Nicolas Esposito (Gobelins Paris)
 

1. Introduction

The study of video game heritage implies, among other things, being able to play old video games. The techniques for this are multiple: access to old hardware, more recent versions of games, emulation, etc. Emulation is generally quite easy to set up, but it raises several issues such as legality (Harris, 2022), emulation quality, and authenticity of the reproduced gaming experience (Carta, 2017). It is therefore important to take these aspects into account and not to neglect other techniques.

This raises the question of what constitutes the gaming experience from the perspective of how it feels (Kamp, 2021). We can be interested in the sensations associated to the output peripherals (notably the screen and the speakers), the sensations related to the input peripherals (notably the joysticks), the visual aspect of the system, and the context of the gaming activity (notably the atmosphere in which the gaming experience took place).

Some examples in particular help to illustrate the importance of this consideration with regard to the authenticity of the gaming experience: Mario’s appearance with and without scan lines, the black and white video signal of the original version of Space Invaders, the role of the appearance of a handheld console such as the Game Boy, the physical relationship with the Shinobi arcade cabinet, the latest ports of Another World (or Out of This World), the durability of servers for online games, the specificities of the game atmospheres, and unnecessary loading times. We will see how.

These examples also allow us to consider our question according to different dimensions: aesthetic dimension, interactive dimension, ludic dimension, and narrative dimension. And these considerations can lead us to identify directions to follow in the study of video game heritage, in particular by combining different study approaches, according to the nature of the game to be studied and the objectives.

So, we will ask ourselves a number of questions and the first one is: Do we have to travel back in time to play old video games (Esposito, 2005a, 2005b)? The answer, fortunately, is: in many cases, no…
 

2. Studying Is Also Playing

First, let’s look at what the study of video games mainly involves. Then, our question is: How to study old video games? One answer might be: by looking at different types of documents (Winget & Murray, 2008) and playing (Esposito, 2013). These documents can be: databases like Moby Games, videos such as gameplay footage on Twitch, books like Arcade Fever (Sellers, 2001), etc.

This answer raises another question: How to play old video games? We can respond with well-known strategies (Guttenbrunner et al., 2010): preservation of old hardware, e.g. the Commodore 64 computer, and emulation (Esposito, 2004), e.g. the OpenEmu emulator. But we can also add the use of new compatible hardware (e.g. the Mega65 computer from 2021) and Remakes (e.g. Arkanoid Live!).
 

3. The Feel of the Gaming Experience

In this context, we focus on the feelings of the gaming experience.

Because we have to keep in mind that the gaming experience is conditioned by the output devices and the input devices. So, how to choose the hardware. An old cathode ray tube TV doesn’t feel the same as a new flat one. And a modern keyboard will be completely different from an old 1980’s game controller.

How to choose the place? Just as playing on a computer will be very different from playing on a two-screen handheld console. We can also take into account the place, because each place has its own atmosphere (Esposito, 2008), which can condition the gaming experience. It’s clear that we don’t feel the same way in a bedroom as in an office.
 

4. Exploration With a Few Examples

Now let’s dive into deeper questions with some examples.

Is the gaming experience complete? Here are different levels of completeness with the arcade version of Space Invaders (1978) on the Mame emulator (see figure 1):

• only black and white graphics (just from the video memory),
• with additional colors from filters,
• with additional background,
• with additional bezel,
• with additional curved screen, scan lines, and a little bit of the room.

Indeed, the gaming experience is not always complete. We often see Space Invaders without colors, background, and bezel. While the 1978 arcade cabinet had these elements.

Figure 1 – Different levels of completeness with the arcade version of Space Invaders (1978) on the Mame emulator

Is the rendering faithful? As shown in figure 2, the 1985 Mario was large, blurry, and full of scan lines, while many experiences with emulators are much more limited, unless we activate filters:

• Nestopia emulator (without filter),
• OpenEmu emulator (with filter),
• photo of a cathode ray tube (CRT) TV.

Figure 2 – Different levels of fidelity with Super Mario Bros. (1985)

How deep the hardware is part of the experience? Some emulators and machines reproduce the appearance of the older system. This is particularly true of the iconic Game Boy console (1989). Indeed, the appearance of the Game Boy often makes the player smile. Here are two cases (see figure 2):

• RetroArch emulator with a photo of the top of the Game Boy,
• Analog Pocket console (FPGA-based hardware) in a design reminiscent of the Game Boy.

