Denise Chaudhari was the first woman hired for the then-secret Xbox project, where she designed more than just the original “Duke” controller that launched with the system in 2001.

Continue Reading about Designing the Duke Published on:
October 23, 2020

Digital rights management (DRM) tools have been used on software for decades. Companies install these protections to defend software from piracy or the unauthorized copying of the data. However, although designed with the best of intentions, DRM can have a negative effect on legally purchased software as well.
In 2010, Disney released the game Tron Evolution as a tie-in to the company’s Tron: Legacy movie, and distributed it on console and Windows computer platforms. While the console versions have their own […]

Continue Reading about Off the Grid: Tron Evolution and DRM Authentication Published on:
June 16, 2020

Digital Games Curator Andrew Borman uncovers the history of Atari’s Gremlins The Arcade Game, from its initial conception in 1983 to its cancellation in 1985. 

Continue Reading about Game Saves: Unreleased Gremlins The Arcade Game by Atari Published on:
February 12, 2020

 

Continue Reading about Game Saves: Fallout Extreme Published on:
June 10, 2019

Making a video game can take months or even years to create from start to finish. It isn’t always a straightforward process either: character designs change, stories get rewritten, and entire gameplay mechanics are removed or added throughout the development process. But sometimes all the hard work, sweat, and tears that go into making a game doesn’t end with a product on the shelf. Sometimes, a game’s release is cancelled.
In 2016, Interplay Entertainment founder Brian Fargo donated a […]

Continue Reading about Game Development Is a Harsh Mistress Published on:
December 21, 2018

Floppy diskettes are an incredibly volatile medium. Available in multiple shapes, sizes, and formats, the magnetic disks were often used, rewritten, and eventually tossed aside as new methods of data storage arrived. Disks by their very nature are disposable, and younger generations may only recognize a floppy disk as a save icon. With some experts estimating the lifespan of a floppy disk at 10 to 20 years under the best conditions, many pieces of software, including games, are at risk.

Caper […]

Continue Reading about Game Saves: Preserving the First LGBTQ Electronic Game Published on:
September 7, 2018