Analysis of the Subject Field
- Chronology of collected resources
- The oldest games in the collection are from approximately 1990; new games are purchased annually according to a selection process.
- Purchases are considered from any release year between about 1985 and the present day.
- Languages
- The vast majority of game materials function in English; however, additional language support varies by title, platform, etc..
- Purchases of non-English-language games may be considered in the future.
- Geography emphases/restrictions
- We don’t support PAL games; we do support NTSC, and EU- and NA-region games.
- Primary focus is on games available in the North American markets.
- Format of resources
- Because of the sharing-restricted nature of digital-only game licensing, the collection includes only physical disc and cartridge media formats, supported by hardware that exists in DMC.
- Date of publication of resources
- Acquisition emphasis favors new games, released in the last 1-2 years, but also includes older games which are determined to be historically or thematically relevant to the existing collection and/or coursework.
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) considerations
- Specific effort is made toward purchasing materials that feature creator identities and/or content—or that speak directly to audiences or experiences—outside of white, male, heteronormative culture. Attention will be paid to imagery, terminology, and authentically generated content.
- Accessibility
- Wide variability in disabilities to accommodate
- Some peripherals are kept on-hand (Microsoft Adaptive Controller)
- Access
- Collection is divided between circulating and library-use-only games, depending on criteria such as platform, rarity, age, value, complexity, piece count, etc..
