Eaten by a Grue

Retro/Grade Using Guitar Controller

2012-02-03T09:00:00.035-05:00

Matt Gilgenbach, an alum of UM as well as the university's game development group Wolverine Soft, has been featured in a guest editorial on Kotaku.

In it, he discusses his soon to be released game Retro/Grade, which is designed to be played with a guitar controller, although a game pad will suffice as well.

In the editorial, he discusses the lack of new game material designed for the guitar controller, which he believes is a major determinant in its gradual decline in popularity over the past few years.

The trailer for Retro/Grade can be found on the game's website and is also below. Though an exact release date hasn't been established, the game is slated to be available "soon."

Top Games - Month of January 2012

2012-02-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

Here were our top games played in the archive for the month of January. Once again, a board game makes the list, along with the game that no one can seem to agree on how to pronounce, BlazBlue.

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Xbox 360)
2. Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim (Xbox 360)
3. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Xbox 360)
4. FIFA Soccer 12 (Xbox 360)
5. Assassin's Creed: Revelations (PS3)
6. BlazBlue (PS3)
7. Dominion (Board game)
8. NBA 2K12 (Xbox 360)
9. (tie) Mario Kart 64 (Nintendo 64)
9. (tie) Batman: Arkham City (PS3)

Alter Echo: A Slice of Ann Arbor History

2012-02-01T09:00:00.034-05:00

This week, the archive received a donation that was a special treat, a glimpse into our local video game industry from almost a decade ago: Alter Echo.

Alter Echo was the last game developed by an Ann Arbor-based company called Outrage Entertainment, which developed games in Ann Arbor from about 1997-2004. And the generous donor of said game? None other than one of the testers of Alter Echo, Tod Schlegelmilch.

The game isn't yet available for play, but keep searching Mirlyn to stay up to date on its status. I'm sure it will be a game well worth checking out!

Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

2012-01-30T12:05:00.001-05:00

After a long wait and many, many inquiries, it's finally here. Look at the cover - even Link is excited! So take some time and check it out this week.

Cave Evil Board Game

2012-01-25T09:40:00.000-05:00

Coming soon to a UM Computer & Video Game Archive near you...

The CAVE EVIL Limited Edition board game! Featuring some very intense artwork:

And a teaser trailer that awakens the dead:

An excerpt from the game introduction:

"The living buried their dead in maze-like cities deep underground, covering the entrances and leaving them to molder for all time. Yet the shadowflame burns deep within the abyss, and evil never sleeps. The dead and the demons who feast upon them found infernal life in this black world, and created a domain of their own, presided over by the Emperor of Eternal Evil, master of the Infinite Shadow and his millions of minions..."

From the game overview:

"Cave Evil is a game of brutal elimination. Each player is an ancient Undead Necromancer vying to harness the power of The Pit, source of Infinite Shadow. Only one Necromancer will succeed. All others will be annihilated..."

Silent Hill: The Terror Engine

2012-01-13T10:10:00.002-05:00

Our friends at The University of Michigan Press have released Silent Hill: The Terror Engine, the latest volume in their Landmark Video Game series:

Silent Hill: The Terror Engine , the second of the two inaugural studies in the Landmark Video Games series from series editors Mark J. P. Wolf and Bernard Perron, is both a close analysis of the first three Silent Hill games and a general look at the whole series. Silent Hill, with its first title released in 1999, is one of the most influential of the horror video game series. Perron situates the games within the survival horror genre, both by looking at the history of the genre and by comparing Silent Hill with such important forerunners as Alone in the Dark and Resident Evil. Taking a transmedia approach and underlining the designer's cinematic and literary influences, he uses the narrative structure; the techniques of imagery, sound, and music employed; the game mechanics; and the fiction, artifact, and gameplay emotions elicited by the games to explore the specific fears survival horror games are designed to provoke and how the experience as a whole has made the Silent Hill series one of the major landmarks of video game history.

The book, which is released under a Creative Commons license, will be available for purchase soon; but because we have connections we already have a copy of the book in the library: http://mirlyn.lib.umich.edu/Record/011236530

Wolverine Soft's 48 Hour Game Dev Contest This Weekend

2012-01-09T16:38:00.000-05:00

Wolverine Soft is hosting a game development contest this weekend in which a group of participants design a game within 48 hours. Game themes are announced at the beginning of the event.

Participants don't need to be game programmers - musicians, artists, and people with design ideas are welcome as well. Registration is open to current students of any university in Michigan or alumni who have graduated in the past 6 years (except those currently involved in the video game industry). Pre-registration is encouraged.

Read more about the event and its rules here.

Arcade Masters Series Finals @ AADL!

2012-01-04T17:42:00.001-05:00

Ann Arbor District Library is holding finals for the Arcade Master Series this Friday from 6-8:30pm at the downtown library, so don't forget to check it out! Food and musical Chiptunes entertainment will also be included.

Participate for a chance to win an iPad 2 with iCade mini arcade cabinet! Hope to see you there.

More about the event here.

