Preserving Worlds

The Dream of the Engine: The illegally cracked and fan-translated version of RPG Maker was one of the most popular hobbyist game engines of the early 2000's. The creator of the cult classic "Space Funeral" shows us how RPG Maker's collage-like nature shaped, and was shaped by, the dreams and desires of its community.

A Culture of Absolute Conflict: Meridian 59 was one of the first graphical massively multiplayer online RPGs, and it's still one of the most violent. For almost 30 years, its players have enjoyed all the scheming, backstabbing, and intrigue of a never-ending 3rd grade recess. We spoke with a longtime player who rose to become an administrator of the game's first open-source fan server.

A Pixel Talking to Another Pixel: In the early 2000's, the Danish Public Broadcasting Company ran Hundeparken, an entirely non-profit social browser game where cute but crude pixelated dogs could chat, play minigames, and trade rare hats. We spoke with a videogame archivist and his friend, a long-time Hundeparken player, about the ways the game helped lonely tweens find friends, and how it eventually survived the death of Flash.

Cyberspace with a Human Face: In the mid 90's, a group called the Contact Consortium brought together technologists, scientists, and artists to try and shepherd early virtual worlds into the mainstream. We spoke with the group's founder about the scene around the creation of the first virtual worlds, considering their early promise from today's perspective.

We're Still Running on One Machine: The 1996 chat game Furcadia is still run by its original creators, and almost entirely staffed by long-time players. One of the game's creators, Dr. Cat, tells us about how they've cultivated a welcoming environment for the game's unique demographics, and how they've kept it going as long as they have.

Now You're Covered in Friends: The history of online games is short enough that some players have seen nearly their entire evolution first-hand. We spoke with one such player about their history with MMOs, from text-based worlds to the newest one we’ve covered, and met the members of a vibrant queer community they've built over the years.

You Gotta Put in the Work: Anyone who spends too much time on the internet knows that the design of an online space can profoundly influence the types of interactions that occur there. Unsatisfied by the options available on the market, some small, independent developers have sought to create their own non-profit alternatives. We spoke with them to learn about their methods, their tools, and the ways their communities were able to benefit from their efforts.