Game Preservation SIG/SIG History
International Game Developers Association
This is the Game Preservation SIG's own history. This should be a resource to make sure those who have helped the SIG in the past get proper credit in the future.
Contents |
2004
The Game Preservation SIG was started in August 2004 by Simon Carless (New Personal Site, Old Personal site, Biography, Wikipedia), and the SIG mailing list opened September 2004, to promote and help Game Preservation throughout the world. A related Culture Clash article details some information behind the reason for preservation. Simon himself lists an initial page and update on his work at the Internet Archive from June/August 2004. GDC 2004 roundtable:
Files from 2004:
2005
The leadership changed to Kieron Wilkinson in October 2005. His reboot message (or at our forums) contains much that laid down the basis for the SIG. This statement is archived here.
Sadly, Kieron had a problem with a bad case of RSI and was unable to continue his work on the SIG. He continued to help the Software Preservation Society.
Files from 2005:
2006
Not a great deal of activity in 2006 from the SIG, with no active projects or leadership.
Files from 2006:
2007
Henry Lowood takes over the Preservation SIG in January 2007. It is noted on Game Set Watch. Henry himself kickstarts the SIG with several notes about projects he is doing at GDC and through Stanford.
GDC 2007 events:
- Ten Games You Need to Play: The Digital Game Canon
- Preserving Games: Saving the Past and Setting Safeguards for Today - roundtable.
Project information for 2007:
- Digital Game Canon - Started March 2008
- Internet Archive Videogames Collection - Progress:
- October 2007: Have added the C64 Game Video Archive, with a mass of gameplay videos from Commodore 64 titles - thanks to Reinhard Klinksiek.
- September 2007: Now adding selected promotional videos and interviews from the archive of Shacknews and its Fileshack video collection - thanks to Steve Gibson and Chris Remo.
- September 2007: Added all existing episodes of Scottish satirical video game show Consolevania to the Videogame Footage collection.
- September 2007: Added multiple lectures from the Independent Games Summit to the Videogame Footage collection - thanks to CMP Technology.
Files from 2007:
2008
Memorials project is started in January. The start of this project is documented here. GDC doesn't accept a proposal for another Digital Game Canon session, however 2 days of round tables still continue.
GDC 2008 roundtable:
The monthly roundups were started in August 2008, which sums up much of the progress of the SIG every month.
Project information for 2008:
- Collectors Information - Started March 2008
- Contributions Information - Started March 2008
- IGDA History - Started March 2008
- Oral Histories - Initially Setup March 2008 (From GDC. Skeleton information but not started officially)
- Memorials - Started January 2008
- White Paper - Started November 2008
- Internet Archive Videogames Collection - Progress:
- November 2008: The Let's Play collection has been created, with contributions from the Let's Play Archive.
- October 2008: Finished adding all existing episodes of the mockumentary videogame-based show Pure Pwnage to the Videogame Footage collection.
- March 2008: Now added, the Archiving Virtual Worlds collection, "...dedicated to the academic investigation and historical preservation of documentation of virtual worlds."
Files from 2008:
2009
GDC again doesn't accept the proposed Digital Game Canon session. Sadly, the IGDA roundtables are cut down to 1 per SIG, meaning there is a total of 1 session at GDC related to the SIG and game preservation.
As of GDC there are 94 mailing list members. The first Preservation SIG white paper was released at GDC.
GDC 2009 roundtable:
Project information for 2009:
- To be filled in!
Files from 2009:
