[game_preservation] Game Canon
Rowan Kaiser
rowankaiser at gmail.com
Tue Aug 10 01:31:32 EDT 2010
I think it's a pretty terrible game in general. Ah well. I know families who
get spread apart, like with college students, who keep in touch by forming
questing parties in WOW. Last day on earth activity? I dunno about that.
Maybe Diablo II.
Rowan
On Mon, Aug 9, 2010 at 9:24 PM, Devin Monnens <dmonnens at gmail.com> wrote:
> Just so long as it's not Monopoly. Terrible, terrible game to spend your
> last days playing. Some folks might find themselves written out of the
> will...
>
> Actually, the Game Desing Challenge this year at GDC included the game you
> play while you die. I personally didn't like any of the ones shown.
>
>
> On Mon, Aug 9, 2010 at 7:17 PM, Stuart Feldhamer <
> stuart.feldhamer at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Interesting point – I didn’t think of that.
>>
>>
>>
>> Stuart
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* Rowan Kaiser [mailto:rowankaiser at gmail.com]
>> *Sent:* Monday, August 09, 2010 8:49 PM
>> *To:* stuart at feldhamer.com; IGDA Game Preservation SIG
>>
>> *Subject:* Re: [game_preservation] Game Canon
>>
>>
>>
>> What if they're multiplayer games with your family?
>>
>> On Mon, Aug 9, 2010 at 5:21 PM, Stuart Feldhamer <
>> stuart.feldhamer at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> 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
>>
>> 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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>>
>> --
>>
>> 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 <http://www.stanford.edu/%7Elowood>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> game_preservation mailing list
>> game_preservation at igda.org
>> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation
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>>
>>
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>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Devin Monnens
> www.deserthat.com
>
> The sleep of Reason produces monsters.
>
> _______________________________________________
> game_preservation mailing list
> game_preservation at igda.org
> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation
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>
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