[game_preservation] Digital Game Canon website (initial stages)

[Captain Commando]

Andrew,

I believe the preservation page will be very important to archives as it
contains information on how individual games are being preserved. How well
does each preservation method work for each game and why were some methods
chosen over others?

For material that isn't originally on Archive, is it possible to check if
the pages are on the Wayback Machine? That way, we can redundantly forward
them to the archived pages in case the original site goes away. If there's
any question about licensing, we could always use Creative Commons for
material original to DGC.

I vote that game names should be Wikipedia-style to be as specific as
possible. However, it might be of interest to list the commonly known
pseudonyms of a game (i.e. that SMB3 is the same as Super Mario Bros. 3 or
that DOOM might sometimes be written incorrectly as Doom).

For some games like SMB3, we might also want to reference ports and remakes.
For instance, SMB3 was remade in Super Mario All-Stars and Super Mario
Advance 3 (and there are additional game levels available through the
e-cards of course). While neither of these are the same as the original
(SMA-S modifies the graphics, for instance) they are certainly all under the
same umbrella and it's important to differentiate between them.

Let me also clarify that we would be also archiving machinima, superplay,
and speedrun videos involving these games, correct? Or if not on the site
directly then at least referencing them as part of the large body of culture
that the game is a part of.

In regards to the reviews and critical analysis section, I am also thinking
some form of peer review might be in order.

Other than that, I think this is a fairly exhaustive set of information to
compile on each game. If we are doing serious preservation of the DGC, then
this can be used as a micro of just how detailed game preservation might
get.

-DM

On Sun, Mar 9, 2008 at 6:12 PM, Andrew Armstrong <andrew at aarmstrong.org>
wrote:


>  Hey all,

>

> Feedback very much appreciated for this from anyone. I've started looking

> at the DGC website, and had some initial questions for Henry and everyone

> else. I also created a "initial hierarchy".

>

> *Hierarchy*

>

> Main page

> -> List the games

>

> *Game page*

>

> GAME is a shorthand name, eg: "Doom" is "doom" but "Super Mario Brothers

> 3" is truncated to "smb3". Meant to be easier to type in URL bar.

>

> digitalgamecanon.org/GAME

> -> Profile page (Main page) - release dates, historical information,

> credits.

> digitalgamecanon.org/GAME/preservation

> -> Where is this game being preserved and how is it being preserved? Is it

> being emulated (illegally or not)?

> digitalgamecanon.org/GAME/history/page

> -> History piece on main page plus reason for inclusion in the DGC.

> Multiple pages most likely.

> digitalgamecanon.org/GAME/interviews

> -> Interviews page - interviews done about the game we can host.

> digitalgamecanon.org/GAME/gallery

> -> Picture/screenshot gallery

> digitalgamecanon.org/GAME/media

> -> Media page - videos (Likely using the Internet archive (Primary)

> GameTrailers.com (Secondary)), sounds, archival material

>     -> Both these contain adverts, PR material, pop culture references, as

> well as in-game things

> digitalgamecanon.org/GAME/files

> -> Files which are not "media", which *might* even include the game

> itself. Might include links. Might include popular modifications.

> digitalgamecanon.org/GAME/reviews

> -> Reviews page

>     -> Game journalism and other reviews. Critical analysis pieces.

> digitalgamecanon.org/GAME/links

> -> Links page

>     -> Sections for fansites, links to "IGN pages" and the like, official

> site(s) (if any).

>

>

> Page layout (it's simple. I like simple!):

>

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Digital Game Canon banner

>

> Game Name

> ----------------------

> Main | Preservation | History | Interviews | Gallery | Media | Files |

> Reviews | Links

> ----------------------

>

> Content of page

>

>

> Footer

>

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

> Questions:

>

> What should the site be licensed under?

>     - Copyrighting it would be backwards right?

>     - What if we don't "own the licence" for some things, like video files

> from IA, or any provided copyrighted material for the game?

>

> Is my assumption that "GAME" should be as short as possible a good one? or

> should it be Wikipedia style names? ("Super_Mario_Brothers_3")

>

> Is anything missing, wrong or could be improved in the hierarchy?

>

> Is anyone willing to help source the different types of information for

> the existing DGC entries?

>

> Any ideas about the presentation of the 2008 DGC Henry? :)

>

> Thanks,

>

> Andrew

>

> _______________________________________________

> game_preservation mailing list

> game_preservation at igda.org

> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation

>

>



-- 
The sleep of Reason produces monsters.

"Until next time..."
Captain Commando
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