TIMES of CHANGE in the DEMOSCENE a Creative Community and Its Relationship with Technology
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Alive Dead Media 2020: Tracker and Chip Music
Alive Dead Media 2020: Tracker and Chip Music 1st day introduction, Markku Reunanen Pics gracefully provided by Wikimedia Commons Arrangements See MyCourses for more details, but for now: ● Whoami, who’s here? ● Schedule of this week: history, MilkyTracker with Yzi, LSDJ with Miranda Kastemaa, holiday, final concert ● 80% attendance, two tunes for the final concert and a little jingle today ● Questions about the practicalities? History of Home Computer and Game Console Audio ● This is a vast subject: hundreds of different devices and chips starting from the late 1970s ● In the 1990s starts to become increasingly standardized (or boring, if you may :) so we’ll focus on earlier technology ● Not just hardware: how did you compose music with contemporary tools? ● Let’s hear a lot of examples – not using Zoom audio The Home Computer Boom ● At its peak in the 1980s, but started somewhat earlier with Apple II (1977), TRS-80 (1977) and Commodore PET (1977) ● Affordable microprocessors, such as Zilog Z80, MOS 6502 and the Motorola 6800 series ● In the 1980s the market grew rapidly with Commodore VIC-20 (1980) and C-64 (1982), Sinclair ZX Spectrum (1982), MSX compatibles (1983) … and many more! ● From enthusiast gadgets to game machines Enter the 16-bits ● Improving processors: Motorola 68000 series, Intel 8088/8086/80286 ● More colors, more speed, more memory, from tapes to floppies, mouse(!) ● Atari ST (1984), Commodore Amiga (1985), Apple Macintosh (1984) ● IBM PC and compatibles (1981) popular in the US, improving game capability Not Just Computers ● The same technology powered game consoles of the time ● Notable early ones: Fairchild Channel F (1976), Atari VCS aka. -
Computer Game Mods, Modders, Modding, and the Mod Scene
Computer Game Mods, Modders, Modding, and the Mod Scene Walt Scacchi Institute for Software Research and Center for Computer Games and Virtual Worlds University of California, Irvine 92697-3455 USA March 2010 Abstract Computer games have increasingly been the focus of user-led innovations in the form of game mods. This paper examines how different kinds of socio-technical affordances serve to organize the actions of the people who develop and share their game mods. The affordances examined include customization and tailoring mechanisms, software and content copyright licenses, game software infrastructure and development tools, career contingencies and organizational practices of mod teams, and social worlds intersecting the mod scene. Numerous examples will be used to ground this review and highlight how such affordances can organize, facilitate or constrain what can be done. Overall, this study helps to provide a deeper understanding of how a web of associated affordances collectively serve to govern what mods get made, how modding practices emerge and flourish, and how modders and the game industry serve each others' interests, though not always in equivocal terms. Introduction Computer game mods are a leading form of user-led innovation in game design and game play experience. But modded games are not standalone systems, as they require the user to have an originally acquired or authorized copy of the unmodded game. Thus, there are questions of not only who creates what and who owns such modified games, but also whether or how the practice of game modding is controlled or governed by external parties to ultimately exploit the efforts of game modders. -
Online Software Copyright Infringement and Criminal Enforcement
