Game Preservation SIG/Resources

International Game Developers Association

These resources are a collection of information on game preservation (articles, books, conferences, news, research) not contained within this wiki or on the Projects page.

Contents 1 News Articles 1.1 General Preservation 1.2 Preservation obstacles 1.3 Preservation Lists 1.4 Newspapers 2 General Articles 3 History Articles 3.1 Companies 3.2 People 3.3 Games / Genres / General 3.4 Other 4 Research 5 Books 6 Conferences and Events 7 Websites 8 Other

[edit] News Articles

[edit] General Preservation

• Classic Gaming Expo 2007 Reports Game|Life, Wired, July, 2007
• Library Of Congress Discusses Video Game Preservation Gamasutra, May 3, 2006
• Midwest Gaming Classic: A Retrospective in Video (Video of Midwest Classic Games conference) Mobygames 2004
• Arcade Addicts Joust With Past (on the Classic Gaming Expo) Wired, September 8, 2003
• Preserving old games is a service to humanity Keith Stuart, Guardian Unlimited, July 12 2007
• National Archives squares the data circle (Burgeoning demand for public sector information has prompted controversial cost-cutting measures), Michael Cross, Guardian Unlimited, September 14 2006

[edit] Preservation obstacles

• Preserving a copy of the future (The British Library and the recording industry are arguing about proposals to extend the lifespan of copyright. Wendy M Grossman looks at the issues behind the row), Wendy M Grossman, Guardian Unlimited, October 19 2006

[edit] Preservation Lists

• Telespiele 1972-2007 Most Influential Games - a collection of German journalists voted on the most important and influential games of all time. Nominations. English writeup, August 25 2007

[edit] Newspapers

• Check this informative post about newspaper archives, if you're looking for videogame articles.

[edit] General Articles

For a full Gamasutra archive of articles, see here

• Forget Me Not (Playing with posterity) by Matthew Sakey IGDA Culture Clash, August 2004
• GDC Conference Report I: Preserving Videogame History (GDC 2004) insert credit, March 24, 2004

[edit] History Articles

Self-contained articles from Gamasutra and other places on the history of companies, games and the industry.

[edit] Companies

• The History of Atari: 1971-1977 by Steve Fulton, Gamasutra, November 6 2007
• The History of Activision by Jeffrey Fleming, Gamasutra, July 30 2007
• We See Farther - The History of Electronic Arts by Jeffrey Fleming and Frank Cifaldi, Gamasutra, February 12, 2007
• The Secret History of Lionhead: Molyneux, Webley Get Honest by Simon Carless Gamasutra, October 16, 2006
• The Art Of LucasArts - Michael Rubin On Droidmaker by Simon Carless, Gamasutra, December 21, 2005

[edit] People

• Woz Was Here - Steve Wozniak On His Gaming Past (Interview with Steve Wozniak) by By Benj Edwards, Gamasutra, May 4 2007
• Interview: Bruce Shelley — The Mythology Of Empires by Simon Carless, Gamasutra, November 26, 2003
• Interviews with Classic Computer and Video Game Programmers Compiled and edited by James Hague. Now free (was $20), and a large set of interviews.

[edit] Games / Genres / General

• A History of Gaming Platforms: The Commodore 64 By Matt Barton and Bill Loguidice, Gamasutra, October 24 2007
• The The History of Computer Role-Playing Games by Matt Barton, at Gamasutra:
  • Part 1: The Early Years (1980-1983), February 23, 2007
  • Part 2: The Golden Age (1985-1993), February 23, 2007
  • Part III: The Platinum and Modern Ages (1994-2004), April 11, 2007
• The The Gamasutra Quantum Leap Awards at Gamaustra detail reader opinions on quantum leaps in different areas, by by Brandon Boyer and Frank Cifaldi.
  • The Most Important Multiplayer Games of All Time, February 2, 2007
  • Most Important Games, 2006, December 20, 2006
  • Storytelling, November 3, 2006
  • Role-Playing Games, October 6, 2006
  • First-Person Shooters, September 1, 2006
• In the Beginning: A (Very) Brief History of Videogaming by Marc Mencher, Gamasutra, July 24, 2006
• Educational Feature: A History and Analysis of Level Design in 3D Computer Games by Sam Shahrani, Gamasutra, April 25, 2006
• The Rise of ARGs by Adrian Hon, Gamasutra, May 9, 2005
• GDC 2004 Visual Arts Keynote: The History of Animation by Jamil Moledina, Gamasutra, March 26, 2004
• Master's Thesis: Evolution of Interaction Schemes in Computer Role-Playing Games by Charley Price, Gamasutra, September 29, 2003

[edit] Other

• Litigations that Changed the Games Industry by By S. Gregory Boyd, M.D., Gamasutra, December 18, 2006

[edit] Research

• Preservation Devin Monnens, February 9, 2006 - A look at the need for video game preservation.

[edit] Books

No order (might be tagged later). Some are reference books, specific periods or genres, interview books or related reading.

• Playing to Win by David Sirlin, 2000 - Released for free, it details competitive game play and styles.
• Dungeons and Desktops, by Matt Barton. Probably the most comprehensive history of role playing games ever written - he literally reviews a huge number of games, talks about their design, style, etc.
• Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture, by David Kushner. The history of id software - very good storytelling, and insights into the personalities of the two Johns.
• The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokemon, by Steven L. Kent. Videogame reference book.
• Dungeons and Dreamers: The Rise of Computer Game Culture from Geek to Chic, by Brad King & John Borland. Some good storytelling that follows the life of Richard Garriott among others.
• Halcyon Days: Interviews with Classic Computer and Video Game Programmers, by James Hague. Available for free. Interesting, interviews with some of the big names of the 80s and early 90s.
• The A to Z of Cool Computer Games, by Jack Railton. Videogame reference book, more UK centric.
• The Rough Guide to Videogames, by Kate Berens and Geoff Howard. Videogame reference book.

Related reading:

• Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution, Steven Levy
• On The Edge: The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Commodore by Brian Bagnall
• Racing the Beam The Atari Video Computer System, by Nick Montfort & Ian Bogost. Atari Video Computer System (VCS) (aka Atari 2600) history book.
• Vintage Games: An Insider Look at the History of Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the Most Influential Games of All Time, by Bill Loguidice and Matt Barton. Videogame reference book, selected videogames.

[edit] Conferences and Events

• Game Developers Conference (GDC) - USA. Hosts talks, discussions and roundtables on game preservation usually run by SIG members.
• Classic Gaming Expo - Las Vegas, USA.
• Midwest Gaming Classic - USA.
• Austin Gaming Expo - USA. Has not been on since 2004.
• California Extreme - San Jose, California, USA. "California Extreme is the "Classic Arcade Games Show". In a nutshell, it's an annual celebration of coin operated pinball machines, video games and other novelties you once found in game arcades."

[edit] Websites

• Digital Game Archive - Digital Game Arching for scientific and research purposes organisation
• Video Arcade Preservation Society
• Game Innovation Database - Database of innovations in the industry, and which game innovated the concept. Currently in a flash site.

[edit] Other

See the preservation SIG Projects page for external projects doing preservation work.