[game_preservation] Cataloging Standards?

[Andrew Armstrong]

I think one important aspect of history is putting it in context. One 
reason discussions on "how important", "how good" and "how popular" 
things are/were is that they are important things to note. :)

I'm an "inclusionist" - if it was a game database for historians, there 
would be no field left un-added (at least in a generic "notes" or 
"tagging" fashion). Why would a database leave out readily available 
information if someone has the time to add it?

I could list a whole load of areas that I would think are important, and 
certainly necessary to do any kind of historical research into games 
though a database :) at least from my perspective.

Then again, if it is a pure database - relational, limited inputs (think 
"checkboxes" versus "text" fields), then well, there's probably some 
interesting ones centred around categorising a game - what people think 
the genres it fits into, the related games to it (in series, influence, 
etc.), the age it is aimed at, the people it is aimed at, the lasting 
effect of it (categories of sales figures, outreach, influence...) and 
so forth.

Anything perhaps more specific, I mean, like what you already have and 
what kind of database it might be, if you're really interested in a 
list? I'm assuming of course that there is all the data Devin has said 
already - it'd be next to useless if it couldn't tell when a game was 
released, where, by whom, etc. to start with :)

Andrew

On 27/12/2009 04:51, Devin Monnens wrote:

> This is a good question. I can put these in two categories.

>

> 1. Essential Information

>

> This is for identifying the games: title, year, publisher, developer, 

> region, version number, platform, region, and alternate or translated 

> titles.

>

> 2. Additional Information for getting content to run

>

> This would include what kinds of accessories work with the game, any 

> issues or compatibilities it has with hardware (i.e. GBA-GC link 

> cable; In the Hunt won't work using a Pro Action Replay unless you 

> either have a controller in port 1 only or a controller in both 

> ports), if on OS, hardware and software requirements (both recommended 

> and minimum).

>

> However, 

> metadata is also important: what kind of game is it, for instance. Maybe someone wants to look at RPGs, or specifically action-RPGs like Secret of Mana. However, this feels more like information that is in Mobygames. Conversely, collectors would be interested in rarity and cost. Other databases might want images of boxes, games, and manual PDFs. Each database would have its own goals. My personal goals would be 'how do I identify the game?' and 

> the second is 'how do I get it to 

> run?' and so for this reason, 1 and 2 are the most important for me.

>

> Devin

>

> On Sat, Dec 26, 2009 at 3:04 PM, Jan Baart <jan_baart at yahoo.de 

> <mailto:jan_baart at yahoo.de>> wrote:

>

>     As I'm in the process of building up a metadatabase for video game

>     collectors I just have to ask. Exactly what kind of data would you

>     like to see in such a database in general and which data is most

>     crucial for historians? Now's the right time for me to still

>     easily add things like that to the database!

>

>     Jan

>

>

>     On 23.12.2009 00:58, Andrew Armstrong wrote:

>

>

>         I'm highly interested in this too, having some common ground

>         on searchable metadata fields would mean the world for

>         researching the history of games -

>         Andrew

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>

>

> -- 

> Devin Monnens

> www.deserthat.com <http://www.deserthat.com>

>

> The sleep of Reason produces monsters.

>

>

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