Online Software Copyright Infringement and Criminal Enforcement Submitted: May 14, 2005 Randy K. Baldwin American University Washington College of Law What are Warez and Who Trades Them? This paper will discuss infringement of software copyrights with a focus on criminal ‘warez trading‘ of copyrighted software on the Internet. Warez are infringing electronic, digital copies of copyrighted works whose copy protection measures have been removed.1 Warez are most often ‘cracked’ software programs whose digital rights management (DRM) and copy control measures have been circumvented. Once DRM controls have been disabled, warez are subsequently distributed and traded on the Internet, usually without any direct financial gain to the distributors and traders.2 Distribution of warez usually starts as small-scale deployments from password- protected file transfer protocol (FTP) servers and encrypted and/or password-protected web sites run by warez groups. Warez are then traded on the Internet among broader groups via direct peer-to-peer (P2P) connections, and encrypted emails with warez attachments. Trading and downloading of warez is coordinated via closed, invite-only Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channels, Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) encrypted email, Instant Messaging (IM), private chat rooms, direct connect P2P networks, and messages posted to Usenet groups under pseudonyms.3 Servers and sites hosting warez and communications means used by warez traders are designed to avoid detection and identification by law enforcement.4 File and directory names are intentionally 1 Goldman, Eric, A Road to No Warez: The No Electronic Theft Act and Criminal Copyright Infringement. 82 Or. L. Rev. 369, 370-371 (2003). [hereinafter Road to No Warez], available at http://ssrn.com/abstract=520122 (last visited May 9, 2005) (on file with author) (Defines warez and warez trading. -
Histories of Internet Games and Play: Space, Technique, and Modality Teodor E
University of Wollongong Research Online Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts - Papers Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts 2017 Histories of internet games and play: space, technique, and modality Teodor E. Mitew University of Wollongong, [email protected] Christopher L. Moore University of Wollongong, [email protected] Publication Details Mitew, T. E. & Moore, C. L. "Histories of internet games and play: space, technique, and modality." The Routledge companion to global internet histories. Ed.G. Goggin & M. J. McLelland. London, United Kingdom: Routledge, 2017, 448-460. Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] Histories of internet games and play: space, technique, and modality Keywords space, play, histories, games, modality, internet, technique Disciplines Arts and Humanities | Law Publication Details Mitew, T. E. & Moore, C. L. "Histories of internet games and play: space, technique, and modality." The Routledge companion to global internet histories. Ed.G. Goggin & M. J. McLelland. London, United Kingdom: Routledge, 2017, 448-460. This book chapter is available at Research Online: https://ro.uow.edu.au/lhapapers/3657 HISTORIES OF INTERNET GAMES AND PLAY: SPACE, TECHNIQUE, AND MODALITY Teodor Mitew and Christopher Moore Introduction It would be a daunting task to attempt an authoritative history of the Internet and play, and it is not our intention to sketch such an account, in the singular, even if the space allowed for it. Rather, we have undertaken a preliminary mapping of those elements which, we argue, should participate in the telling of the histories of Internet games. -
Vysok´E Uˇcení Technick´E V Brnˇe Grafick´E Intro Do
VYSOKEU´ CENˇ ´I TECHNICKE´ V BRNEˇ BRNO UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY FAKULTA INFORMACNˇ ´ICH TECHNOLOGI´I USTAV´ POCˇ ´ITACOVˇ E´ GRAFIKY A MULTIMEDI´ ´I FACULTY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER GRAPHICS AND MULTIMEDIA GRAFICKE´ INTRO DO 64KB S POUZITˇ ´IM OPENGL GRAPHIC INTRO 64KB USING OPENGL DIPLOMOVA´ PRACE´ MASTER’S THESIS AUTOR PRACE´ PAVEL GUNIA AUTHOR VEDOUC´I PRACE´ Ing. ADAM HEROUT, Ph.D. SUPERVISOR BRNO 2007 Abstrakt Tato pr´acepojedn´av´ao fenom´enu grafick´eho intra, ˇcasto oznaˇcovan´emjako digit´aln´ıgraffiti. Detailnˇese rozebere t´ema grafick´ehointra s omezenou velikost´ıa pop´ıˇs´ıse techniky vhodn´e k jeho realizaci. Na konci