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Stuart Feldhamer wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:4973df30.070fc00a.28bd.5b66@mx.google.com"
type="cite">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">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.</span></p>
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</blockquote>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<blockquote cite="mid:4973df30.070fc00a.28bd.5b66@mx.google.com"
type="cite">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">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 : )).</span><br>
</p>
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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.<br>
<br>
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).<br>
<blockquote cite="mid:4973df30.070fc00a.28bd.5b66@mx.google.com"
type="cite">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">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.</span></p>
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</blockquote>
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!<br>
<br>
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) :)<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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 ;)<br>
<br>
Andrew<br>
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