VGMaps

Infobox Website
name = VGMaps
favicon =



caption = The current design of VGMaps.com's main page
url = http://www.vgmaps.com
commercial =
type = Video Game
registration =
owner = Jonathan Leung
author =
launch date = May 6, 2002
current status =
revenue =

VGMaps.com: The Video Game Atlas, or simply VGMaps (as in "Video Game Maps") is a website with a collection of maps for various video games. Most of these maps are screenshot maps; maps created by taking various screenshots of a game and then assembling them into one image with an image editing program such as Microsoft Paint. This method works well for games with 2D graphics, but will not work for 3D games. Because of this, the maps at VGMaps are primarily from older gaming systems, such as the NES, Super NES, and the Game Boy line of handhelds. However, the site accepts maps for any platform.

The maps are assembled by average gamers, and then submitted to the site's owner Jonathan Leung. He in turn puts the maps on the website for all to see. Those who submit the maps receive nothing in return. They do have the chance to receive the occasional honour of having their maps recognized in the "Maps of the Month" feature.

History

The website launched in 2002 as "The Online Video Game Atlas" by Jonathan Leung, with a handful of screenshot maps that he assembled himself. The site grew gradually but steadily as other people contributed maps of their own. As the site's collection grew, so did the site's popularity.

In The Media

Although VGMaps had humble beginnings, it has grown in popularity immensely. As people found the site, many would link to it in their blogs and on various message boards. Eventually the site started to draw the attention of major video game websites, such as Joystiq, commenting that "it's great to be able to see just what those levels looked like in all their glory." [ [http://www.joystiq.com/2005/03/20/maps-of-the-stars/ Joystiq's overview of the site] ] Other blogs such as Boing Boing [ [http://www.boingboing.net/2005/03/19/gigantic-videogame-l.html Boing Boing links to the site] ] began linking to it also. Popular technology news site Slashdot had an article about the site, calling it "a very worthy site that's sure to stoke the fires of nostalgia." [ [http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/03/21/1633236&tid=10 Slashdot article on VGMaps.com] ]

The media coverage of VGMaps reached a new high when G4TV's Attack of the Show had a segment that showcased the site. [ [http://vgmaps.com/Reviews/InTheMedia-G4TV.htm Transcript and pictures of Attack of the Show's coverage of the website] ] Kevin Pereira showed the screenshot map of the NES game A Boy and His Blob as a sampling of the maps on the site. The subsequent influx of visitors that followed severely taxed VGMaps's hosting server.

Legality

The map content on VGMaps crosses into potentially dangerous legal ground. Because the screenshot maps often contain material from copyrighted video games, some have feared that those developers might attempt to ask Jonathan Leung to remove content from his site. In 2005, his map for the NES version of Maniac Mansion caught the attention of Ron Gilbert, one of the creators of the game. Far from condemning it, he posted a link to the site on his Grumpy Gamer blog. So far, VGMaps has had no complaints from any game companies, and may even be covered by Fair Use.

References