[game_preservation] Game Canon
Stuart Feldhamer
stuart.feldhamer at gmail.com
Mon Aug 9 20:21:41 EDT 2010
I can recommend a lot of good games. But if you're really about to die, and
it's a choice between playing one of them or spending time with your family,
I would suggest the latter.
Stuart
From: game_preservation-bounces at igda.org
[mailto:game_preservation-bounces at igda.org] On Behalf Of Henry Lowood
Sent: Monday, August 09, 2010 3:41 PM
To: Rowan Kaiser
Cc: IGDA Game Preservation SIG
Subject: Re: [game_preservation] Game Canon
It's an interesting question. There are some games I would recommend in a
general way, but cannot claim to have played them seriously. I doubt that
I could give more than a few dozen deeply-felt recommendations -- games that
I played intensively, value, and feel my reader should play "before you
die."
Henry
On 8/9/2010 11:14 AM, Rowan Kaiser wrote:
It's an editor with several contributors. I know at least one of them. It
does make me wonder how many games I've played, and how many of them I could
recommend.
Rowan
On Mon, Aug 9, 2010 at 10:43 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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Henry Lowood
Curator for History of Science & Technology Collections;
Film & Media Collections
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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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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.edu
http://www.stanford.edu/~lowood <http://www.stanford.edu/%7Elowood>
_______________________________________________
game_preservation mailing list
game_preservation at igda.org
http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation
--
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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