pr´acejsou diskutov´any postˇrehy a zkuˇsenosti z´ıskan´ebˇehem tvorby, stejnˇetak i celkov´eshrut´ıa pohled do budoucna. Kl´ıˇcov´aslova poˇc´ıtaˇcov´agrafika, digit´aln´ıumˇen´ı,demo, intro, OpenGL, procedur´aln´ıgenerov´an´ı,komp- rese, parametrick´ekˇrivky, parametrick´eplochy, syntetizovan´ahudba Abstract This work deals with the phenomenon of graphic intros, a digital graffiti of the modern age. The focus is put on size restricted animation of size of the executable file lower than 64 kilobytes. It reveals the main techniques used. Finally, interesting aspects and experiences that came up are discussed, as well as the conclusion and future work proposal. Keywords computer graphics, digital art, demo, intro, OpenGL, procedural generation, compression, parametric curve, parametric surface, synthetized music Citace Pavel Gunia: Graphic intro 64kB using OpenGL, diplomov´apr´ace, Brno, FIT VUT v Brnˇe, 2007 Graphic intro 64kB using OpenGL Prohl´aˇsen´ı Prohlaˇsuji, ˇzejsem tuto diplomovou pr´aci vypracoval samostatnˇepod veden´ımpana Ing. -
A Brief History of the Russian Spectrum Demoscene
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE RUSSIAN Allegedly, engineers from the Ukrainian city Lvov, were the first to succeed with this challenge and built a working machine SPECTRUM DEMOSCENE in August 1985. Their own designed schematics became very BY ELFH OF INWARD AND CYBERPUNKS UNITY valuable information, so they could trade it to the researchers in other cities for knowledge on other topics. Still, this remained Relations between Soviet Russia and computers were always nents – more than 200 to be precise. This fact complicated the unknown to the wider public and only a limited amount of peo- a bit obscure, especially when it comes to foreign models that possibility for average Radio readers to build the “Micro-80”, ple actually knew about the existence of a cheap home com- were not officially imported here. But, if one wants to trace the because a lot of elements were hard to find in normal stores, puter with colourful graphics, which any Radio amateur could roots of the Russian demoscene, especially on the Spectrum, and in most cases could only be found on the black market. easily build at home. For example, in 1986 “Radio” magazine you must dig deep into the 1980’s, when the first generation of was still publishing the schematics of the Radio-86RK compu- radio amateurs built their first machines themselves. ter, which consisted of 29 parts, but had only a black and white A LOT OF ELEMENTS WERE HARD text mode display. CONTRABAND COMPUTERS TO FIND IN NORMAL STORES, ONLY The main role in this development was played by a very popu- ON THE BLACK MARKET Despite this, it first became a very popular machine in Rus- lar magazine named “Radio”, which gathered a lot of talented sia. -
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of people who got together through Bulletin Board Systems, THE PORTUGUESE DEMOSCENE Reckless Life BBS and Infinity BBS run by the infamous Captain Hook. The scene thrived through the nineties with the uprising HISTORY of IRC and the two issues of the diskmag, Infinity, put together BY PS OF TPOLM by Garfield, VAngel and Spellcaster if my memory serves me correctly. The first documented demoscene event in Portugal The Portuguese demoscene, as most Portuguese technology, ducing cheap labour for English-owned factories of the ZX Sin- was organized in 1996 and was called the Virtual Music Con- is a fluke of chance. For many years, Portugal held last place clair Spectrum family of machines. While kids in Central and test. It was just a simple tracking competition. Groups formed among Europe’s nations in iliteracy per capita and emigration. Northern Europe were playing with their Commodores and around this time were Radioactive Design (RD) with Garfield, Certified higher education for new technologies and arts has Ataris during the late eighties, in Portugal we were consuming only been institutionalized within the last 10 years. Even large Spectrum magnetic tapes. WHILE KIDS IN CENTRAL volume capitalist markets, such as the videogame industry, AND NORTHERN EUROPE are still in their infancy in Portugal. It has only been six years, THE BIRTH OF THE PORTUGUESE at most, since serious full time jobs became available in the WERE PLAYING WITH THEIR business. In fact Portugal is a country that mostly imports and DEMOSCENE COMMODORES AND ATARIS, IN consumes technology (2.5 cellphones per person on average) The first known demo made by a Portuguese demoscener was PORTUGAL WE WERE CONSUMING instead of developing and exporting it. -
