[game_preservation] Game Canon

[Devin Monnens]

I haven't played 1000 games. I don't think there's too many people who have.
It might be more useful to have a 100 list say, as that's much easier to go
through - though obviously not as extensive.

On Mon, Aug 9, 2010 at 10:27 AM, Henry Lowood <lowood at stanford.edu> wrote:


>  That is a long bucket list!  I guess the author is claiming to have played

> all of them, though.

>

> Henry

>

>

> On 8/8/2010 11:49 AM, Jan Baart wrote:

>

> There's also this upcoming effort:

>

> http://www.amazon.co.uk/1001-Video-Games-Must-Before/dp/0789320908

>

> Jan

>

> Rowan,

>

> You probably know this, but a mini-version of such a book exists, published

> (which is interesting in itself) by the BFI:

>

> http://www.amazon.com/100-Videogames-BFI-Screen-Guides/dp/1844571629

>

> And of course, we know the authors ...

>

> Henry

>

> On 8/3/2010 5:58 PM, Rowan Kaiser wrote:

>

> 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

>>

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>>

>

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>

> --

> Henry Lowood

> Curator for History of Science & Technology Collections;

>   Film & Media Collections

> HRG, Green Library, 557 Escondido Mall

> Stanford University Libraries, Stanford CA 94305-6004

> 650-723-4602; lowood at stanford.edu; http://www.stanford.edu/~lowood <http://www.stanford.edu/%7Elowood>

>

>

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>

>

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>

>

> --

> Henry Lowood

> Curator, History of Science & Technology Collections;

>    Film & Media Collections

> HRG, Green Library, 557 Escondido Mall

> 650-723-4602; lowood at stanford.edu

> http://www.stanford.edu/~lowood

>

>

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>



-- 
Devin Monnens
www.deserthat.com

The sleep of Reason produces monsters.
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