[game_preservation] Spring Cleaning the SIG+2009 ideas (Please respond!)

[Andrew Armstrong]

Stuart Feldhamer wrote:

>

> I meant to ask this a long time ago, but how were the initial choices 

> for the Digital Game Canon determined?  I don't remember there being 

> any sort of open voting. I ask because this could be one of the 

> reasons why there seems to be a low degree of interest in this project.

>

The first year was chosen by 5 people (Matteo Bittanti, Christopher 
Grant, Henry Lowood, Steve Meretzky, and Warren Spector) who presented 2 
each after much discussion (via. email). Like the National Film 
Registry, it's experts in the field choosing entries, not "Joe public". 
I doubt there would be any voting from the SIG members - at least not 
anyone who signs up, since it's open and therefore open to abuse, 
especially without dialogue.

Henry is running it though, and I think he did mention something about 
2008's also being done, but of course, no session to present it at means 
either doing it online or otherwise. So we'll see. Also, unlike the 
National Film Registry which has the facilities to archive the films, we 
don't have physical facilities to archive the games/systems, so it's 
more a starting list for people who want to know what games are really 
important in history and why (although I hope in the future the games 
can be secured in multiple locations at least with emulations of their 
system so they can be accessed). In that respect, if it does become more 
important, it can be more formally sorted (with a panel of experts, set 
guidelines, etc. etc.) but it's more a starting point AFAIK.

As for interest for a GDC session? Nah, the GDC people just don't like 
history sessions. They're pretty glossy in what they choose I guess, and 
the focus is on the "here and now" not "the past". Since there were 
people going to the session and good feedback in 2007, it's bizarre, but 
whatever. Note that, of course, the "Joe public" doesn't have any say in 
what gets accepted at GDC either.

>

> Collectors -- what do you want from this section? One thing I will say 

> is that it's difficult to generalize about why collectors do what they 

> do -- they are very different people with different motivations (and 

> psychoses : )).

>

Motivations and psychoses might be different between people, but knowing 
about what they collect (and don't), what they value (and don't), and 
how they go about it is very similar in the vast majority of cases. I 
keep an eye on some collectors sites, ebay checkers and whatnot, but 
hardly know enough to write anything more then what's up there already.

Basically, it needs to be accessible information for those who are not 
collectors. A-B-C's kind of thing. Historians, archvisists, book writers 
and just interested developers might want to know. Especially so if they 
need to write about the subject or possibly interact with them ;) (like 
finding out if they can get a photo of a certain game, or check if a 
game exists, or something the community of collectors can help with 
since they literally own "everything", although might not actively put 
it up in any accessible form anywhere).

>

> Oral Histories -- this sounds like a very interesting project, but 

> maybe a bit too ambitious. I think the hard part won't be getting 

> volunteers to perform the interviews, it will be getting the project 

> the initial legitimacy it needs to get the interviewees willing to sit 

> down for the interviews. Maybe we can leverage existing work here.

>

Haha, this was originally brought up by people at last years round 
table, the two main ones I recall were Steve Meretzky and Warren Spector 
and a few other developers too. Since they murmured it was more 
important (and no one was doing it!) there is interest to have those 
oral histories done, as long as someone else does the serious legwork 
doing them!

If I were in America and had a camera/recording equipment I'd start them 
myself around conference times - since many of the people in history 
still actively go to conferences and work, it'd be likely nice to get a 
few at once. Or if I had the time and money, man, Jason Scott is like 
living the dream of this kind of work, and I'd want to do something 
similar but per-person (and Jason is a perfect example that there are a 
ton of people who are willing to be interviewed too) :)

So the last option is online stuff. Which kinda sucks. Therefore, if 
there are volunteers who can go in person with a camera and microphone, 
with a good list of questions and a general knowledge (or research) 
about the person, it'd be great. I am sure if we actively sought out 
people just for this (not business, not for pestering about anything 
else) they'd be happy to help (time permitting) since some of them 
brought it up in the first place.

I think therefore it's still a volunteer issue, not a source issue. 
There are many more developers out there then I see volunteers to do 
this, in the region of thousands:0 at the moment ;)

Andrew
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