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The ESA says preserving old online games isn't 'necessary'
The video game industry as a whole does a poor job of preserving its history -- especially when it comes to online games. The Entertainment Software Association -- responsible for E3; counts Electronic Arts, Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo and Ubisoft as members -- is petitioning the US Copyright Office to not make DMCA exemptions for abandoned online multiplayer games. It's an effort to block the folks at the Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment in California who would like to see an exemption made to how the DMCA treats titles like the original Everquest.
Video game museum is raising funds for a bigger home via Kickstarter
The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment (MADE) is back on Kickstarter after four years to raise funds to move to an even bigger home. Back in 2011, the video game museum managed to raise over $20,000 using the website to rent a place in San Francisco. Unfortunately, a ceiling recently collapsed and destroyed 18 of its computers and projectors, including those donated by big companies, such as Google and Dolby. The management took it a sign that it's time to expand: if the team meets its $50,000 goal, the MADE will pack up and leave its current 2,107 sq. ft. abode. The group's already eyeing a 4,400 sq. ft. retail facility in Oakland, and almost all the money from Kickstarter will go towards renting the place.
Interactive exhibit honors women in game development
There's a new interactive video game exhibit at The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment (MADE) in California, and it's not showing off just any game-related material. No, it's putting a spotlight on the accomplishments female game developers -- eight women who worked on influential titles, in particular. Those include Roberta Williams (King's Quest), Yoko Shimomura (Street Fighter III) and Kim Swift (Portal). According to the museum's announcement, the exhibit aims to raise awareness about women's contributions to the industry, as they can be easy to overlook in a male-dominated field. "Women are not some oddity in the video game industry," MADE founder Alex Handy told Kill Screen. "We hope this exhibit helps to highlight that fact for the next generation of game developers." The exhibit has been open since the 12th and will run throughout the summer.
The Game Archaeologist: The return of Habitat
After over four years of writing for Massively, I've ceased to be surprised by how bizarre and unexpected this industry can be. However, if you had told me a few weeks ago that, of all things, Habitat would be coming back online, I would have laughed mightily in your face. And yet, that's exactly what's happening. The Museum of Arts and Digital Entertainment has taken up the challenge to restore LucasFilm's Habitat to working condition and then, for the first time ever, open this original virtual world up to the internet to play. Museum staff, former Habitat devs, and volunteers have been wrestling with the old code and hardware to make this happen, and I can think of no better topic for this week's column than to look at how this 28-year-old game for the Commodore 64 will emerge blinking in the light of the modern era. I reached out to MADE's director, Alex Handy, to chat about the project and get clarification concerning what steps will need to be taken between now and the moment the switch is thrown to power up Habitat.
A video game museum is rebuilding an MMO designed for the Commodore 64
Thought you were old-school for playing Everquest and Ultima Online? Step back, son: those games are spring chickens next to 1986's premier virtual world: LucasFilm's Habitat. Don't fret if you haven't heard of it -- the Commodore 64-powered online world only lasted for two years and was exclusive to Quantum Link, an ISP that would eventually evolve into America Online. Habitat seems fairly basic by today's standards, but it was a breakthrough in its own era, featuring support for thousands of simultaneous players in a self-governed virtual world. It's gaming history, and Alex Handy, founder and director of the Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment in Oakland, is trying to revive it.
The Daily Grind: Should museums preserve MMOs?
