Old Games for New

One of the most reliable inspirations for the creation of new games are old ones - usually, the older, the better. Old games don't need play testing. Nor do you have to worry about copyright infringement.

I guess organizations like the Cooperman Company, who recreate and market old games, toys, musical instruments, and other accessories of yore, could be considered another kind of recycling effort - bringing the past into the present.

The image accompanying this article is of a set of clay marbles. The Coopermans caution the naive buyer about the nature of these marbles: "they are not perfectly round nor are they perfectly consistent in size." Which, oddly enough, adds to, rather than diminishes their play value. Not so oddly, actually. When you think about it. And about marbles. Especially if you take into account that there must be A Million Ways to Play Marbles, At Least.

I spent much of the day yesterday at the Western Toy and Hobby Show, and I saw at least three examples of the wisdom of conceptual recycling - traditional games, repackaged, and slightly updated, to bring a new gift of fun to the marketplace.

Though Cooperman's purpose is somewhat more pedagogically grounded - giving kids a chance to experience the past through artifacts - the play value of their re-creations remains wonderfully intact.