Play

Preserving video and computer games

Computer games have been part of our social and leisure lives for more than 40 years. Over that time they have evolved in complexity and become one of the largest entertainment mediums of the 21st century. What games do we play today and what do they say about us? How can we preserve these games and our social interactions with them, and why is this important?

See Steven O’Donnell and Stephanie Bendixsen (Bajo and Hex) talk about the evolution of video games, and why games are an artform worthy of preservation:

Embedded content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiqQ5bHbQNI

The Library hosted a discussion of Bajo and Hex's video led by geographer and data enthusiast Dr Chris McDowall.

Watch it now!

"Pokemon Go"

Shaun Yeo is a recent addition to the Cartoon Archive. This digital cartoon is a great example of Yeo’s colourful work, which combines a comic art style with political and social commentary. Yeo’s work has been published in a variety of New Zealand publications.

The New Zealand Cartoon Archive, part of the Alexander Turnbull Library’s Drawings, Paintings and Prints collection, has 31,000 born-digital images, collected from about 2005.

We collect cartoons as they are produced, often at the same time as they are sent to the publishers, ensuring the collection stays up-to-date and the cartoonists have an ongoing, reliable platform for their work. The collection grows by several hundred cartoons each month, reflecting New Zealand politics, culture and society as it happens.

What do you want to keep forever?

What have you been making that you want to keep safe? Digital publications should be sent to the Library's Legal Deposit team, and the Turnbull would love to see anything you'd like to donate.

Submit your digital publications under Legal Deposit
Donate your digital items to the Turnbull