I may be in the vast minority here, but I am keenly interested in the attempt by the Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment to resurrect (for however long) the incredibly ancient Habitat -- and to make it playable by folks today. Usually we consider dead MMOs as just that: dead. Yet we're starting to see more examples of strange resurrections and fan restorations that are reversing the decomposition process. The Habitat story got me thinking about how these games might be saved for the long-term, particularly through special institutions such as museums. Twenty years from now, would you like to see your favorite MMOs restored and run using free museum servers to honor their legacy and to provide a way to revisit old stomping grounds? Is this a pipe dream when we consider issues of rights and IPs and other legal entanglements? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Museum hopes to resurrect Habitat, 'world's first MMO'
So here's a bizarre little piece of MMO news for your Friday morning: This weekend, with the help of Kixeye and Fujitsu, a volunteer-driven, public museum in Oakland, California, hopes to relaunch an antique Lucasfilm game called Habitat, which it's calling the world's first massively multiplayer online game (that part is probably debatable, but let's hear them out). "The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment (The MADE) will be spending Sunday, September 28th, attempting to resurrect the world's first massively multiplayer online game, Habitat. The project seeks to relaunch the Habitat server on original Stratus Technologies hardware from 1989, and to allow users on the Internet to connect to the game server for free using a Commodore 64 emulator. The MADE is the first videogame museum to attempt such a relaunch. In fact, there has never been an attempt to relaunch a 28 year old, dead MMO before, primarily because MMO's are mostly a phenomenon that has existed only over the last 15 years." According to Wikipedia's curators, Habitat was created in 1985 as the "first attempt at a large-scale commercial virtual community that was graphically based" and is "considered a forerunner of the modern MMORPGs." MADE even claims the game invented the term "Avatar" for use in online games. The 1989-era server hardware it'll run on can today support 10,000 users, says the museum. Massively's very own Game Archaeologist, Justin Olivetti, investigated Habitat's history in a two-part series in 2012. The Game Archaeologist moves into Lucasfilm's Habitat: Part 1 The Game Archaeologist moves into Lucasfilm's Habitat: Part 2
Daily iPhone App: Made brings scrumptous sweets right to your front door
Would you like to sample goodies from some of the best independent bakers in the US? Treats so fine they will make your mouth water just by looking at them. If you are driven by a sweet tooth, then you should fire up the App Store and download the new Made app from Helpies. Made lets you browse through a large and lovely catalog of desserts from local bakers, bakeries, chocolatiers and candy makers. The list includes high-profile companies like Ovenly and Made By Melissa. The Made app is driven by visuals, and I must say that the photos of the desserts are stunning -- literally mouth-watering. Made is more than a picture book, though. It's also a shopping tool that lets you order these delicious sweets and have them delivered directly to your front door. Made includes information about the baker, a description of the dessert and order details like preparation time and shipping cost. Ordering a dessert requires an account and you can sign up within the app. You also have to enter your shipping and payment details, which are saved for future purchases. Made is available for free from the iOS App Store. It's worth a download, even just to browse through the treats and learn more about some of the top local bakers in the US.
Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment to raise money through games marathon
The Oakland-based Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment has been trying to carry out a second round of donation-based funding for a few months now, but things haven't quite come together as well as planned. So, things are getting serious: They're going to play some video games.Starting this Friday afternoon, the museum will be hosting a marathon of various games, including Super Metroid, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Fallout 3, and Resident Evil 3, along with a few other classics. The event will be streamed on the museum's website, and the goal is to raise $1,000 for every game that's defeated on the stream. If more money than the $20,000 goal is raised, they'll keep playing until one game is beaten for every $1,000 earned.All the funds raised will go to the Museum, to keep up the collection there and continue all of the programs the organization hosts (including, just recently, one of the locations for MolyJam). MADE is accepting donations from now through the marathon this weekend.
Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment begins 'Level 2' fundraising
The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment in San Francisco held a Kickstarter fundraiser last year to put money together for a public space, and that round of fundraising resulted in a successful gallery showing of some old early 3D games. Now, the museum is at it again, trying to raise money directly for the next six months.It's called the "Level 2" campaign, and the Museum is trying to raise another $20,000 for various events and programs. Anyone who donates more than $25 will be able to get a gift of a sticker or a t-shirt. If you don't want to go through PayPal, the museum is accepting donations directly at its Oakland location as well.The museum has been holding video game tournaments, programming classes (seen above), and open hours every week, and is now home to the GamePro archives. The donation campaign will run through March 31.
MADE museum delves into early 3D games
The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment will host its first exhibit in Oakland starting December 3. Appropriately for its first foray into a physical exhibition space, the museum is highlighting "The History of Early 3D." That's 3D as in polygons, not glasses. Think Star Fox and Doom.
Video game museum uses Kickstarter to find a home in San Francisco
San Francisco's Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment is an organization "dedicated to the preservation of video games, and the presentation of games as art," but it has a problem: it's currently homeless. The MADE has a growing collection (some of which can be seen above) and a slew of ideas for programming (like classes, talks, and gaming parties), but needs "a safe space near public transit" to call its own. And so it's taking to Kickstarter, where you can donate to help the organization towards its goal of raising $20,000. A measly $5 gets you a ticket to the museum if and when it opens; $1000 or more will put your name on the wall. In between, you can get access to a pre-opening party, or nab some signed games, T-shirts, and stickers. It sounds like a good cause if you're in San Francisco and happen to be the kind of person who'd like to visit a museum designed for video games.
