Game on! London exhibition celebrates the history of video games

Cthippo · 21 Oct 2006

AFP said:

LONDON - The Science Museum in London will launch the first exhibition dedicated to the history of video games, with fans able to put their old skills to the test on more than 120 classics.

"It's very rare to be able to have the whole of an industry on display, from the early conception to the latest product," said Heather Mayfield, deputy head of the Science Museum.

The exhibition, which runs to February 25 and is entitled "Game On", will showcase Wii, Nintendo's new, seventh-generation video game console, to be launched on November 19 in the United States and December 8 in Europe.

David Yarnton, the general manager of Nintendo UK, told AFP: "It will come to the exhibition, but not before early November."

Visitors working their way around the 13 rooms can turn back time by getting their hands on "Spacewar!" one of the earliest video games for a digital computer, created in 1962 by Steve Russell at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Arcade games line the walls. Among them is the 1971 game "Computer Space," generally accepted as the world's first commercially-sold, coin-operated video game, and "Pong," a basic version of table tennis and often considered as the world's first arcade game, which was launched in 1972.

Visitors can try older two-dimension platform games, often in black and white with simple computer music, such as "Space Invaders," "Pac-Man" and "Donkey Kong," which progressively gave way to "Mario Bros.," "Zelda" and more recently "Pokemon" -- more technical colour games packed with fast-moving action.

Louis, 12, struggled to play the basic 1980s version of "Donkey Kong" on a four-button console.

Minutes later, he excels in cyber-space on "Gradus."

"I didn't know either game before but Gradus is easy to grasp. It's easier and funnier," he declared.

Simulation games are also represented. "SimCity", released in 1993, went through three reincarnations before becoming "The Sims" in 2000.

Football games from the 1990s pale in comparison with the technology on show in the games released for the 2006 World Cup.

The exhibition also dedicates rooms to hand-held consoles, from early versions with liquid crystal displays and tinny music, which evolved into modern consoles with three-dimensional colour games.

Some video games have gone on to become films, such as "Mario Bros." and "Tomb Raider."

Game On has already been successfully exhibited in several countries, including the United States, Sweden and
Israel.

According to a December 2005 survey in Britain, 59 percent of six- to 65-year-olds had played a video game in the past six months. Some 55 percent of video game players were men and the average age of a British player was 28.
Click to expand...

Anyone going to this?

cpemma · 22 Oct 2006

Cthippo said:

Anyone going to this?
Click to expand...

Only virtually.

atanum141 · 23 Oct 2006

Yeah, last time i went to the science museum was when i was little, that place is great tho. But i'd rather not pay to get in.

tacticus · 23 Oct 2006

frak they have spacewar i wonder if it is running on a pdp

wonder if it will come to australia some time in the future

Agent_M · 23 Oct 2006

i'll be going over the christmas holidays, the wii should be there by then, and as i dont have the money to buy it i can play it there

the science museum is free to get in, at least last time i went, the show is £6.50 with consessions or £8.50 normal price, worth it to me

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Game on! London exhibition celebrates the history of video games

Cthippo Can't mod my way out of a paper bag

cpemma Ecky thump

atanum141 I fapped to your post!

tacticus What's a Dremel?

Agent_M Minimodder

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Game on! London exhibition celebrates the history of video games

Cthippo Can't mod my way out of a paper bag

cpemma Ecky thump

atanum141 I fapped to your post!

tacticus What's a Dremel?

Agent_M Minimodder

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