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Games and Gaming

Listen!

Although the library is an excellent place to start, researching Game Studies isn't just limited to ASU Library, there is a myriad of other resources from archives to open access journals that you can consult.

Internet Arcade

On this website, courtesy of the Internet Archive, visitors can explore and play a number of these classic games from the comfort of their personal computer. As of this write up, the collection includes over 600 games, complete with their signature arcade music. Each game is accompanied by information about its creator and original release date, and gamers are invited to add their own reviews. Visitors can browse games by creator (e.g. Sega, Atari), by title, or by publication date. Visitors with a certain favorite game in mind can also conduct a quick search of the collection. 

Video Game Archives

Information about institutions that archive video games-related materials can be found here:

Learning Games Initiative Research Archive (LGIRA)

Designed around the concept of "preservation through use," LGIRA makes accessible to researchers all over the world and of all ages, a constantly expanding collection of computer games, systems, peripherals, memorabilia, scholarship, and a plethora of other game-related materials. 

Cabrinety Videogame Collection, Stanford University (Stanford, CA)

The Stephen M. Cabrinety Collection in the History of Microcomputing at Stanford University consists contains software, computer hardware, peripheral devices, hand-held games, and computer industry literature documenting the microcomputing gaming industry during its formative years.

Computerspiele (Computer Game) Museum (Berlin, Germany)

The world's first permanent exhibition of interactive digital entertainment culture.

How They Got Game Research Project, Stanford University (Stanford, CA)

The aim of the How They Got Game research project is to explore the history and cultural impact of a crucial segment of New Media: interactive simulations and video games...

Library of Congress Video Game Collection (Washington, DC)

LOC receives a copy of video games as they are released, and works to preserve them, as well as strategy guides, video samples of game play, and related works.

MADE (Museum of Art & Digital Entertainment) Museum (Oakland, CA)

The MADE is a center and museum dedicated to activities that engage participants with all forms of digital art and entertainment.

Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines (Moscow, Russia)

Forgotten and broken down Soviet-era arcade games are now being restored for Moscow’s newest museum and now it is possible to play and feel atmosphere of the passed epoch.

Museum of the Moving Image (Astoria, NY)

Holdings include licensed merchandise, technical apparatus, still photographs, design materials, costumes, games, fan magazines, marketing materials of all kinds, video and computer games, and movie theater furnishings.

The National Videogame Archive (UK)

This Archive is working to preserve, analyse and display the products of the global videogame industry...

Strong's National Museum of Play (Rochester, NY)

This museum archives all aspects of play, including games.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Gaming Initiative (Urbana, IL)

The UIUC Gaming collection was created to support a wide variety of campus interdisciplinary programs, scholarly research, and student needs involving video games.

The UT Videogame Archive (Austin, TX)

The UT Videogame Archive is a collection component of The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History that seeks to preserve and protect the records of videogame developers, publishers, and artists for use by a wide array of researchers.

Video Game Archive Project at Ritsumeikan University (Japan)

Professor Hosoi’s archive is the only archive in the world that aims to collect and preserve the entire gaming experience, including hardware, software, and visuals.

Internet Resources

Entertainment Software Association

U.S. association serving the business and public affairs needs of companies that publish computer and video games for video game consoles, personal computers, and the Internet.

Game Studies

Open access, international journal of computer game research. Focuses on aesthetic, cultural, and communicative aspects of computer games.

International Game Developers Association

A non-profit membership organization serving individuals that create video games by connecting members with their peers, promoting professional development, and advocating on issues that affect the developer community.

Kill Screen

Website (and print magazine) that examines the intersection between games and other forms of culture, including art, music, and design.

Daedalus Project

The Daedalus Project was a long-running survey study of MMO players.

Journal of Games Criticism

The Journal of Games Criticism (JGC) is a non-profit, peer-reviewed, open-access journal which aims to respond to these cultural artifacts by extending the range of authors to include both traditional academics and popular bloggers. The journal strives to be a producer of feed-forward approaches to video games criticism with a focus on influencing gamer culture, the design and writing of video games, and the social understanding of video games and video games criticism.

Gameology

Gameology.org presents commentary and resources related to videogame studies. We produce commentary and analysis of videogames and related game culture as well as longer essays. We also host a database of images and maintain a bibliography (or gameography?) of the works that we have written about or referenced throughout the site.

DIGRA

DiGRA is a non-profit, academic association dedicated to the study of games and associated phenomena.

Game Research: The art, business, and science of video games

Game Research attempts to bring together knowledge on computer games from the areas of art, business, and science. Traditionally such cross-communication has been sparse to the detriment of all involved.

SIREN (Social games for conflIct REsolution based on natural iNteraction) Project

The key aim of the Siren project is to create an intelligent interactive software system, specifically a serious game, which supports teachers’ role to educate young people on how to resolve conflicts.