Video games are a popular medium that have been on the rise for the last several decades, which has allowed them to enjoy a unique, albeit precarious, position in our culture. Unlike a medium such as film, which has had over a century to develop and grow, video games are comparatively very new. As a result, little to no systems are in place to properly acces and study them. Through actions such as creating a game section in Pickler Memorial Library, Truman State University could open up opportunities for this kind of deeper scholastic study into the field of gaming, inspire a greater respect of the medium and do their part to remedy wider issues in the gaming industry.
Investing in a game section of the library would be a natural extension of ongoing efforts on campus to seriously study video games. In a mythology class I took last fall, I saw several students — myself included — jump at the chance to apply the mythological concepts we had been studying to their favorite games. There is clear potential in the eyes of students to bridge the gap between games and the academic space — a gap that could be bridged much faster if the University provided official, comprehensive access to video games for the purpose of study.
A game library in Pickler would also increase opportunities for future curricula surrounding the study of games as an art form. While the process of coding and designing for games is an important part of the training students interested in working in the industry need, true success in the field requires more than an understanding of the mechanics of making games. Equally as important is having a strong understanding of gaming’s past, where key titles drew their inspirations and how the medium has changed over time. A publicly-accessible collection of games, both classic and modern, would enable educators to more easily direct and facilitate the study of games – both their history and as an art. A game section in the library would lay the groundwork for deeper, more nuanced discussions about game creation, making this space essential for students interested in learning more about them.
A potential game library at Truman would also work to counteract poor treatment of games. As it stands, gaming is plagued with issues that are a clear consequence of a lack of preservation efforts on the part of game companies. Many consider “Silent Hill 2” as possibly one of the greatest games of all time, and it revolutionized the survival horror genre. Its $70 remake is available on modern platforms, but the original is only playable on the 25-year-old Playstation 2, a console that has not received official support for nearly two decades. Imagine if the only way you could watch a film as acclaimed as “Casablanca,” or read a book as essential as “Huckleberry Finn,” were through purchasing obscenely expensive secondhand copies or outright breaking copyright law. That is the reality gaming currently faces.
The University’s creation of a game library could help put a stop to this mistreatment. Beyond allowing for a space for local students to access these classic titles free of limitations, it would also set a precedent for the future of gaming in universities as a whole. Facilitating the use, study and appreciation of games in the classroom via providing official resources would do a great deal to emphasize the importance of the works being provided. At its best, such an action could inspire other universities to follow suit, beginning a trend of wider acceptance of video games as a field of study.