Top Games - Month of December 2011

2012-01-03T10:48:00.000-05:00

Here are the top 10 games played in the archive during the month of December. A few new games quickly rise to the top, and FIFA makes an appearance on both Xbox 360 and PS3. We also have a board game on the list, showing the slow rise in popularity of our non-electronic collection.

1. Elder Scrolls: Skyrim (Xbox 360)
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Xbox 360)
3. FIFA Soccer 12 (Xbox 360)
4. Assassin's Creed: Revelations (PS3)
5. (tie) Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (Wii)
5. (tie) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Xbox 360)
7. FIFA Soccer 12 (PS3)
8. Seven Wonders (Board game)
9. (tie) Mario Kart 64 (Nintendo 64)
9. (tie) Uncharted 3 (PS3)

Holiday Break

2011-12-22T17:07:00.000-05:00

We will be closed for the rest of the holidays and plan on resuming our normal hours on the first day of classes next year, January 4th.

Have a great break!

Kinect Used for Terrain Imaging

2011-12-17T09:00:00.018-05:00

A recent Wired article highlights the use of the Kinect as a terrain imaging tool, to capture data for anything from glaciers to asteroids.

According to Tedesco, one of the scientists mentioned in the article, the Kinect works as a much more affordable way to capture the kind of data they need. It also helps inspire students to do related research because the Kinect is a tool that they're likely already familiar with, and doesn't seem as imposing as more complicated imaging equipment.

Read more about their use of the Kinect here.

International Games Innovation Conference - Call for Papers

2011-12-16T11:51:00.000-05:00

The Fourth International Games Innovation Conference is accepting submissions for their next conference taking place in September 2012.

According to their website, the conference is "a platform for disseminating peer-reviewed papers that describe innovative research and development of game technologies. Participation from academia, industry and government are welcome."

They are seeking "short papers (4 pages), long papers (5-8 pages), posters and panels" from a variety of areas of gaming.

Read more about the conference and the submission process here.

Yes, we have Skyrim

2011-12-06T15:02:00.000-05:00

Yes, we finally have the CVGA copy of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (for Xbox 360).

Chances are somebody else is playing it right now; so while you are waiting, you can watch this YouTube clip of the 1980s kids cartoon The Elder Scrolls Adventures with the Dovahkids, featuring the first appearance of Skyrim:

(Okay, it's not really from the 80s; but it's a dead-on parody of that era's cartoons like the unfortunate Dungeons & Dragons cartoon...)

Top Games - Month of November 2011

2011-12-05T11:43:00.000-05:00

Here are our top 10 games played in the archive for the month of November.

Our newer Batman and Gears of War games quickly rise in the ranks, with a few familiar favorites also making an appearance.

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Xbox 360)
2. Batman: Arkham City (PS3)
3. Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360)
4. FIFA Soccer 12 (Xbox 360)
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops (PS3)
6. Assassins' Creed: Brotherhood (PS3)
7. (tie) Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (Xbox 360)
7. (tie) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360)
9. Super Smash Bros. Melee (Gamecube)
10. FIFA Soccer 11 (Xbox 360)

Library of Congress' Video Game Collection

2011-12-01T17:33:00.001-05:00

American Libraries Magazine recently published an article featuring the Video Game Collection at the Library of Congress.

According to the article, the collection preserves every game turned in for copyright registration, which works out to be about 10% of the games published each year. They collect the games themselves, along with promotional materials and guides associated with each game.

According to the Moving Image Materials collection policy listed on the LOC's website:
"Video games have become an established, popular medium of moving image entertainment which demand inclusion in the collections of MBRS. The Division is developing new approaches for the more systematic acquisition of video games, including playback consoles and platforms, the multiplicity of formats and their equipment needs, and the technical challenges in preserving the digital source files. The collection will encompass a wide range of examples of video game culture, to allow historians decades hence to fully understand this as a popular phenomenon, and not have simply a few games which seemed significant at the moment of release."

Read the article here.

Now Hiring at the CVGA!

2011-11-29T15:12:00.000-05:00

For those who are interested in working at the archive next semester, we now have one more job opening!

If you already applied in August/September, feel free to apply again. It may be that your Winter term schedule is more compatible with our needs.

Go to the Student Employment website and apply using the online system (Job ID 21972). Please include your Winter semester availability as well.

Note that we're looking primarily for work-study students, and would prefer someone who plans on being able to work during the upcoming Spring/Summer.

Library Assistant

Job ID 21972

Funding Source Work-Study

Employer Art, Architecture & Engineering Library

Job Description - Work at the Computer & Video Game Archive desk to circulate games, answer questions, and enforce archive policies. - Test donated games and equipment, help install software/hardware, etc. - Assist in running archive-related special events and tournaments. - Contribute to the archive blog and Twitter account.

Educational value of this job. - Gain experience working in an academic library, and gain knowledge of the inner workings of a library special collection. - Gain experience repairing newer & older computers/consoles. - Increase your knowledge of the video game and media industry.

