[game_preservation] U.S. Crash was Re: Generations standards?

[Devin Monnens]

Yeah, Wikipedia is kind of funny. Lots of people go there as a first stop
for information (heck I use it a lot, too). But I think there needs to be a
big ol' graphic at the top of the page next to the article title to let
people know the quality of the article. This way, users can easily judge
what the quality of the content is.

I also find it very amusing what Wikipedia users generate articles on.
There's an article for a 1970 or 1971 (can't remember) BASIC game called
HIghnoon. The game's kind of fun and really interesting if you look at the
text of it too closely, but to put it in perspective: I think the only
reason this game has its own article is because it was made before Pong, and
apparently, that immediately makes any game worthy of a wiki article.
Regardless of the fact it was ONLY played on one school network for a short
period of time and then filed in this dude's closet for 40 years until it
was rediscovered. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great and a good example
of the kind of work that was being done, and I'm glad I learned about it,
but does it really need a full article on Wikipedia?

And while we're on the subject, the history of games information is in no
way organized. You've got the game history section, you've got the early
game history section, and you have a list of games by year. Some info is in
one but not the others (Highnoon was in the year list). So in terms of
people actually going out and finding information, it's not all in one
place.

Incidentally, where are you getting your Atari books published? I just got a
book offer from another publisher at a conference I went to (McFarland,
actually) about my work in games from 1962-1973. I'm kind of torn about how
to go about publishing/disseminating this information. I don't think
Wikipedia is the right place, but I think a living document like a Wiki
would be great for it.



On Fri, Apr 16, 2010 at 12:42 PM, Andrew Armstrong <andrew at aarmstrong.org>wrote:


> Cool, missed your direct comment that you were investigating the time

> period :) Like I said I'd love to help, but lack some of the direct

> information - and being in the UK don't have any real way of getting it

> really. Shame there is no decent book coverage of it.

>

> If there was some way of sharing the research easily (if they are digital

> files the IGDA wiki would do) it might be a nice idea to start compiling the

> relevant information in whatever depth that might be appropriate. I'd be an

> avid reader of anything and help and could certainly email people at least,

> but like I say, limited in resources access otherwise, although I could look

> into UK things (in this case, probably the least relevant thing apart from

> "What was happening elsewhere" sections, heh), and if nothing else I am an

> organiser.

>

> I also realise wikipedia isn't meant to be a paper on the subject (although

> some are pretty much, and good for them) but that article was certainly

> something that is probably a bad idea to read just so you don't get the

> wrong idea, I'm sure your research will help improve it greatly. :)

>

> Andrew

>

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-- 
Devin Monnens
www.deserthat.com

The sleep of Reason produces monsters.
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