[game_preservation] Game Canon

[Rowan Kaiser]

The main way that I think canons or Halls of Fame or lists of best ever work
is if there's some kind of lens. Simple subjectivity is one way to go about
it, but there are other ways. The initial list you linked to, Andrew, had a
fairly interesting one in that it seemed to be aimed at aspiring designers.
This allows bad games as well as good on the list, entertainingly. It had
some organizational and editorial problems, but I think that's a fascinating
concept, especially as it brings in non-video games.

One idea that I've had for a long time is an encyclopedia of video games.
But not like a Britannica or World Book where it's ostensibly a collection
of facts presented in a neutral voice, but like some of the film
encyclopedias which present a series of essays on each of their subjects.
This allows for more interesting opinions, more diverse forms of writing or
argument, and, at least conceptually, a sort of user-generated canon. Maybe
I don't care about, say, The Legend of Dragoon, but one of its fans can
write convincingly about why it's interesting or important. Likewise, a game
like Starcraft is important in completely different ways to completely
different people. One essay could talk about its role in competitive gaming,
while another focuses on its interesting use of narrative for a strategy
game.


Rowan

On Tue, Aug 3, 2010 at 4:08 PM, Andrew Armstrong <andrew at aarmstrong.org>wrote:


>  Replying to everyone here at once; I agree with everyone! Firstly; Canon

> should be expansive - why not if we can do so? :D However, the degree which

> it is classified Canon is just so that it isn't *everything*, and probably

> it'd take both influential (ala Bill and Matts work, although their website

> goes a lot deeper!) and the pioneers and tech instigators. Like other

> technology mediums, there is a lot of good first attempts, with the

> polishers really shining it later for real use, but both are important.

>

> Secondly; that list was just an example which sprung this idea again - that

> there are tons of appendixes and short lists of games without the kind of

> historical context most people here recognise, thus have massive flaws.

> Daikatana? Trespasser? Both perhaps good examples of some really poor

> design, even if it tries to pioneer some aspect or other, but otherwise only

> interesting at all in how bad they are. Even Lets Play's of these games are

> notorious! Not quite canon material perhaps, but it does depend...they'd

> have their place but it'd be low down the list.

>

> The IGN list is actually surprisingly interesting for noting the pioneers

> and influencers, even if it is very boring, and also oddly not really

> complete or in depth (it again is like a book appendix, and has similar

> issues with the choices in games perhaps, but so does anything!).

>

> Thirdly; That is great news Henry that you've still got it on your mind.

> I'm certainly up for helping whatever effort. It would be the case that a

> great step would be to get the LoC to consider games properly. I could check

> out the UK scene on it too, and I am sure some other European institutions

> might be interested since they preserve films but not games as such (we can

> assume the actual game museums/archives will protect them but they of course

> need to be notified of these important games too :) so a list is always

> good). Even just getting them on board to protect the actual media if not

> much ephemera would work wonders for posterity.

>

> In any case, glad there is some interest, however minor! I think the

> easiest part for many people is arguing why a game is really, really

> important in a good way - which is the major first step. I said perhaps

> start small, and this is mainly because if anything, the IGN list shows that

> even a small few-paragraph description of "why" is a good starting point for

> further investigation.

>

> Andrew

>

> _______________________________________________

> game_preservation mailing list

> game_preservation at igda.org

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

>

>

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/attachments/20100803/3e2b879e/attachment.htm>