Video Games as a Cultural Artifact

I was fascinated by Heather Chaplin’s article on Henry Lowood’s “Video Game Canon” idea. I think video games should absolutely be preserved and that it’s a great concept. These aren’t teenagers or random people picking the games, these are extremely intelligent researchers who have considered the games’ historical significance and “fun” factor and chosen very well, in my opinion, which games to archive.

Video games have gone from something purely recreational to a societal trait, especially in the United States. They are factored into sociological research, from how the games affect children’s early education to extreme situations where violence is involved (ex. Columbine High School shootings, researching the violent games that Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris played before the massacre). Video games should absolutely be archived; they are as much a piece of history as anything else.

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