Replayed : essential writings on software preservation and game histories / edited by Henry Lowood, Raiford Guins, and Matthew G. Kirschenbaum.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Lowood, Henry, editor.

Guins, Raiford, editor.

Kirschenbaum, Matthew G., editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Video games--Design--History.

Video games.

Digital preservation.

Computer software--History.

Computer software.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (377 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Baltimore, Maryland : Johns Hopkins University Press, [2023]

Summary:

"A leading voice in technology studies shares a collection of essential essays on the preservation of software and history of games. Since the early 2000s, Henry E. Lowood has led or had a key role in numerous initiatives devoted to the preservation and documentation of virtual worlds, digital games, and interactive simulations, establishing himself as a major scholar in the field of game studies. His voluminous writings have tackled subject matter spanning the history of game design and development, military simulation, table-top games, machinima, e-sports, wargaming, and historical software archives and collection development. Replayed consolidates Lowood's far-flung and significant publications on these subjects into a single volume. Lowood offers important historical contexts for digital and analog game objects and their implications for both documentation and preservation. Replayed is divided into three sections focused on archives, documentation, and the preservation of historical software, game histories and historiography, and future directions. The volume includes two previously unpublished essays, along with Lowood's reflective section introductions that provide a contemporary take on his previously published works. Rounding out the book are a foreword by Matthew G. Kirschenbaum detailing Lowood's sustained commitment to games, an introduction by editor Raiford Guins sharing Lowood's scholarly and curatorial pursuits, and an extensive interview with Lowood on his personal and professional background conducted by T. L. Taylor. For those interested in the history of technology, game studies, libraries, archives, and museums, Replayed presents the opportunity to read Lowood's works-writing that remains timely, skillfully executed, and rigorously researched-as a major project chronicling the history of games and forecasting the opportunities and challenges faced by future game historians"-- Provided by publisher.

"The purpose of this book is to consolidate the author's far-flung publications into a single work to give students and scholars the opportunity to read and teach his scholarly output as a single corpus of thought. This book offers the author's most significant pieces on game history, game historiography, software preservation, software collections, virtual worlds/machinima, play-capture, and documentation"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Foreword: The Hard Work of Henry Lowood / Matthew G. Kirschenbaum

Editor's Introduction: Henry's Many Hats / Raiford Guins

Part I: Archives, Documentation, and the Preservation of Historical Software

1. The Hard Work of Software History

2. Shall We Play a Game: Thoughts on the Computer Game Archive of the Future

3. Video Capture: Machinima, Documentation, and the History of Virtual Worlds

4. It Is What It Is, Not What It Was

5. Screen Capture and Replay: Documenting Gameplay as Performance

6. Software Archives and Software Libraries

Part II: Game Histories and Historiography

7. Game Studies Now, History of Science Then

8. Video Games in Computer Space: The Complex History of Pong

9. Game Engines and Game History

10. Putting A Stamp On Games

Wargames, Players, & PBM

11. Game Counter

12. War Engines: Wargames as Systems from the Tabletop to the Computer

Part III: Further Directions: Sports Games and eSports

13. "Beyond the Game": The Olympic Ideal and Competitive e-Sports

Part IV: Interview with Henry Lowood

Interview with Henry Lowood / T.L. Taylor.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781421445953

1421445956

OCLC:

1380463157