What videogames are canon? As game designers seek recognition for being more than swindlers of flashing color that produce violent youth, fashioning a definitive list of the most affecting, imaginative, and significant interactive experiences is a productive step toward gaming gaining some small amount of recognition on terms other than its own. Are games old enough to have an essential group of titles worthy of the Library of Congress? If an alien traveler arrived to earth and we only had videogames to share as a representation of our culture, would we sit them down in front of Mario or World of Warcraft? Halo or Half-Life? BioShock or Ms. Pac-Man? Gathering a team of gaming journalists from PC Gamer magazine, Gamesradar.com, PlayStation: The Official Magazine and Official Xbox Magazine, we'll carry the flag of our favorite titles to form a cumulative must-play list, modifying and reranking our canon as our discussion progresses, not without help from audience participation. Our panelists will argue and debate not for the sake of settling arguments suitable for an internet forum, but for creating a useful, definitive list of must-play experiences for gamers and gaming-interested consumers based on useful critical criteria. Our panel has a cumulative 40-year background of covering games.
http://schedule.sxsw.com/events/event_IAP8271
