Game Preservation SIG
International Game Developers Association
The Game Preservation SIG aims to preserve video game history.
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[edit] Overview
The purpose of the Game Preservation SIG is to serve as a meta-resource, hub and community for those interested in game preservation and history. The SIG aims to be a one-stop-shop for all game preservation related news and projects, and will work towards setting standards and guidelines for assisting industry/academia in establishing preservation efforts.
[edit] History
The Game Preservation SIG was started in August 2004 by Simon Carless, to promote and help Game Preservation throughout the world. A related Culture Clash article details some information behind the reason for preservation. The leadership changed to Kieron Wilkinson, then to Henry Lowood at Stanford University.
[edit] Objectives
The Game Preservation SIG focuses on:
- Preserving game history in a variety of ways (see Initiatives)
- Providing help, standards and guidelines to establish preservation efforts, and to existing efforts
- Being a hub of preservation work and keep record of news, events and history relating to game preservation
[edit] SIG News
Please see our IGDA home page for SIG and other news.
[edit] Current initiatives and projects
The main initiatives the SIG is working on are the Digital Game Canon project and the Memorials project. There are other projects starting below. There is also continual work at the Internet Archive, and support of other external projects on the Preservation Projects page.
Henry Lowood has made notes at both Preservation roundtables at GDC2008, which can be found here. Some of the major projects are noted below, with more to follow.
[edit] The Digital Game Canon
The creation of the Digital Game Canon recognizes the importance of digital game culture. The Canon provides a starting-point for the difficult task of preserving its history.
This project will fleshed out on a separate website full of information sometime in 2008. Stay tuned for the 2008 entries too!
[edit] Memorial pages
The Preservation SIG is trailing memorial/obituary pages for game developers, on the Memorials project page. The start of this project is documented here.
[edit] Contributing Materials information
Calling all game developers! Archives really want to store all your old game material in a proper location to be accessed by the world at large. As archives and museums ramp up efforts, the SIG is providing a common location to store contact details and location information. You can help save the history of videogames by sending your material to these institutions!
(This is currently under construction, and will be publicised once more complete. The SIG itself has no storage facilities, although it's members may be part of the archives that require material.)
If you have questions or are one of those institutions that can take contributions, feel free to contact us. Expect a white paper on best practices regarding contributions and archiving in 2009.
[edit] Videogame Collectors Information
Private videogame collectors hold a large array of rare, unique or otherwise unavailable videogames and materials in private collections. The Collectors page should help details what collectors do, how they do it, and who they are. If you can contribute any information to this project, please contact us.
[edit] Oral Histories
Oral Histories are interviews dedicated to the past - and not, as most interviews are, the future. These ask about previous games developer have made, the history of companies and developments, and the developers own personal histories. The format will be in video, with transcripts, making it much more useful for archives.
This is in the initial stages, and has no plans as of yet. If you feel you could be interviewed, in depth, on film about your past contributions to the industry more then your future contributions, or can help interview and film, feel free to contact us!
We will also likely be taking contributions from other parties, as long as permission can be granted to archive and distribute the material freely.
[edit] White paper: Importance of archival work
The SIG will be working on a 2008 white paper on the issues/needs/value of game preservation and history. This would begin to address issues of outreach, developer awareness, contact with developers & designers regarding archival materials, etc. If you wish to contribute to this effort, feel free to contact us.
A follup white paper in 2009 should detail best practices of game preservation.
[edit] Internet Archive work
The Internet Archive Game Videos section is constantly expanding in scope to cover any interviews, documentaries, promotional material, videogame shows and important cultural media related to videogames. If you have anything that could be added, please contact us! Developer materials are especially welcome, and size of files is no issue so quality can be retained.
[edit] IGDA History
A side project is the start of IGDA history documentation - although it is a general IGDA project and not a SIG specific one, the Preservation SIG draws awareness to it here.
[edit] External Preservation Projects
Read the Project listing for external initiatives/projects related to game preservation, both helped by the SIG and done independently.
[edit] Resources
See the Resources section for lists of information, news and articles on game preservation, game archiving and other related resources. Contributions welcome if we're missing anything.
[edit] Contact and discussion
See the contact page for email details, and visit the IGDA forum or join the mailing list for discussions on game preservation.
[edit] Membership
The Game Preservation SIG welcomes any help from industry, academia or IGDA membership. If you wish to help, you can find out more on the forums or mailing list, or by emailing the project at preservation_sig @ igda.org
The current Preservation SIG Team is:
- SIG Chairperson: Henry Lowood - Stanford University
- Mailing List Moderator: Melanie Swalwell - Victoria University of Wellington
- Wiki/Blog Editor: Andrew Armstrong
- Blog Editor: Julia Brasil
- Memorials Project Lead: Devin Monnens
Past Chairpersons of the Preservation SIG are
- Simon Carless (founder)
- Kieron Wilkinson
- (If you are an active member and not on this list, please add yourself or contact Andrew Armstrong to be added)
See also: Preservation Team
[edit] External Links
See the Project listing page for many external links, and the resources page for all internet resources relating to game preservation.