Text of the German Application of Art of Coding
This is the Text of the German application of Art of Coding (www.http://demoscene-the-art-of-coding.net) with the purpose of bringing the demoscene onto the list of UNESCO intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The application was submitted in Oct 2019 and has been written in an collaborative community effort led by Tobias Kopka supported by Andre Kudra, Stephan Maienhöfer, Gleb Albert, Christian Brandt, Andreas Lange and many more who gave their hands at Digitale Kultur und Tastatur und Maus e.V. The structure depends on the form, which is given by the German UNESCO. In spite the structure differs from forms used in other countries text modules can be used for application in other countries. The texts in square brackets are part of the German form. Also every kind of feedback is welcome, which could be taken into account for future use. Use ‘team (at) demoscene-the-art-of-coding.net’ 1. Type of Immaterial Cultural Heritage [Please tick the applicable sections and elaborate in keywords (multi-selection possible, but not mandatory)] Section A) verbally passed on traditions and expressions [keywords]: own technical vocabulary, own idiom with specialized terminology, English is lingua franca Section B) performing arts (music, theatre, dance) [keywords]: composition, performant, live, public presentation, animation Section C) social tradition, (seasonal) celebration and ritual [keywords]: demoparties, competitions, visitor voting, price ceremonies Section D) Knowledge and customs, related to nature or the universe [keywords]: digitalized living environment, cyberspace, virtual reality Section E) traditional craftsmanship [keywords]: coding, composition, animation, adoption, do-it-yourself Section F) other 2. -
The Demoscene Demo-Scene Related Events
Barmer Straße 26 50679 Köln fon 0221 - 46 96 220 fax 0221 - 510756143 [email protected] Digitale Kultur was founded in 2003 as a friendly society in Cologne, Germany. The association presents the computer as a means of expressing artistic creativity and aims to support the communica- tion between creative people. To achieve this, the association orga- nizes demoparties and other The Demoscene demo-scene related events. Computers new realm http://www.digitalekultur.org http://www.demoscene.info In cooperation with http://www.scene.org Whoever mistakes computers for Parties: Fun and Competion being boring or non-creative will be The groups and their members meet at the legen- proven wrong by the demoscene. Here dary demoscene-parties. They meet, they party programmers, graphicians and musici- and vote for the best new releases. New techni- ans show off their real skills. ques are exchanged, new friends and contacts They direct music videos without dancers, set made. Some sceners travel thousands of kilo- and camera. Their special effects do not need any meters to attend. A party can last 3 or 4 days and stunt-coordinators or fog machines. What they need no one is gettting much sleep. The competitors is just a computer and their creativity. All directing show their skills in a dozen different categories, and effects, all shades and the whole soundtrack from the best 4 kb intro, the best music to thro- are created on the machine. wing a harddisk the farthest. And in addition to the recognition for being the producer of an asto- nishing demo the winners can also receive valu- able prices. -
Computer Demos—What Makes Them Tick?
