Internet Archive Launches Arcade of Classic Games In the Browser

SternisheFan tips news that the Internet Archive has launched the "Internet Arcade," a collection of over 900 arcade games from the '70s, '80s, and '90s that are free to play in an emulated, browser-based environment. The Arcade makes use of JavaScript Mess, which the crew at the Archive has been working on for several years. Obviously, a lot of people are going to migrate to games they recognize and ones that they may not have played in years. They’ll do a few rounds, probably get their @$%^& kicked, smile, and go back to their news sites. A few more, I hope, will go towards games they've never heard of, with rules they have to suss out, and maybe more people will play some of these arcades in the coming months than the games ever saw in their "real" lifetimes. And my hope is that a handful, a probably tiny percentage, will begin plotting out ways to use this stuff in research, in writing, and remixing these old games into understanding their contexts.

Comments

Sweet!!

[rodrigoandrade]

Goodbye productivity!!

Re:Sweet!!

[Anonymous Coward]

Goodbye productivity!!

You can really say this with a straight face while surfing slashdot?

Re:Sweet!!

[zAPPzAPP]

But he produced a first post!

Re:Sweet!!

[ArcadeMan]

...clearly the game has got something to it which stands the test of time.

Of course it does. Her name is Chun-Li.

Re:Sweet!!

[Quirkz]

Five manned aircraft inexplicably in the shape of cats that can unite into one giant sword-weilding robot somehow synchronously controlled by five people? I don't possibly see how you could be disillusioned by watching that show as an adult.

Re:Get your naming right, Soulskill

[NoNonAlphaCharsHere]

Besides, "JavaScript Mess" is redundant.