Preservation is such a more complex topic in archaeology than first meets the eye. In my archaeological experience in the Pacific Northwest, I worked with Coast Salish tribes, who in ancient times, modified trees by bending the branches, so that the trees could be used as markers. Think Bonzai on a much larger scale. Today, those trees are protected, but furthermore, new trees are being altered today, because ultimately, a tree will eventually die. Because trees grow and live on such a large time scale, those new trees need to be started now, so that they will be complete and intact when the current trees pass away. So to preserve the historical feature, a new one must be made to eventually replace it, or eventually, these modified trees will no longer exist and be forgotten. Seeing these culturally modified trees made me wonder, what are we preserving, when we preserve an artifact? Are we preserving the materials? The wood and clay? Are we preserving the knowledge that it tells us about a time in history and the people it belonged to? Are we preserving a a practice, a belief, a value, a story or symbol? Or are we simply looking for the fingerprint in the clay, to try shake hands with a person who is no longer here? I would say it's a combination of all of the above. Your essay about the Final Fantasy remake made me think of these trees. In some cases, it's not the artifact itself, but the practice, the movement, the meaning that needs to be preserved and in fact the original artefact may not be able to survive indefinitely. This is especially true of a game like FF7, because, well, it's software. It's a process, like music, a play or a story. It's not simply the thing that records it. While ports of FF7 exist on many platforms, many old games do not have readily available ports. I tried to install Fallout 4 on my computer the other day, a AAA game from 2015, and it's already incompatible with my current hardware and requires various janky fan patches and workarounds to run properly. Additionally, many ports that do exist run poorly. As much as people joke about remakes "destroying their childhood," the artifacts are in fact their childhood and it is partly to preserve that, that we preserve the artifact. However, maybe sometimes we must recognize that one method of preservation is putting the FF7 disc in a case behind glass, and another way is to plant another tree.
This is such a beautiful story and comparison and I'm humbled that this video made you reflect so deeply on such important issues. I've always appreciated your comments here as they're always incredibly thoughtful. This one is as artful as any I've seen.
You're such a talented writer, and the work you put into this really shows. I've spent a lot of time lately thinking about who I want to be and what parts of myself I'm afraid of, and now you have me wondering how much of this comes from misremembering "the good times" as better than they are. I have to look inwards. For now, though, beyond being a story that was both intensely personal and relatable, this was a great video about historical preservation AND Final Fantasy. You hit it out of the park, and I can't wait for more people to discover you and your work. The audio quality sounded really great, the editing was thoughtful. My only reservation is - you know, you didn't have to throw XV under the bus *that* many times.
Thank you so much for these kind words - I'm really really glad this video resonated with you and others. I put a lot of love and thought into this thing (perhaps more than was reasonable, frankly). Just like with the video about my brother, this essay was an opportunity to explore my own feelings and struggles, and I learned a lot here as well. I was nervous about couching those intensely personal feelings in with these other voices (the academic and game critical ones) and still don't know if that was the right decision or not. In the end, it doesn't matter. Art like this comes from the heart and perhaps with time will create its own regrets. That's okay. Also FF15 is great! I know I joked about it in here, but I played it for like 100+ hours so obviously I liked it more than I'm pretending. That cup noodle hat alone is worth proper respect.
So glad you liked it! These are definitely my favorite videos, but they are far more niche than my straightforward archaeology stuff. I'd love for them to get around a bit more but also understand they aren't for everyone. I loved going on MoAn Inc's channel! That was a really fun interview.
Loved this. Haven’t caught up to your vids. Should’ve had the bell 🔔 on lol. Awesome stuff. Nostalgia and historical preservation is one of the things that keep me anchored to FF7.
Thank you so much! This comment means alot to me. I'd love to get more folks watching this video and the others like it but it may not be in the cards and that's alright
Thank you so much :) I’m really moved by how many people have told me this affected them positively. I know it’s not exactly doing gangbuster numbers on here but that’s okay if it’s meaningful for others and for me
Super interesting, thank you for making this. Subscribed after your Outer Wilds video and this one surpassed expectations. Interesting topic and not bloated like most video game essays on youtube.
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it. I do try to keep them as tight as possible. The temptation to make 4 hour videos is real but also editing that would literally kill me
Fabulous video as always. Gave me a lot to think about. Also I gotta say: "they didn't completely blow it!?" For me, they blew it. Splitting the game, "The Hobbit"-like, into pieces, just to pack it with boring filler and low-stakes additional characters? The constant Sephiroth appearances? Nomura's infestation of weirdo fourth-wall shades? I am basically Sam Drake about the whole thing.