Figure 3 – Two cases illustrating fidelity to the hardware

How to reproduce a very demanding configuration? Shinobi (1987) offers a deep gameplay. To enjoy it fully, an arcade cabinet is perfect. But, we can combine these four essential elements to enjoy this deep gameplay without an arcade cabinet (see figure 4):

• to be staying,
• using an arcade stick,
• using a lag-free solution such as FPGA-based hardware (e.g. MiSTer FPGA),
• using a domed CRT display.

Figure 4 – Essential elements to enjoy the deep gameplay of Shinobi without an arcade cabinet

How to get closer to the author’s vision? Sometimes, a game can live from a system to another, easily, almost directly. It is the case for Another World (1991). We can guess that the author see his work more accomplished in the new edition shown in figure 5.

Figure 5 – Another Wold: 20th Anniversary Edition (multiple systems, since 2011) and the original version (last screenshot)

How to play an online game when the servers are down? The answer is provided by enthusiasts who offer new servers. Figure 7 shows that Phantasy Star Online (on Sega Dreamcast, 2000) is still playable online thanks to a private server (https://sylverant.net/).

Figure 6 – Screenshots of https://sylverant.net/ and Phantasy Star Online

How to feel an atmosphere that can be linked to a game? Several game compilations offer an immersive interface. It takes place in a room, for example a bedroom. Then, you can choose a game and play it. Figure 8 shows such an interface.

Figure 7 – Sega Mega Drive Classics or Sega Genesis Classics (on multiple systems, 2018)

How to quickly access many games on a preserved system? Sometimes, we have to study many games in a short period of time. Then, if we have a preserved system, we can often replace the media reader with an electronic device which can read an SD card, containing many games. Figure 6 shows a modified Sega Dreamcast, the optical reader of this Dreamcast has been replaced. As well as the power supply, the fan, and a few other parts.

Figure 8 – A modified Sega Dreamcast
 

5. Making Choices

Our examples provide several elements to answer our main question and more specific ones. But, are there patterns that we could identify? In other words, how to choose between the available strategies?

Yes, there are some patterns, simple patterns, which can be combined together in a global study approach. Here are three of them. If we focus on storytelling, emulation is quite easy to set up. If we focus on gameplay, FPGA-based hardware offers a lag-free experience. And, if we focus on aesthetics, preserved hardware offers the same sensations as before.

We can combine these patterns according to the nature of the game to be studied and the objectives we are pursuing. And we can add more patterns by studying other strategies.
 

6. Conclusion

We saw that, in many cases, we do not have to travel back in time to play old video games with an authentic experience. We have more and more options to get close to it. But it raises another question: how to evaluate whether an experience is authentic or not?
 

Références

• Carta, G. (2017). Metadata and Video Games Emulation: An Effective Bond to Achieve Authentic Preservation? Records Management Journal, 27(2), 192–204.
• Esposito, N. (2004). Émulation et conservation du patrimoine culturel lié aux jeux vidéo. Proceedings of ICHIM 04 (Digital Culture and Heritage). Berlin (Allemagne), 30 août – 2 septembre.
• Esposito, N. (2005a). How Video Game History Shows Us Why Video Game Nostalgia Is So Important Now. Playing the Past. Gainesville (Floride, USA), 18–19 mars.
• Esposito, N. (2005b). A Short and Simple Definition of What a Video Game Is. Proceedings of DiGRA 2005 (Changing Views: Worlds in Play). Vancouver (Canada), 16–20 juin.
• Esposito, N. (2008). Game Atmosphere Archiving Thanks to Virtual Reality for the Preservation of the Video Game Cultural Heritage. In Rao, P. & Zodgekar, S. A. (Éd.), Virtual Reality: Concepts and Applications, ICFAI University Press, 171–179.
• Esposito, N. (2013). L’exemple de la préservation des jeux vidéo. In Gayou, E. (Éd.), Musique et technologie – Préserver, archiver, re-produire, INA-GRM, 197–217.
• Guttenbrunner, M., Becker, C. & Rauber, A. (2010). Keeping the Game Alive: Evaluating Strategies for the Preservation of Console Video Games. International Journal of Digital Curation, 5(1), 64–90.
• Harris, J. K. (2022). Preservation of Video Games and Their Role as Cultural Heritage. Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, 17(10), 844–853.
• Kamp, M. (2021). Steps Towards a Phenomenology of Video Games—Some Thoughts on Analyzing Aesthetics and Experience. Eludamos, 11(1), 83–110.
• Sellers, J. (2001). Arcade Fever: The Fan’s Guide to the Golden Age of Video Games. Running Press Book Publishers.
• Winget, M. A. & Murray, C. (2008). Collecting and Preserving Videogames and Their Related Materials: A Review of Current Practice, Game‐Related Archives and Research Projects. Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 45(1), 1–9.