[game_preservation] Selecting and preserving video games, both text and context

[Jan Baart]

Hello Henry,

can I quickly add a few thoughts that crossed my mind reading your 
request? I'm just a student and this isn't really what you were looking 
for, but there you go ;)

I find the statement that both are integral to preservation far too 
simplified. I'll readily agree that the context is an important aspect 
that one has to take into consideration. But I'd differentiate between 
certain context aspects to analyse their importance. Here's a few 
questions that sprung to mind when faced with your request.

- is is the actual console/computer hardware that is integral to 
preservation or is it enough to properly replicate the logic of said 
hardware?
- is it really integral to preservation to preserve a specific 
controller if I could just use a modern one of the same type? E.g. do I 
need a real SNES pad or will any USB pad offering the at least the same 
amount of digital buttons, a d-pad and should buttons suffice?
- can I assume that a sprite designer optimised his work for CRT screens 
or did he possibly just design it to look as good as possible on paper 
(or in his app) and not care about the display used. If both is 
possible, what use is there to prefer a CRT over whatever more modern 
technology is available (similar topic: aspect ratio optimization with 
CGA/EGA games)
- is the context for a certain game a technical necessity (CRT for light 
gun games) or "just" an asthetic preference, and do we need to 
distinguish between this?
- how integral is 100% accurate visual and audial preservation anyways? 
Do slight inaccuracies really hinder our appreciation and analysis of 
historic works? Especially considering systems that had no defined 
standard anyways. Different Genesis models used different sound chips 
resulting in better or worse sound. Is preserving one or the other more 
"accurate"? How can we define accuracy of preservation if there is no 
ONE original context. Think of PC systems, all running different 
hardware even in their day, how do you define accurate there?

Maybe you already give some answers to these in your thesis? Would be a 
very interesting read then :)

By the way, film buffs will argue with you that movies have similar 
problems. Are a 35mm projection, a dvd on a CRT and a Blu-ray on a 
Full-HD Plasma the same thing in terms of viewer perception? ;)

Jan

On 28.10.2011 03:52, Henry Borchers wrote:

>

> Hello IGDA,

>

> It's been a while since there has been much activity on here and I 

> hope people still follow this listserv.

>

> I am in the last part of my overly delayed master's thesis and I need 

> to add an additional case study. I hope someone on here can help me out.

>

> I am writing about the preservation of video games in terms of their 

> textual and contextual components. One of the things that I am arguing 

> is that because the text of video games (the games themselves) are so 

> intertwined with their video game context (the consoles and 

> computers), both are integral to proper preservation. 35mm movie film 

> has had the same playback device for a century and old nitrate prints 

> can run through modern projectors but the texts of video games are 

> tied to the constantly changing video game console contexts. It is for 

> this reason that traditional strategies of print, painting, and film 

> conservation are ill-suited for video games.

>

> If you are part of a video game collection, could you please help me 

> out and comment on or be willing to talk to me about how you go about 

> selecting and preserving video games, both text and context? Most 

> websites of video game archives do not go into depth on these aspects.

>

> Thank you,

>

> Henry Borchers

>

> University of Amsterdam,

>

>

>

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