Thank you! The game was definitely polarizing. I know several people who disliked it and others who loved it and they don’t break down along the lines I would have expected. I was excited to see them try something different and mess with us a bit though I absolutely had criticisms about how they pulled it off. Some of those kingdom hearts excesses were present here and I would have liked to see those reined in. Overall though I think it was a net positive for me
Yo, great video dude! Really well made. I'll say too I definitely shared your concern with the remake. Usually, when it comes to remakes I"m not too concerned with what they change, as I feel the original will always be there. But, with this, for me, if they didn't get Aerith right then I wouldn't be able to enjoy it. But, they did it. She was perfect. And, how amazing that we'll always have a whole game where she lives. I have concerns about where they go in the next two installments, but that's a whole nother conversation. Anyway, great video again. Love how you tie it personally to yourself, really inspiring.
Thank you!! Yeah I think it was nothing short of a miracle that they managed to get those key relationships right in this. They could so easily have screwed that up and I think it would have completely ruined the game. It was an especially huge challenge IMO because they went from those relationships being sketched out with a few dozen text boxes into hundreds of voice acted lines of dialogue and still managed it.
You should do final fantasy 16. A major part of the story revolves around a fallen civilization and trying to learn from the past and how some old knowledge is applicable while some isn't.
C64 was the first system I played on as well! It was already quite old at that point, but my first memories are of that system rather than the NES or Atari. I agree with you that the jump to 3D at the start of the PS1/N64 generation was a unique shift that hasn't really happened again.
Preservation is such a more complex topic in archaeology than first meets the eye. In my archaeological experience in the Pacific Northwest, I worked with Coast Salish tribes, who in ancient times, modified trees by bending the branches, so that the trees could be used as markers. Think Bonzai on a much larger scale. Today, those trees are protected, but furthermore, new trees are being altered today, because ultimately, a tree will eventually die. Because trees grow and live on such a large time scale, those new trees need to be started now, so that they will be complete and intact when the current trees pass away. So to preserve the historical feature, a new one must be made to eventually replace it, or eventually, these modified trees will no longer exist and be forgotten.
Seeing these culturally modified trees made me wonder, what are we preserving, when we preserve an artifact? Are we preserving the materials? The wood and clay? Are we preserving the knowledge that it tells us about a time in history and the people it belonged to? Are we preserving a a practice, a belief, a value, a story or symbol? Or are we simply looking for the fingerprint in the clay, to try shake hands with a person who is no longer here? I would say it's a combination of all of the above.
Your essay about the Final Fantasy remake made me think of these trees. In some cases, it's not the artifact itself, but the practice, the movement, the meaning that needs to be preserved and in fact the original artefact may not be able to survive indefinitely. This is especially true of a game like FF7, because, well, it's software. It's a process, like music, a play or a story. It's not simply the thing that records it. While ports of FF7 exist on many platforms, many old games do not have readily available ports. I tried to install Fallout 4 on my computer the other day, a AAA game from 2015, and it's already incompatible with my current hardware and requires various janky fan patches and workarounds to run properly. Additionally, many ports that do exist run poorly.
As much as people joke about remakes "destroying their childhood," the artifacts are in fact their childhood and it is partly to preserve that, that we preserve the artifact. However, maybe sometimes we must recognize that one method of preservation is putting the FF7 disc in a case behind glass, and another way is to plant another tree.
This is such a beautiful story and comparison and I'm humbled that this video made you reflect so deeply on such important issues. I've always appreciated your comments here as they're always incredibly thoughtful. This one is as artful as any I've seen.
I came here from your Somerton response video, glad I found this video to watch next. Great work!!
You're such a talented writer, and the work you put into this really shows. I've spent a lot of time lately thinking about who I want to be and what parts of myself I'm afraid of, and now you have me wondering how much of this comes from misremembering "the good times" as better than they are. I have to look inwards. For now, though, beyond being a story that was both intensely personal and relatable, this was a great video about historical preservation AND Final Fantasy. You hit it out of the park, and I can't wait for more people to discover you and your work. The audio quality sounded really great, the editing was thoughtful. My only reservation is - you know, you didn't have to throw XV under the bus *that* many times.
