[game_preservation] Descriptive terms for Video Games

[Pugh, Richard]

Greetings all!

Thank you for your suggestions; I'll be looking into them later this today.  Some of you asked for additional information on our project.

Generally these terms will be used in a subject or genre heading style.  That is, when one searches the catalog by subject or genre, these headings will be referenced.  For good or ill, these terms will be treated the same way as standard LCSH or LCGFH terms.  As such, we're looking for descriptors like "First person action" or "Real time strategy;" terms that identify what a game "is" rather than what it's about.  For that, we can usually find a workable LCSH; emphasis on "usually."  Genres are a different story.

As Mr. Handy pointed out, the LC model is not necessarily the best one.  In this case that's probably true.  However, NAVCC is part of LC, so we must use an LC-style approach.  Internal politics are involved.  Need I say more...?

We're hoping that if we can build a thesaurus that is "LCSH compatible," the powers that be will accept it.  Even so, we're expecting some resistance, because the use of non-LC terms (even ones from well-established thesauri), is actively discouraged, no matter what the circumstances.  We're facing an uphill battle, but we'll do the best we can.

One list we've been looking at is the one from Allgame:

http://www.allgame.com/genres.php

Perhaps if we combine this with concepts covered in the other lists, we'll have a working base.  I'm tinkering with the Allgame list at the moment, and it has promise.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

Richard J. Pugh
Motion Picture, Broadcast, & Recorded Sound Division
National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Library of Congress
(202) 707-6636 / rpugh at loc.gov