Looking for a trite top ten list? Too bad; this is another article on videogame preservation. (Read my first post on why game preservation matters here.) But don't worry, fanboys, there will still plenty for you to argue about in the comments, because we're going to take a look at the creation of the Digital Game Canon.

Way back at the Game Developers Conference of 2007, the Game Preservation special interest group of the IGDA convened a panel -- consisting of Henry Lowood (Stanford University), Steve Meretzky (ex-Infocom), Warren Spector (Deus Ex, Thief), Christopher Grant (Joystiq), and Matteo Bittanti -- to discuss their choices for a digital game canon that would provide a starting point for preservation work. (Read more about the Digital Game Canon here, and listen to audio and view slides from the panel here.) Each panelist chose two games, breaking down as follows:

* Henry Lowood (Spacewar!, Warcraft I/II/III)

* Steve Meretzky (Zork I, Civilization I/II)

* Christopher Grant (Super Mario Brothers 3, Doom)

* Matteo Bittanti (SimCity, Sensible World of Soccer)

* Warren Spector (Star Raiders, Tetris)

The panelists picked their games on a variety of grounds. Perhaps the gameplay was pitch-perfect, or the game provided a technological breakthrough. Maybe the title was emblematic of a genre or just fun to play. Throughout, one common thread emerged: Each panelist felt a personal connection to their games. For these reasons and others, they felt their choices represented a significant addition both to gaming and to the culture at large.

Archivists are now working to preserve some of these games and the creative processes that formed them. It's a tricky task -- what exactly should be included in preserving a game is still up for debate -- but lucky for most of us, we can simply shout from the sidelines.

So my question for you is: What two games would you add to the Digital Game Canon and why?

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