[game_preservation] AU/NZ "Play It Again" project funded

[Henry Lowood]

Excellent news. Congratulations, Melanie (and Helen, and Andreas)!
Henry

On 1/26/2012 4:13 PM, Melanie Swalwell wrote:

>

> Hi game_preservationists,

>

> I am writing to share some good news with you: the team of Australian 

> and New Zealand researchers I lead was recently successful in getting 

> a game history/preservation project funded by the ARC (Australian 

> Research Council).  It is what is known as a Linkage Project, where 

> scholars partner with industry, who also contribute significant 

> resources (cash and inkind).  The critical details are pasted below.  

> Kudos and thanks to all my colleagues who have helped in one way or 

> another with this over the years, particularly Andreas Lange, Henry 

> Lowood, and Helen Stuckey.  Helen and Andreas are both on the 

> project.  Helen will be at GDC and will attend the roundtable so she 

> can provide more details in person to those who are going.  Otherwise, 

> I'm happy to answer questions, on or off list.

>

> To my knowledge, this is one of the first (if not the first) academic 

> digital preservation project funded in this part of the world, so it's 

> a significant breakthrough.  Also, it means that two major cultural 

> institutions in the region -- ACMI and NZ Film Archive -- have both 

> recognised that games matter and need to be taken care of.

>

> cheers,

>

> Melanie

>

> *Title:*Play It Again: Creating a Playable History of Australasian 

> Digital Games, for Industry, Community and Research Purposes

>

> *LP120100218*

>

> *Swalwell, Dr Melanie L; de Vries, Dr Denise B; Ndalianis, A/Prof 

> Angela; Welch, Dr Ian S; Marshall, Dr Stuart R; Corbett, Mrs Susan; 

> Lange, Mr Andreas; Bergmeyer, Dr Winfred*

>

> 2012 $52,000.00

>

> 2013 $86,000.00

>

> 2014 $48,000.00

>

> *Total $186,000.00 (this is the funding the ARC awarded the project)*

>

> Primary FoR 1902 FILM, TELEVISION AND DIGITAL MEDIA

>

> **

>

> *Partner Organisation(s)*

>

> Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Berlin Computerspiele Museum, 

> The New Zealand Film Archive, Victoria University of Wellington

>

> *Administering Organisation *The Flinders University of South Australia

>

> *Summary:*The digital future has a history and it needs remembering. 

> Vital human and technical data is in danger of being lost. In the 

> 1980s, the Australian and New Zealand software industries were 

> remarkably active in the production of digital games and yet little is 

> known about this chapter in the history of the moving image. In 

> collaboration with the Australian Centre for the Moving Image and 

> other institutional partners, we will: address the need for 

> institutional collecting and preservation solutions; document and 

> preserve the histories of early games and gaming cultures; and create 

> software tools to facilitate both the playing of early games now, and 

> the delivery of benefits to research, industry and community into the 

> future.

>

> *Aims: *Taking into account ACMI and the NZFA's desire to make visible 

> the presence and impact of computer games on moving image history and 

> culture, the Aims of this project are:

>

> 1. To research the production and reception histories of early digital 

> games in 1980s Australia and New Zealand, in conjunction with fan 

> communities.

>

> 2. To develop a collection of 1980s Australian and New Zealand digital 

> games software and other items of historic significance related to the 

> production and reception of these game titles, and inquire into what a 

> collection of Australian digital games software more generally would 

> look like,

>

> 3. To document and preserve the game titles produced by the Australian 

> and New Zealand digital games industries during the 1980s, for future 

> industry, community and research uses;

>

> 4. To create playable multi-platform versions of these games, 

> rendering these items accessible to the community now, and for as long 

> as possible.

>

> 5. To enhance appreciation for the creations of the early digital 

> period, through a conference and other dissemination of project 

> outcomes; and

>

> 6. To build capacity in both the academic and cultural sectors in the 

> area of digital cultural heritage and the 'born digital'.

>

> -- 

>

> Dr Melanie Swalwell

>

> Senior Lecturer, Screen and Media,

>

> Flinders University

>

> GPO Box 2100

>

> Adelaide SA 5001

>

> 278 Humanities Bldg

>

> Ph: +61 8 8201 2619

>

> Fax: +61 8 8201 3635

>

> CRICOS Provider: 00114A

>

> melanie.swalwell at flinders.edu.au

>

> about me: http://www.flinders.edu.au/people/melanie.swalwell

>

>

>

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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

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