Game On!
The History, Culture and Future of Videogames
West Coast Premiere
September 30, 2005 - January 2, 2006
Developed by the Barbican Museum in London, Game On is making its West Coast Premiere at The Tech. Be sure to experience this highly interactive exhibit while its in town! The Game On Exhibit examines videogames from the game design process, to the culture among gamers and beyond. Come experience the past forty years of electronic gaming, play over 100 games and be inspired to be the next innovator to make your mark in this exploding industry.
- Conrad Bodman, Barbican Exhibition Curator in London, England
Sponsored by The Tech Emeritus Board.
If you love videogames, be sure not to miss The Tech's 4th Annual Maxgames Videogame Tournament on Saturday, October 8. With Pizza Chats with industry professionals, Red vs. Blue, and the Game On Exhibit, this is the year to be at Maxgames 2005.
Early Arcade Games
The kick-off of the electronic gaming revolution. Starting with 1962's Spacewar! - the first game designed on a computer with a monitor - this section traces the development of games from their birth in the research labs of America, out into the public domain of pizza parlors, bars and arcades (1962 - 1982).
Playable games include Asteroids, Ms Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Space Invaders and Space Wars.
Game Consoles
Discover the history behind PlayStation 2, GameCube and Xbox, and trace the evolution of the console from 1972 to the present day and beyond. The ten key console platforms that revolutionized game play are on display here.
Games Families
Explore how and why different gaming genres have developed. Divided into Thought Games, Action Games and Simulation Games, this section sheds new light onto the development of games families.
Playable games include Mario 64, Secret of Monkey Island, Bubble Bobble, Adventure, Animal Crossing and R-Types.
The Making and Marketing of Games
Find out how your favorite games are made by following the development of six of the most popular games of recent times - Grand Theft Auto III (Rockstar Games), the Pokémon phenomenon (GameFreak), The Sims (Maxis), Tomb Raider (Core Design) and Dragons Lair (Don Bluth Studios).
Games Culture - USA and Europe
Games have reflected and influenced culture from their beginning. This thought provoking section examines the true extent of their influence and implication. Explore issues such as violence in gaming and the relationship between games and the military. It also looks at independent games and the contribution of sports games.
Playable games include Metroid Prime, Links Golf 2004, Jak and Daxter and Burnout 3.
Games Culture - Japan
Explore Japan’s distinct contribution to the world of gaming, including Manga (comic book artwork) influenced games with their unique look and play - characterized by cute stylized characters. Also immerse in the popularity of dating and life simulation games, and look at how games are culturally converted for overseas consumption.
Playable games include: Go by Train!, Steel Battalion, Sailor Moon, and Dragonball Z.
Character Design
This section looks at the development of videogaming’s most famous characters - Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog - and the designers who created them.
Kids Games
Explore the rich history of games designed for younger children, and take advantage of a special area designed for 3 - 5 year olds to play recently released titles.
Playable games include Hey You Pikachu, Simon, Speak and Spell and Bob the Builder.
Sound
More than 50 recorded tracks demonstrate how sound and music have given life to a variety of games throughout game history. As well as games that use sound as a major part of the gaming experience.
Cinema
Games have been linked to films since the 1970s. Many games have even been adapted into feature length films - some more successfully than others. Here you’ll look at the relationship between the two media, from the days of the early arcade games based on movies to today's home consoles.
Playable games include Star Wars.
Multiplayer Games
The introduction of the World Wide Web - allowing multiplayer, online play -is one of the most important recent trends, and has truly changed the gaming landscape. Explore some of the most popular online games - often played by many thousands of people simultaneously.
Playable games include Warlords, Super Smash Bros Melee and Saturn Bomberman.
Magazines
Peruse first editions and rare issues of gaming magazines such as Crash, Edge, Computer and Videogames and many more.
James Gooding Photographs
See a display of James Gooding’s portrait photographs of gamers.
Future Technology
Discover emerging trends and technologies in gaming, and visualize what the future of the industry may look like. See the latest Japanese communication games, like Doko Demo Issyo, as well as Sony’s Eyetoy which makes it possible to physically participate in games and TrackIR a device which more freedom within games. This section also includes Vectrex Imager, the Nintendo Powerglove and a Virtual Reality headset prototype - reminders of what the future was meant to look like.
Screening Room
Here’s an opportunity to catch up with all those recent television documentaries that you might have missed, as well a selection of game influenced pop videos, FMV’s and Machinema (digital movies created by online game players).
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Game On was organized by Barbican Art Gallery, London in collaboration with the National Museums of Scotland. Sponsored by The Tech Emeritus Board. |