[game_preservation] Descriptive terms for Video Games

[Andrew Perti]

It's my contention that we have to completely redefine categorization 
techniques for video games.  Many games span several genres and placing 
any given game under a single subject heading by way of a "personal 
judgment call" is quite limiting.  Using a single genre may have been 
necessary for physical cataloging and library systems to account for 
research and accessibility.  We are now in a digital era and I feel as 
though a multifaceted approach is something that we all need to explore.

Andrew Perti
Founder | Seattle Interactive Media Museum
andrew.perti at thesimm.org | www.thesimm.org
Mobile: 518 653-5864


On 6/11/2011 1:12 PM, Andrew Armstrong wrote:

> I found it hilarious to think that everything can be slotted in a 2d 

> wheel; like Pirates! and so many others, things simply can be of 

> multiple categories - they don't have to fit a nice neat pie chart! :)

>

> If it's serious, Journalists sure do want to make it hard on 

> themselves don't they?

>

> Andrew

>

> On 11/06/2011 02:32, Rowan Kaiser wrote:

>> I'm not sure what's wrong with calling Survival Horror 

>> "Action-Exploration." But I find it more interesting as an attempt to 

>> standardize all games within a conceptual framework. Given what a 

>> mess conventional genres are - go on, label Sid Meier's Pirates! - 

>> any attempt with a finished product is noble.

>>

>>

>> Rowan

>>

>> On Fri, Jun 10, 2011 at 6:26 PM, Jim Leonard <trixter at oldskool.org 

>> <mailto:trixter at oldskool.org>> wrote:

>>

>>     That looks like it was done for comedic effect.  If not, then it

>>     has some odd choices, like Survival Horror being predominantly

>>     "Action-Exploration"?  And Driving being

>>     "Action-Exploration-Conflict"?

>>

>>

>>     On 6/10/2011 12:49 PM, Rowan Kaiser wrote:

>>

>>         Another interesting resource might be the Escapist's Genre

>>         Wheel, which

>>         is quite clever although I'm not sure it jumps out as being

>>         more than that:

>>

>>         http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_283/8400-Introducing-The-Escapists-Genre-Wheel

>>

>>         On Fri, Jun 10, 2011 at 7:37 AM, Pugh, Richard <rpugh at loc.gov

>>         <mailto:rpugh at loc.gov>

>>         <mailto:rpugh at loc.gov <mailto:rpugh at loc.gov>>> wrote:

>>

>>            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 <tel:%28202%29%20707-6636>

>>         <tel:%28202%29%20707-6636> / rpugh at loc.gov <mailto:rpugh at loc.gov>

>>         <mailto:rpugh at loc.gov <mailto:rpugh at loc.gov>>

>>            _______________________________________________

>>            game_preservation mailing list

>>         game_preservation at igda.org

>>         <mailto:game_preservation at igda.org>

>>         <mailto:game_preservation at igda.org

>>         <mailto:game_preservation at igda.org>>

>>

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

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>         _______________________________________________

>>         game_preservation mailing list

>>         game_preservation at igda.org <mailto:game_preservation at igda.org>

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

>>

>>

>>

>>     -- 

>>     Jim Leonard (trixter at oldskool.org <mailto:trixter at oldskool.org>)

>>     http://www.oldskool.org/

>>     Check out some trippy MindCandy at http://www.mindcandydvd.com/

>>     A child borne of the home computer wars: http://trixter.oldskool.org/

>>     _______________________________________________

>>     game_preservation mailing list

>>     game_preservation at igda.org <mailto:game_preservation at igda.org>

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

>>

>>

>>

>> _______________________________________________

>> game_preservation mailing list

>> game_preservation at igda.org

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

>

>

> _______________________________________________

> game_preservation mailing list

> game_preservation at igda.org

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

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/attachments/20110611/a915c684/attachment.html>