[game_preservation] [Monthly SIG Roundup] February 2009

[Andrew Armstrong]

Spring cleaning with agusto, January is over. We've got new members and 
a slightly cleaned up set of projects this month, and some good news for 
the coming month.


      Preservation SIG January 2009 Work

Our white paper "Before It's Too Late: A Digital Game Preservation White 
Paper 
<http://www.igda.org/wiki/Game_Preservation_SIG/White_Paper/Before_It%27s_Too_Late:_A_Digital_Game_Preservation_White_Paper>" 
is now in the editing phase. Anyone who signed up for proofreading might 
get a shot at it this month, and it is planned to be released along with 
a 1 sided summary at GDC. If you want to proofread, please contact us.

I also have updated ("spring cleaned") the main pages of the SIG: the 
main page <http://www.igda.org/wiki/Game_Preservation_SIG>, and updates 
to the projects 
<http://www.igda.org/wiki/Game_Preservation_SIG/Projects> and resources 
<http://www.igda.org/wiki/Game_Preservation_SIG/Resources> pages. Are we 
missing something? Please email in. :)

We also have a nearly finished SIG icon. Here is the latest design 
<http://aarmstrong.org/gallery/v/projects/preslogos/Redone+Joystick+Belljar.png.html>, 
which I've only got one major thing left to do on (improve the "shine"), 
and create versions suitable for lower then 64x64 resolution which it 
currently is in. Once finished I'll be using it for future newsletters, 
pages, themes, etc.

 From the memorials project we have new memorials for Erick S. Dyke (d 
10-11-2008) <http://www.igda.org/wiki/Memorials/Erick_S._Dyke>, Gene 
Smith (d 2002-07-14) <http://www.igda.org/wiki/Memorials/Gene_Smith> and 
Fukio Mitsuji (d 2008-12-11) 
<http://www.igda.org/wiki/Memorials/Fukio_Mitsuji> (who was confirmed, 
very sadly, as having died). We still need major help with this project, 
from submissions from the past, or manpower to edit pages, write 
biographies or research people. Please contact Devin at memorials -at- 
igda -dot- org to help!

The Contributions 
<http://www.igda.org/wiki/Game_Preservation_SIG/Contributions> project 
also has updates, from more European and American institutions / 
organisations which are up for accepting physical donations of work. 
Soon I'll get into gear advocating this, as the project is nearly 
complete (enough for a v1.0 release at least).

For our Internet Archive work, I've added a few more videos to 
collections - Consolevania Wave 1 
<http://www.archive.org/details/Consolevania-04x01-Wave_1> and 
Consolevania Christmas Carol 
<http://www.archive.org/details/Consolevania-04xXX-CCC>, a sad end to 
Consolevania, so go watch! I also went out and found a few contributors, 
so thanks to Captain Duck for his Dwarf Fortress tutorials 
<http://www.archive.org/details/Dwarf_Fortress_Video_Tutorials> (a game 
that must be in some way remembered in video form! :) ), and a few more 
people who are aiming to upload things this month.

The Let's Play collection <http://www.archive.org/details/lets-play> 
also has a lot of new ones, thanks to Baldurk, including GUN 
<http://www.archive.org/details/LP_GUN>, Psychonauts 
<http://www.archive.org/details/LP_Psychonauts>, Misadventures of Tron 
Bonne <http://www.archive.org/details/LP_Misadventures_of_Tron_Bonne>, 
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 
<http://www.archive.org/details/LP_Grand_Theft_Auto_Vice_City>, Mega Man 
3 <http://www.archive.org/details/LP_Mega_Man_3>, Earthworm Jim 2 
<http://www.archive.org/details/LP_Earthworm_Jim2>, Mega Man 2 
<http://www.archive.org/details/LP_Mega_Man_2> and Grand Theft Auto: San 
Andreas <http://www.archive.org/details/LP_Grand_Theft_Auto_San_Andreas>.

The Videogame Replays collection also got a few new Longplays from Monty 
Mole, Gradius 2 <http://www.archive.org/details/Longplay-Gradius2_NES>, 
Super Mario Bros 2 
<http://www.archive.org/details/Longplay-SuperMarioBros2_NES> and Mortal 
Kombat 2 <http://www.archive.org/details/Longplay-MortalKombar2_SNES>. 
The Virtual Worlds collection also has a new video titled A New Platform 
- Sirikata <http://www.archive.org/details/sirikata_a_new_platform>, 
about Stanfords new open source platform.

