[game_preservation] Game Canon
Devin Monnens
dmonnens at gmail.com
Mon Aug 9 15:51:58 EDT 2010
Well ok, Sid Sackson <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sid_Sackson> could.
Though admittedly, those were all board games! I don't know of any videogame
scholars who would have played 1000 games. Maybe some reviewers out there
have come close...
On Mon, Aug 9, 2010 at 11:43 AM, Henry Lowood <lowood at stanford.edu> wrote:
> Devin,
>
> I agree -- it's difficult to see how anyone could play through that many
> games.
>
> Henry
>
>
> On 8/9/2010 10:41 AM, Devin Monnens wrote:
>
> 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 <http://www.stanford.edu/%7Elowood>
>>
>>
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>>
>
>
> --
> Devin Monnens
> www.deserthat.com
>
> The sleep of Reason produces monsters.
>
>
> --
> Henry Lowood
> Curator, History of Science & Technology Collections;
> Film & Media Collections
> HRG, Green Library, 557 Escondido Mall
> 650-723-4602; lowood at stanford.eduhttp://www.stanford.edu/~lowood
>
>
--
Devin Monnens
www.deserthat.com
The sleep of Reason produces monsters.
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