As a seasoned gamer and collector of gaming history, I am absolutely thrilled about the Kickstarter campaign for The EGM Compendium. Not only does it promise an in-depth look into one of the most iconic gaming publications, but it also offers access to the full digital archive of Electronic Gaming Monthly! This is a significant stride towards preserving our gaming history, especially considering the recent closure of Game Informer and their lack of archival efforts.
The new Kickstarter campaign for “The EGM Compendium” has been warmly welcomed and swiftly surpassed its initial funding target, venturing into multiple stretch goals. One captivating aspect of a book detailing the history of a significant gaming magazine was the labor involved in its production, and it’s evident now that this work is yielding results in unexpected, meaningful ways. Besides receiving a digital or physical copy of the book, backers will also gain access to the complete digital archive containing every single issue of “Electronic Gaming Monthly.
In a time when online gaming content dominates and print publications are scarce, digitizing the entire collection of EGM is a progressive move towards preserving an underappreciated aspect of gaming history. The closing down of Game Informer not only took its website and archive but also left many print issues from the gaming industry unpreserved for future generations to explore. The digital archive of EGM is not just a perk for those backing the compendium, but also a significant endeavor that could serve as a model for other publications in preserving their printed past.
The EGM Digital Archive Came About Naturally From Work on The EGM Compendium
Over the span of 25 years, Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) has accumulated an abundance of significant moments in its publication history. Aiming to compile a thorough and conclusive account of the magazine’s history titled “The EGM Compendium,” the creators embarked on a painstaking task, sifting through approximately 40,000 pages of issues from every phase of its print run. Co-author Josh Harmon acknowledges that this labor-intensive process required the team to carefully assess the expansive and profound impact of EGM’s legacy on its readers.
To ensure thorough coverage of EGM’s entire print run in our book, we recognized that for optimal quality, we should meticulously record each detail from every issue of the magazine. If we were authors aiming to discuss a specific game, having a comprehensive reference would be crucial, allowing us to trace every instance where the game appeared in the magazine, as well as any other pertinent details we might require in the future.
Beyond aiding in providing an optimal summary of the magazine’s contents for the compendium, this task also unexpectedly ignited the development of the EGM Digital Archive. This unexpected outcome served as inspiration for the team, encouraging them to offer a digital version of every Electronic Gaming Monthly issue as a bonus reward for participants in the Kickstarter campaign.
Once we began meticulously recording all our data to such a great extent, we came to understand that we were essentially assembling the components for an online database. Then it struck us that by constructing this, we could make it accessible to everyone around the globe.
Print Media Often Gets Left Behind in the Game Preservation Conversation
Efforts toward game preservation are arguably more important now than ever in the current landscape, with players primarily consuming digital media and raising concerns over ownership of games versus temporary licensing. But one area where game preservation is arguably lacking is in the collection and archiving of print games media. As such, the EGM Digital Archive represents an important undertaking that will hopefully serve as an example to other beloved publications. As Harmon notes, “…it was important to us to be able to go the extra mile and have a way to easily navigate the entire history of the magazine and make that available to the general public.”
At present, the EGM Compendium is being funded through a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. It’s anticipated that the physical books will be delivered in February, 2025.
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2024-10-26 14:23