AALTO UNIVERSITY School of Science and Technology Faculty of Information and Natural Sciences Department of Media Technology Markku Reunanen Computer Demos—What Makes Them Tick? Licentiate Thesis Helsinki, April 23, 2010 Supervisor: Professor Tapio Takala AALTO UNIVERSITY ABSTRACT OF LICENTIATE THESIS School of Science and Technology Faculty of Information and Natural Sciences Department of Media Technology Author Date Markku Reunanen April 23, 2010 Pages 134 Title of thesis Computer Demos—What Makes Them Tick? Professorship Professorship code Contents Production T013Z Supervisor Professor Tapio Takala Instructor - This licentiate thesis deals with a worldwide community of hobbyists called the demoscene. The activities of the community in question revolve around real-time multimedia demonstrations known as demos. The historical frame of the study spans from the late 1970s, and the advent of affordable home computers, up to 2009. So far little academic research has been conducted on the topic and the number of other publications is almost equally low. The work done by other researchers is discussed and additional connections are made to other related fields of study such as computer history and media research. The material of the study consists principally of demos, contemporary disk magazines and online sources such as community websites and archives. A general overview of the demoscene and its practices is provided to the reader as a foundation for understanding the more in-depth topics. One chapter is dedicated to the analysis of the artifacts produced by the community and another to the discussion of the computer hardware in relation to the creative aspirations of the community members. -
Software Import and Contacts Between European and American Cracking Scenes
“Amis and Euros.” Software Import and Contacts Between European and American Cracking Scenes Patryk Wasiak Dr., Researcher [email protected] Institute for Cultural Studies, University of Wroclaw, Poland Abstract This article explores practices of so-called “software import” between Europe and the US by the Commodore 64 cracking scene and reflects on how it was related to the establishment and expression of cultural identities of its members. While discussing the establishment of computer games’ transatlantic routes of distribution with Bulletin Board System (BBS) boards, I will explore how this phenomenon, providing the sceners with new challenges and, subsequently, new roles such as importer, modem trader or NTSC-fixer, influenced the rise of new cultural identities within the cracking scene. Furthermore, I will analyze how the import of software and the new scene roles influenced the expression of cultural distinction between American and European sceners, referred to as “Euros” and “Amis” on the scene forum. Keywords: Europe, United States, crackers, cultural identity, modem, software piracy Introduction The aim of this article is to provide a historical inquiry into cultural practices related to the so called “software import” between Europe and the US, within the framework of the Commodore 64 cracking scene. In the mid-1980s several crackers from European countries and the US established direct and regular contacts with the computer modem Bulletin Board System (BBS) boards. In the existing studies the cracking scene is considered primarily as a social world of crackers (Vuorinen 2007), a particular form of hacker culture (Thomas 2003; Sterling 1992). This study intends to broaden the existing academic work by considering how the transatlantic circulation of cracked software and its appropriation influenced the establishment of cultural identities. -
Archive and Compressed [Edit]
Archive and compressed [edit] Main article: List of archive formats • .?Q? – files compressed by the SQ program • 7z – 7-Zip compressed file • AAC – Advanced Audio Coding • ace – ACE compressed file • ALZ – ALZip compressed file • APK – Applications installable on Android • AT3 – Sony's UMD Data compression • .bke – BackupEarth.com Data compression • ARC • ARJ – ARJ compressed file • BA – Scifer Archive (.ba), Scifer External Archive Type • big – Special file compression format used by Electronic Arts for compressing the data for many of EA's games • BIK (.bik) – Bink Video file. A video compression system developed by RAD Game Tools • BKF (.bkf) – Microsoft backup created by NTBACKUP.EXE • bzip2 – (.bz2) • bld - Skyscraper Simulator Building • c4 – JEDMICS image files, a DOD system • cab – Microsoft Cabinet • cals – JEDMICS image files, a DOD system • cpt/sea – Compact Pro (Macintosh) • DAA – Closed-format, Windows-only compressed disk image • deb – Debian Linux install package • DMG – an Apple compressed/encrypted format • DDZ – a file which can only be used by the "daydreamer engine" created by "fever-dreamer", a program similar to RAGS, it's mainly used to make somewhat short games. • DPE – Package of AVE documents made with Aquafadas digital publishing tools. • EEA – An encrypted CAB, ostensibly for protecting email attachments • .egg – Alzip Egg Edition compressed file • EGT (.egt) – EGT Universal Document also used to create compressed cabinet files replaces .ecab • ECAB (.ECAB, .ezip) – EGT Compressed Folder used in advanced systems to compress entire system folders, replaced by EGT Universal Document • ESS (.ess) – EGT SmartSense File, detects files compressed using the EGT compression system. • GHO (.gho, .ghs) – Norton Ghost • gzip (.gz) – Compressed file • IPG (.ipg) – Format in which Apple Inc.