[game_preservation] game conservation at MoMA

[Alex Handy]

Some tidbits from my chat with Paul Galloway, at the NY MOMA.

First of all, the reason the MOMA put the games in the design gallery
is that the design team just wanted it more. It's not a reflection on
games in any way: the design gallery has existed as long as the MOMA.
The team there were just the first to want to do this, so they got it.

Second, they want to show this stuff without nostalgia, and for people
to appreciate them as works of art and engineering. To this end, the
games will likely be playable as a monitor embedded in a white wall,
very stark.

Third, they have the rights to some of the games' source code, but not
many, and typically, the rights disallow the showing of said source
code to anyone, anywhere. I made a very big case for why they needed
to use the source code in their displays, to show off the engineering,
and that interpreting that for the public would be their biggest
challenge.

They really don't understand software over there. They don't know what
they're gonna do with all the code they got, or with any of the
physical assets. But they recognize the artistry and need for
preservation. Paul is a smart fellow but he could use help getting
ahold of Nintendo and other orgs that are a bit too big to communicate
with.



-- 
Alex Handy
Founder/Director
The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment
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