More on the Reviewer-Innovation Conundrum [Criticism]

Last week, we mentioned Keith Stuart's meditation on whether or not reviewers really get innovation; since then, several people have picked up the discourse, with N'Gai Croal weighing in on the debate.

Taking a look at the Guardian piece, as well as Leigh Alexander's musings, an older piece responding to an earlier essay by Leigh, Croal argues that reviewers may not always get it right, but 'policing the discourse' won't do us any favors:

... We opine in order to point out that while our fellow critics Alexander, Fritz and Stuart are undoubtedly well-intentioned, we'd prefer that they simply make the case for the aspects of various titles they find worthy rather than attempt to police the discourse surrounding said games. Criticism isn't crucifixion. Championing is great—it's one of this generation's must-try titles; we urge anyone reading this to at least try the demo; and we suggest that EA at some point decouple the Time Trial demo from the exclusivity arrangements with various retailers—but praising the praiseworthy aspects and criticizing the failed ones is better. And Mirror's Edge isn't a masterpiece—it's laudable but profoundly flawed—nor would its equivalent be widely considered so in any other medium. Because for the discerning critic, regardless of the medium being critiqued, both execution and innovation matter. The fact that Mirror's Edge, by our lights, excels at innovation but falls short on execution does not and should not render it immune from the criticism it's received.

Everything is worth a read through, if you haven't gotten to it yet — part of me says that an attempt at 'policing the discourse' is just human nature, and is something that happens as formats get codified and standards crop up on 'how to do things.' Of course people aren't always going to agree, and while I think Leigh Alexander and others are the cat's meow, I can't really see them 'policing' the discourse so much as suggesting alternate avenues.

The Big Idea: Are Videogame Reviewers Missing the Forest for the Trees When It Comes to Assessing Important and Innovative Titles? [Level Up]

Sunday Timewaster: Guess All the Consoles Released [Hot Flashes]

Believe it or not, 68 consoles/portables have been released in the United States since the Magnavox Odyssey first came out in 1972. This flash game asks you to name as many as you can in 12 minutes. I only got 31 and thought I was doing well. You don't have to guess in order, and correctly spelled answers (or in some cases, their abbreviations) will automatically appear in the list. I'm putting this to you guys not only as a throw-down-the-gauntlet challenge, but also if the quiz creator missed any, or improperly listed one or more, you'll pick it all apart. Because after getting fewer than 50 percent, I need to feel better about myself, and the only way to do that is to question this quiz's credibility. (Kidding.) So you have at least one hint, let's see what you can do with the rest.

Can You Name the Video Game Systems (Released in the U.S.)? [Sporcle]

Preserving Abandoned Treasures [History Is Fun]

Along with 'legitimate' means of preservation, there's the whole specter of abandonware, which Les Chapelle takes a look at over at the Escapist.

Chapelle takes a look at the legal issues, but the piece is more concerned with the people who love these forgotten games; it's a fun essay on a curious bit of gaming culture. On the issue of legality, Chapelle points out that most of the websites are more than happy to comply with cease and desist orders:

And on the occasions when publishers do ask for material to be taken down, abandonware websites have a steady track record of complying with removal requests. Earlier this summer, when Valve's Steam service began offering the full X-COM series for download, Abandonia pulled all related downloads the day after Steam's went live. Latis recalls that when Sierra produced Sierra Classics offering Police Quest and King's Quest among others, those links were simply removed from XTC.

"Most webmasters I know are serious down-to-retro people, heeding removal requests from their respective companies," Bakkelun says. He adds that in some cases webmasters may contact the intellectual property holders themselves to let them know they are hosting the files, and offer to remove them immediately if the games ever move away from abandonware status.

In many cases, the decision for a company to re-release its older titles is met with praise by the abandonware community rather than annoyance at losing a popular download. Indeed, they take an almost cheerful view of it, finding new games to upload and take their place.

Having spent many an hour gleefully hunting for re-releases of old films, I'd love the same opportunity for more of those classic titles I remember from younger days. Here's hoping more publishers catch on to the desire for relative antiquities.

The Vintage Game Preservation Society [The Escapist]