Finally, we've got permission to add new collections related Videogames 
in other areas. Currently we are experimenting with Videogame Patches 
<http://www.archive.org/details/gamepatches>, which was discussed on our 
mailing list a fair few months ago - so watch this space for future 
developments. If anyone feels they can contribute to any area we are 
working on with files or volunteer manpower, please contact me or Simon! 
(simon -at- archive -dot- org)


      Future Work for February 2009

I'll be concentrating on any new Internet Archive collections, but I am 
still wanting feedback on what to do about 3 languishing projects; 
Digital Game Canon 
<http://www.igda.org/wiki/Game_Preservation_SIG/Digital_Game_Canon>, 
Collectors Information 
<http://www.igda.org/wiki/Game_Preservation_SIG/Collectors> and Oral 
Histories 
<http://www.igda.org/wiki/Game_Preservation_SIG/Oral_Histories>. There 
is also a need to revamp the Resources 
<http://www.igda.org/wiki/Game_Preservation_SIG/Resources> and Projects 
<http://www.igda.org/wiki/Game_Preservation_SIG/Projects> listings 
somehow, I need feedback on all of these if possible, especially if 
someone wants to help with any of it (no experience in the area necessary!)


      Mailing List Discussions

If you've not joined our mailing list 
<http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation>, please do 
so. We've never tried using our forums it seems :) we stick to 
old-fangled email.

Lots of discussions started this month 
<http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-January/thread.html>, 
not many finished. Discussions on Wikipedia 
<http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-January/thread.html#726>, 
Spring Cleaning 
<http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-January/thread.html#755>, 
Mobygames and KLOV / Metadatabase 
<http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-January/thread.html#775>, 


A possible new project were raised in the form of citation/catalogue 
standards 
<http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-January/000750.html>, 
and discussions of the existing projects as noted above as problematic 
Oral Histories 
<http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-January/000802.html>, 
Digital Game Canon 
<http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-January/000803.html> 
and Collectors Information 
<http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-January/000804.html> 
*which all need input*.

Finally, welcome to new members on the mailing list 
<http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/2009-January/000809.html>. 
Let yourself be known, because eventually the mailing list will 
disappear to be replaced by a similar function on the new IGDA website 
format - meaning you'll need free accounts, and we'll know who you are 
then anyway! :P


      Preservation SIG Blog Updates / Links

/Have I missed anything this month? Then email it in to 
preservation_news @ igda.org !/

    * Nolan Bushnell to receive BAFTA Fellowship
      <http://www.igda.org/preservation/archives/2009/01/nolan_bushnell_1.html>

    * Space Invaders Development
      <http://www.igda.org/preservation/archives/2009/01/space_invaders_1.html>

    * The Pac-Man Dungeons
      <http://www.igda.org/preservation/archives/2009/01/the_pacman_dung.html>

    * Videogame History Events: Back-Byte 2009
      <http://www.igda.org/preservation/archives/2009/01/videogame_histo.html>

    * The ultimate Atari collection!
      <http://www.igda.org/preservation/archives/2009/01/the_ultimate_at.html>

    * Websites 'must be saved for history'
      <http://www.igda.org/preservation/archives/2009/01/websites_must_b.html>

    * Smash Pack programmer wanted Echelon to release ROM Loader
      <http://www.igda.org/preservation/archives/2009/01/mash_pack_progr.html>

    * Games that smell
      <http://www.igda.org/preservation/archives/2009/01/games_that_smel.html>

    * Donkey Kong's misrepresentation on home consoles
      <http://www.igda.org/preservation/archives/2009/01/donkey_kongs_mi.html>

    * The Game Developer Archives: 'Monsters From the Id: The Making of
      Doom'
      <http://www.igda.org/preservation/archives/2009/01/the_game_develo.html>

    * Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll - the game that never was
      <http://www.igda.org/preservation/archives/2009/01/_sex_n_drugs_n.html>

    * Racing the Beam: The Atari Video Computer System Released
      <http://www.igda.org/preservation/archives/2009/01/racing_the_beam.html>

    * Fukio "MTJ" Mitsuji Passes Away
      <http://www.igda.org/preservation/archives/2009/01/fukio_mtj_mitsu.html>

    * Ancient Artifacts of the Origin Museum, Part II
      <http://www.igda.org/preservation/archives/2009/01/ancient_artifac.html>

    * Interview with Curt Vendel
      <http://www.igda.org/preservation/archives/2009/01/interview_with_1.html>

    * The History Of Pong: Avoid Missing Game to Start Industry
      <http://www.igda.org/preservation/archives/2009/01/the_history_of_6.html>

    * EGM Shut down, 1UP Sold
      <http://www.igda.org/preservation/archives/2009/01/egm_shut_down_1.html>

    * The RePlay Files: A Trip To The 1986 JAMMA Arcade Game Show, Part
      1
      <http://www.igda.org/preservation/archives/2009/01/the_replay_file.html>

    * Archiveteam
      <http://www.igda.org/preservation/archives/2009/01/archiveteam.html>
    * More on Threshold Wikipedia Article
      <http://www.igda.org/preservation/archives/2009/01/more_on_thresho.html>

    * Losing the Threshold MUD Wikipedia Entry
      <http://www.igda.org/preservation/archives/2009/01/losing_the_thre.html>



      Final Thoughts

Hope you have had a nice spring clean of your office, home, desk, or at 
least your coffee cup. Please remember to contribute back your thoughts 
on our projects and work, there is no requirement to work on them if you 
offer words of advice, criticism or any kind of comment.

Andrew Armstrong

IGDA Game Preservation SIG Site/Blog editor

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