Best Before

by James Newman

Despite record sales and an ever-growing global industry, the simple fact is that videogames are disappearing. Most obviously, the physical deterioration of discs, cartridges, consoles and controllers means that the data and devices will crumble to dust and eventually will be lost forever. However, there is more to the disappearance of videogames than plastic corrosion and bit rot. Best Before examines how the videogames industry's retail, publishing, technology design, advertising and marketing practices actively produce obsolescence, wearing out and retiring old games to make way for the always new, just out of reach, 'coming soon' title and 'next generation' platform. Set against the context of material deterioration and the discursive production of obsolescence, Best Before examines the conceptual and practical challenges faced within the nascent field of game preservation. Understanding videogames as rich, complex and mutable texts and experiences that are supported and sustained by cultures of gameplay and fandom, Best Before considers how - and even whether - we might preserve and present games for future generations.

Genres: Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 16, 2012

About the author

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Reviews

[Fif_lenka · Rating 4 out of 5]

+
Ideas (obsolescence in the gaming industry, goals in preservation of games)

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Context and examples from 2012

Some of the comparisons and views on the gaming industry didn't sit well with me. Overall, the book is full of interesting ideas and is worth reading.

[Britni Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little outdated at this point, but overall not bad.