The Troubles with Game History: Objects and Game Play

TL;DR

Game preservation is becoming increasingly challenging due to technological advancements and the rapid growth of digital distribution, necessitating new approaches to preservation.

Transcript

Eric Cartman so eric has a bachelor in Chinese Studies in history and also a masters in art and Asian Studies and education nor game design and here a short stint as a program on also game designer and then since 2011 started his PhD which is about to finish in computer science at the University of Santa Cruz and he's really interested in researchi... Read More

Key Insights

• 👾 Preservation of games requires considering not only the software objects but also their historical context and development history.
• 👾 Digitally distributed and network-dependent games pose unique challenges for preservation due to their reliance on specific platforms and network connectivity.
• 👾 Traditional preservation models need to evolve to adapt to the growing volume and complexity of digital games.
• 🎮 Gameplay preservation, including recording and analyzing gameplay, can provide insights into the history and development of games in a network-dependent environment.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does the standard preservation model for games fall short in today's digital age?

The standard preservation model, which focuses on preserving the executable program, media format, and computational platform, is inadequate for digitally distributed and network-dependent games. It does not account for the complexities of different versions and platforms, and struggles to capture the full historical context of games.

Q: What are some challenges in preserving game development history?

Preserving game development history requires accessing source code, understanding the technical and development history, and leveraging resources such as oral history and direct contact with developers. However, source code availability is limited, and there is a lack of established practices for preserving game development history.

Q: How are non-software records and documentation important for game preservation?

Non-software records, such as gameplay videos, streaming, and documentation, are valuable in capturing the gameplay experience and providing insights into the interaction paradigms of games. These records can serve as historical artifacts and sources of analysis for future game studies.

Q: How can gameplay preservation contribute to the preservation of games?

Recording and documenting gameplay, as well as analyzing the socio-cultural aspects of gameplay, can provide valuable insight into the history and development of games. Gameplay preservation can help capture the interactive experience of games and compensate for the limitations of preserving software objects.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Preservation of games as software objects involves preserving the executable program, media format, and computational platform, which presents unique challenges in describing and categorizing different versions and platforms.

• The standard preservation model, focused on preserving data, is becoming outdated as network-dependent games and digitally distributed content grow in popularity.

• Technical and developmental history of games reveal complexities and limitations in preservation efforts, requiring additional historical context and resources to fully understand and preserve games.

• Future preservation efforts should focus on recording and analyzing gameplay, leveraging non-software records and documentation, as well as the abundance of gameplay videos and recordings available online.