Post if they are great too!

>     >

>     > There is a grand total of 4 people interested in this. I'm not

>     exactly

>     > an archivist and even I've put myself down to at least help.

>     There are

>     > soem seriously talented and professional people who love videogames

>     > here, surely you all have some opinion to add in?

>     >

>     > Post on the mailing list and I can add your comments to the wiki

>     more

>     > permanently. I'm getting other bits of the SIG work done, so this is

>     > more a priority for me. I'm happy to edit up anything within a

>     day of

>     > posting, and will be pestering everyone to help. There might not

>     even

>     > be

>     > a dozen people on this list (I don't really know, nor care :) ),

>     but I

>     > know there is more then Me, Henry, Zach and Devin who have posted in

>     > the

>     > past ;)

>     >

>     > Come on anyone! (everyone!) I'm waiting to be inspired to put my own

>     > thoughts down, I'll do so if anyone else is willing to ;)

>     >

>     > Also; tell anyone else who might be interested. People who run game

>     > websites. Videogame developers. Videogame players. Whoever you think

>     > might have something good too add is obviously welcome since we

>     don't

>     > have a hugely active group here ourselves.

>     >

>     > Thanks all!

>     >

>     > Andrew

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>

>

> -- 

> The sleep of Reason produces monsters.

>

> "Until next time..."

> Captain Commando

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