Thank you so much for these kind words - I'm really really glad this video resonated with you and others. I put a lot of love and thought into this thing (perhaps more than was reasonable, frankly). Just like with the video about my brother, this essay was an opportunity to explore my own feelings and struggles, and I learned a lot here as well. I was nervous about couching those intensely personal feelings in with these other voices (the academic and game critical ones) and still don't know if that was the right decision or not. In the end, it doesn't matter. Art like this comes from the heart and perhaps with time will create its own regrets. That's okay.
Also FF15 is great! I know I joked about it in here, but I played it for like 100+ hours so obviously I liked it more than I'm pretending. That cup noodle hat alone is worth proper respect.
Øæåååå@åå0auuaqq1 hej
TH-cam, why doesn't this have more views? Could the algorithm do its job please? (I came here from MoAn Inc's channel btw!)
So glad you liked it! These are definitely my favorite videos, but they are far more niche than my straightforward archaeology stuff. I'd love for them to get around a bit more but also understand they aren't for everyone.
I loved going on MoAn Inc's channel! That was a really fun interview.
Loved this. Haven’t caught up to your vids. Should’ve had the bell 🔔 on lol. Awesome stuff. Nostalgia and historical preservation is one of the things that keep me anchored to FF7.
Thank you so much! This comment means alot to me. I'd love to get more folks watching this video and the others like it but it may not be in the cards and that's alright
This one really struck a chord with me, another great video!
Thank you so much :) I’m really moved by how many people have told me this affected them positively. I know it’s not exactly doing gangbuster numbers on here but that’s okay if it’s meaningful for others and for me
Yes been waiting for this one!!!
It has arrived!!
Super interesting, thank you for making this. Subscribed after your Outer Wilds video and this one surpassed expectations. Interesting topic and not bloated like most video game essays on youtube.
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it. I do try to keep them as tight as possible. The temptation to make 4 hour videos is real but also editing that would literally kill me
Woah this is a great video!
Thank you so much!
Fabulous video as always. Gave me a lot to think about.
Also I gotta say: "they didn't completely blow it!?" For me, they blew it. Splitting the game, "The Hobbit"-like, into pieces, just to pack it with boring filler and low-stakes additional characters? The constant Sephiroth appearances? Nomura's infestation of weirdo fourth-wall shades? I am basically Sam Drake about the whole thing.
Thank you! The game was definitely polarizing. I know several people who disliked it and others who loved it and they don’t break down along the lines I would have expected. I was excited to see them try something different and mess with us a bit though I absolutely had criticisms about how they pulled it off. Some of those kingdom hearts excesses were present here and I would have liked to see those reined in. Overall though I think it was a net positive for me
Yo, great video dude! Really well made. I'll say too I definitely shared your concern with the remake. Usually, when it comes to remakes I"m not too concerned with what they change, as I feel the original will always be there. But, with this, for me, if they didn't get Aerith right then I wouldn't be able to enjoy it. But, they did it. She was perfect. And, how amazing that we'll always have a whole game where she lives. I have concerns about where they go in the next two installments, but that's a whole nother conversation. Anyway, great video again. Love how you tie it personally to yourself, really inspiring.
Thank you!! Yeah I think it was nothing short of a miracle that they managed to get those key relationships right in this. They could so easily have screwed that up and I think it would have completely ruined the game. It was an especially huge challenge IMO because they went from those relationships being sketched out with a few dozen text boxes into hundreds of voice acted lines of dialogue and still managed it.
Finally out!!!! Good job 🤩
Thank you!!
You should do final fantasy 16. A major part of the story revolves around a fallen civilization and trying to learn from the past and how some old knowledge is applicable while some isn't.
I’m working my way through the game slowly now! I haven’t decided if I’ll do a video about it but it would be interesting. Definitely a possibility
my man
It is done... it is done
hell yeah let's goooooooo
Hoping you love it :)
Great vid!
Thank you so much!
thank you. i think i needed this (i know that sounds generic, but i'm pretty sure it's true).
I’m glad it was here for you, and there’s no need to say more. It means a lot to me to hear
I've been gaming since the C64 and consider the PS1 to be the biggest signle advance in consoles before or since.
C64 was the first system I played on as well! It was already quite old at that point, but my first memories are of that system rather than the NES or Atari. I agree with you that the jump to 3D at the start of the PS1/N64 generation was a unique shift that hasn't really happened again.
@@ArchaeologyTube Oh my gosh thanks for the thoughtful reply.
You're always welcome!
Tl;DW - Money
Oh wow.. I hope there’s a lot more here than that