[game_preservation] Preservation Whitepaper Brainstorm Progress

[Henry Lowood]

All,

this has actually been one of the main justifications for keeping the 
Cabrinety Collection in Special Collections (our rare books and 
manuscripts department).  My feeling is even in those cases when the 
bits on our particular floppies or carts are already history, as the 
media are unreadable, there is still much information in paper form 
(boxes, manuals), as well as added items.  And those are the things 
Special Collections knows how to preserve forever. 

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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>

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>   


-- 
Henry Lowood, Ph.D.
Curator for History of Science & Technology Collections;
 Film & Media Collections
HRG, Green Library, 557 Escondido Mall
Stanford University Libraries
Stanford CA 94305-6004
650-723-4602; lowood at stanford.edu; http://www.stanford.edu/~lowood 
<http://www.stanford.edu/%7Elowood>