[game_preservation] Where Games Go To Sleep: The Game Preservation Crisis

[Henry Lowood]

IGDA Central has asked me about whether the SIG will want to respond in 
some way.   Marty, your note below I will count as a YES.  My sense from 
the discussion so far is that the group as a whole agrees, but don't be 
shy about posting comments and thoughts.

Also, in responding to IGDA Central, I advised that we should wait and 
read the other portions of the article and see what he got from his 
conversations with SIG members.  In other words, the best timing for the 
response -- whatever it is -- would be after all the parts are out.

Finally, what format of response?  More thoughts?  Who wants to help out?

Henry

On 1/27/2011 2:58 PM, Martin Goldberg wrote:

> Well, from the response I got back from him it looks like he simply

> cared about what he felt was more interesting to read rather than an

> across the board article.  Per my query on why much more notable Atari

> related archivers were left out, including Curt how directly works

> with the current Atari in that manner:

>

> "I felt it's all really been covered before."

>

> I'm sorry, but if the point of your article is to call people's

> attention to a little known facet/plight of the industry - operative

> words being little known - I don't see how you can assume your readers

> have been exposed to some aspect of it already.  Otherwise it wouldn't

> be little known.

>

> I also feel that if as he said, he recounted the Sotheby's and cabinet

> purchase to simply illustrate the plight of companies not caring about

> archiving, the message IMHO was lost.  The list style he used of going

> through one company after another read as more of a dry listing of

> random examples of the type of archiving that is or is going on vs.

> the single impassioned message he's claiming it's intended as.

>

> If this SIG is left out in the future installment, especially when

> members were interviewed, I'm thinking it might be worthwhile for this

> SIG to do some PR (outside of the regular paper presentation

> involvement) with Devin's goals below in mind.  That includes possibly

> writing a more inclusive and cohesive article than the one being

> presented so far.

>

> Marty

>

>

> On Thu, Jan 27, 2011 at 12:33 PM, Devin Monnens<dmonnens at gmail.com>  wrote:

>> This seems to indicate a problem both inside and outside of preservation:

>> current preservation efforts (and the need for more of them) are not

>> well-known.

>> Several parts to this:

>> First, people aren't aware that preservation is an issue.

>> Second, people who are interested in preservation don't know what

>> preservation groups/projects are currently out there

>> Third, there doesn't seem to be as much connection between preservation

>> institutes as there should be

>> As a result, lots of people are doing work on game preservation, but they're

>> not solidly networked. And people who might be able to help out with

>> preservation or cry out for companies to work on archiving their own

>> materials (or actually be in a position to help implement these efforts)

>> don't know about it.

>> Of course, it could also be Mr. Andersen didn't do all his homework, but

>> this article has a LOT of detailed information and insider knowledge on game

>> archives within companies (particularly using Andersen's Japanese

>> connections to get inside traditionally closed companies). It may not have

>> simply been relevant to the article, but I sort of felt the SIG served as an

>> authority on the subject, so it's kind of odd not to mention us...

>>

>> On Thu, Jan 27, 2011 at 11:12 AM, Jeff Murray<jeff at psychicparrotgames.com>

>> wrote:

>>> I say post a link in the comments ... if anything, it would be helpful to

>>> give them the resource! ... and if anyone complains, send 'em to me and I'll

>>> sort 'em out ;)

>>> Jeff.

>>>

>>> On 2011-01-27, at 1:07 PM, Andrew Armstrong wrote:

>>>

>>>

>>> http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6271/where_games_go_to_sleep_the_game_.php?page=1

>>>

>>> Gamasutra article, I've not really heard of John Andersen before; anyone

>>> know of him? (is he here even? if so cool :) ).

>>>

>>> Some interesting stories of the bad state the industry has for archiving

>>> (of course we all here know this!). Just a shame our paper isn't referenced,

>>> hehe :) Tempting to post a link to it...

>>>

>>> Andrew

>>> _______________________________________________

>>> game_preservation mailing list

>>> game_preservation at igda.org

>>> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation

>>>

>>> Jeff Murray

>>> Founder, PsychicParrot Games

>>> twitter @psychicparrot

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> _______________________________________________

>>> game_preservation mailing list

>>> game_preservation at igda.org

>>> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation

>>>

>>

>>

>> --

>> Devin Monnens

>> www.deserthat.com

>>

>> The sleep of Reason produces monsters.

>>

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>> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation

>>

>>

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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