Job Requirements At least 4 of the following: - Previous customer service experience. - Knowledge of and experience playing a large number of old & new video games. - Knowledge of and experience using software related to PC games (Steam, DOSBox, etc.) - Experience building/repairing PC computers and/or video game consoles. - Experience designing posters and informative displays. - Experience giving tours or coordinating special events.

Number of Available Openings 1

Hours 16.0 to 20.0 hours per week

Compensation $9.00/hour, $0.25 raise after 300 & 600 hours worked

Time Frame Fall/Winter/Spring/Summer

Contact Person Valerie Waldron

Work Location Computer & Video Game Archive, Art, Architecture & Engineering Library, Duderstadt Center.

Smithsonian Seeks Gaming Images

2011-11-29T13:52:00.000-05:00

The Smithsonian's Art of Video Games Exhibition is seeking images of creative projects and paraphernalia inspired by video games.

According to their site, they are looking for "photographs that show how video games can inspire creativity! These might include images of video-game-inspired drawings, paintings, sculptures, jewelry, clothing, events, graphics, food, wallpaper... anything, really! We're particularly interested in seeing creative and crazy costumes inspired by your favorite game characters."

Read more about it here.

National STEM Video Game Challenge

2011-11-28T10:51:00.000-05:00

Submissions are being accepted for the National STEM Video Game Challenge, an opportunity for students and educators to flex their creative muscles and share their original video game concepts.

The competition is divided into four categories: Middle School, High School, Collegiate, and Educators. The general goal of the competition is to motivate interest is Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

Submissions will be accepted anytime between November 15th - March 12.

Read more about the competition here.

Thanksgiving Hours for the CVGA

2011-11-22T09:19:00.000-05:00

The Computer & Video Game Archive will be open today from 11:30am-9pm, with an English 125 class taking place in the archive in the morning from 10:00-11:30am.

We will be closed from Wednesday - Sunday for the Thanksgiving holiday, and will resume our hours on Monday, Nov. 28th.

Happy Thanksgiving!

How To Do Things With Video Games

2011-11-17T16:13:00.000-05:00

Ian Bogost, author of several books including How To Do Things With Video Games, spoke to Forbes recently in an interview about video games as a medium.

He discusses the strengths of video games as a medium, the power of games in politics, and how the industry is handling adult themes in games. He also mentions the varying answers that people give to the question "what is a video game?" and how that affects whether they consider themselves gamers.

Read the interview in more depth here.

CVGA Joins Google+

2011-11-08T20:11:00.001-05:00

The Computer & Video Game Archive now has a presence on Google+, which can be found here.

CVGAon

You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter. We hope you'll join in on the conversation.

Pondering the Issue of Games in Libraries

2011-11-07T12:39:00.000-05:00

Phil Minchin of Port Phillip Library in Australia shares his views on why games are an overlooked but important addition to libraries via a blog post on the Library Journal blog.

In it, he points out a number of reasons why games should be in the collection, including that they are important elements of culture, that they foster community, and that they are art - the poetry of system.

Read more about his insights here.

Top Games - Month of October 2011

2011-11-01T11:33:00.000-04:00

Here are our top games played in the archive for the month of October. There was a tie for 1st place, with Melee being back in the lead for the first time in quite awhile.

1. (tie) Super Smash Bros. Melee (Gamecube)
1. (tie) Call of Duty: Black Ops (Xbox 360)
3. FIFA Soccer 11
4. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops (PS3)
6. Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (Xbox 360)
7. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (PS2)
8. (tie) Super Smash Bros. (N64)
8. (tie) Infamous 2 (PS3)
10. Halo Reach (Xbox 360)

It'll be tough for Melee to stay in the lead for next month though, since we just got FIFA 12 and Gears of War 3, along with other anticipated games like Batman: Arkham City. Who do you think will win next month?

Halo Reach Tournament this Friday!

2011-10-31T10:19:00.002-04:00

The Computer & Video Game Archive is working with the Ann Arbor District Library to hold a Halo Reach tournament, where Ann Arborites can battle each other to win some great library swag and bragging rights.

We're also working with AADL as they continue their Arcade Master Series, so come ready to play some classic games and prove your skill with them as well!

The event will take place this Friday at North Quad in Room 2435 (entrance off State St.) from 6-9pm.

Clarifications: Pre-registration is not required. This event is available to the general public, and affiliation to UM or AADL is not required either. Just come and enjoy!

Ridding the World of the Undead Threat

2011-10-20T10:31:00.000-04:00

The zombie horde.

They've invaded our movies, corrupted our books, swept through our apocalypse dramas, and plagued our video games. One day, they may invade our homes. Will you be ready?

Help the archive develop weapons to quell their numbers before they wreak havoc on everyone. Our special Anti-Zombie Development Authority, or AZDA, has developed several prototypes and strategies to use against them, including conventional guns, loud music, harsh typed words, and our personal favorite, flamethrowers.

Which weapon will be the nemesis of these pesky undead? The truth is out there, and you'll only find out by participating in our AZDA tournament over the course of next week. Help us determine the best anti-zombie weapon, and win gift cards to Amazon for taking out the most undead.

The zombies will be waiting.