[game_preservation] Game Canon
Jose P. Zagal
jzagal at cdm.depaul.edu
Tue Sep 14 16:08:41 EDT 2010
Game Plan by Ste Curran (http://books.google.com/books?id=TXcWlWkIZ0AC)
is another nice example of this approach.
Jose Zagal
On 8/3/2010 1:27 PM, Martin Goldberg wrote:
> What you guys are all describing with your individual viewpoints and
> processes in this matter reminded me of a book by some friends of mine
> (Bill Loguidice and Matt Barton) from last year. Vintage Games -
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Games-Insider-History-Influential/dp/0240811461/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280858796&sr=8-1
>
> Rather than lists of canon games in a genre they took the approach of
> each chapter being about what they considered the most influential
> game of that genre, interweaving the games that preceeded it and that
> were later influenced by it in an intersting narrative. The basic
> formula for each chapter/game is:
>
> - briefly introduce the game and proceed to give a summary of why it
> was successful and the many clones it produced.
>
> - present the games that came before and paved the way for the main
> focus of each chapter, the influential game itself.
>
> - Discuss any major industry influence and cultural ties and how the
> game was a product of or influenced them.
>
> - identify what the important aspects of the game were itself – what
> innovations it introduced, or important game play and graphical
> elements it included.
>
> - List/discuss some later very popular games that were influenced by
> it and focus on how those games also produced innovations in their own
> right in their attempts to expand on the basic formula
>
> - Discuss the genre itself in closing.
>
> You can read a review I did last year for a little more insight in to the book:
>
> http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Articles.Detail&id=403
>
> To me I like that approach because it gives more context to the game/s
> in a genre you're presenting rather than subjective lists that canons
> can turn in to. It's also a way to get past the issue of "in order to
> focus on some games, you must ignore others" that Devin points out.
>
>
> Marty
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--
José P. Zagal
Assistant Professor
College of Computing and Digital Media
DePaul University
http://www.ludoliteracy.com/
http://facsrv.cs.depaul.edu/~jzagal
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