[game_preservation] International Video Game Hall of Fame

[Devin Monnens]

On Fri, Jul 23, 2010 at 5:54 AM, Andrew Armstrong <andrew at aarmstrong.org>wrote:


>  We've discussed King of Kong a bit more here.



Agreed :)



> We still need to get some analysis on what is the good and bad

> documentaries - perhaps even "biopics", since they wander from the truth

> sometimes to make a good story/good entertainment, which is something we are

> hopefully distinct from on this list if we're investigating history!

>


Well, the same is going to be true of any book. The book has to be
interesting to read, otherwise, nobody will buy it. Of course, you can do
this without changing the truth - given Woz's frankness, I have a feeling
there aren't many errors in iWoz (if there are any at all).

As a historical piece... Well, it informs people about competitive arcade
gaming. As a pyschological study, it's definitely something that sets this
above being just a geeky film.

 (i.e.

>> when the one interviewer is lambasting Billy as never really coming

>> out in public to compete anymore when Billy set the (then) world

>> public record of DK at our show in 2004 in front of our attendees),

>> etc.

>>

>

Well, in a short defense of filmmaking, sometimes new things happen during
the documentary process, but you just have to print it. (Of course, the film
came out in 2007, so that doesn't work here...). I think in terms of the
documentary, the big question was why didn't he compete at the match? Did he
think he would have been set up? (i.e. the presence of the camera and the
documentary means it's a lose/lose - even if he won, he would still be seen
as a loser for beating this poor guy who never won anything in his life)
Does he just not do any live competitive gaming anymore? Did he feel sorry
for the guy? Or maybe not think he was worth playing? I don't think the film
took a stance on this, but it's something I'd like to hear. But I'm thinking
the camera has a lot to do with it.

Then you have Steve who doesn't seem to have known anything about
competitive gaming at the time. He beats the high score in a grueling
marathon (which in some respects could be considered an accusation of child
neglect :P), sends it out to Twin Galaxies, and the ref comes back and says
'hey! we need to check your hardware to make sure this is a legit machine!'
Which seems completely bogus for Steve - who again, we assume knows nothing
about competitive gaming or arcade machine hardware, and CERTAINLY nothing
about the feuds - but this makes perfect sense for the Twin Galaxies guys
because a) it's a pretty amazing score and how is that even possible? and b)
maybe somebody rigged the machine.

Something that's logical when presented to someone who knows nothing about
the business suddenly becomes very shocking and stressful, especially
considering all the work this guy put into it.
-- 
Devin Monnens
www.deserthat.com

The sleep of Reason produces monsters.
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