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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>I agree, it is a question of scope. That’s why I was curious to
hear others’ thoughts on this. Should be not be preserving unreleased games? If
a game was unreleased, do we want to “officially” pretend that it doesn’t exist?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Stuart<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
game_preservation-bounces@igda.org [mailto:game_preservation-bounces@igda.org] <b>On
Behalf Of </b>Devin Monnens<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, November 28, 2008 9:59 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> IGDA Game Preservation SIG<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [game_preservation] White Paper: Case Study Research!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Unreleased games sounds like a question of scope as well.
This isn't something we normally think of when we think 'videogame
preservation' and unfortunately, it's incredibly difficult to ensure
preservation of these (I remember an IGN interview that stated Rare has a VERY
uncensored version of Conker in their vault that NOBODY will ever see). This
all came back to a database of known released and unreleased games (though some
companies don't want ANYBODY knowing about this stuff).<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>Unreleased games also find their way to the underground
collecting market (there was a big article in the Escapist on this). Resident
Evil 1.5 is one good example, but I haven't heard any reports of leaked copies
of Castlevania Resurrection... One of the most famous cases of unreleased games
later found was 'EarthBound 0' which was mentioned at one of the GDC
roundtables. I don't think anyone's found a fabled beta cartridge of EarthBound
for the 64DD though. And then another good example was Military Battlezone,
which was thought lost and perhaps not to even exist (?) until some guy found
in his barn. That was chronicled in From Sun Tzu to XBox I believe.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>Maybe we want to illustrate that the case for 'lost games'
isn't to a point where many things are actually being lost wholesale, but is
one where we're dangling over the edge like How The Grinch Stole Christmas.
Only a few things have fallen into the abyss like the red ornament, but it's on
such unstable ground that a whole lot more could fall in. We could equate the
Grinch to many characters in the drama, and given the overbearing weight of bit
rot, DRMA, etc, it may very well take the strength of ten Grinches (plus two)
to keep the rest from falling in.<br clear=all>
<br>
-- <br>
The sleep of Reason produces monsters.<br>
<br>
"Until next time..."<br>
Captain Commando<o:p></o:p></p>
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