Thesis on Video Game Preservation... Awaiting details...
Thesis on Video Game Preservation... Awaiting details...
Hey there, so I'm diving into my planned undergrad thesis on Video Game Archiving, focusing on MMORPG case studies. To start, this could be really impactful for our department, and I've talked with my advisor. So far, I just need a few key titles to gauge the scope... Any suggestions? I'd appreciate examples of games that were discontinued by their original owners—like when the company shut down or legal issues forced the end. Thanks! P.S. Important contributions will show up on the dedication and acknowledgments pages of my thesis. Also, this thread is mostly just me seeking advice and perspectives on the subject. Once the final version is published by the university, I'll upload a white-paper.
Check out the seventh section for details on server shutdowns.
If you find something intriguing, visit its Wikipedia entry and gather references for your work. For instance, you could refer to the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning page as an example.
Ultima Online? A colleague wrote a video game thesis too, focusing on translation mistakes and weak localization across many titles.
Consider starting with SRMUD or a multiplayer dungeon. Once things become complex, publishers shape the direction. (Many friends began as players or fan characters and became part of official stories.) Your next move would likely involve fiction books... then it shifts to summaries accepted as canon. I’m trying not to push a specific path—I think future tech or anime might be the most natural choice.
I believe the most significant closures were Tabula Rosa, Auto Assault, Star Wars Galaxies, and the Vanguard Saga of Heroes. These titles gained attention because of their development and closure stories, often linked to industry politics and key personalities. The NC disaster is well documented here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabula_Rasa_(video_game). Ties to controversies at NC Soft and Richard Garriott are notable. Sony and Lucas Arts faced challenges with MMO projects, which serves as a useful case study due to licensing issues and the impact on development. Warhammer Online, in contrast, was built differently yet still struggled.
The path you're taking isn't aligned with my current focus (especially regarding my research subject), but I understand you're aiming to develop a preservation strategy for MMORPGs. I'll treat the dead titles as case studies and address any concerns about private servers in more detail later...
This project is based on recent observations and some unverified information. Destiny wasn’t a finished product; the writers were replaced shortly before its release. The promotional clips shared earlier weren’t part of the final version, even though they claimed a long development timeline. Despite that, the game was surprisingly quick to build—completing it in just a few hours.