A Visit to "Game On": The First UK Exhibition to Explore the History of Video Games
by Ren Reynolds, Size of a Planet
Playing Defender is just like riding a bike. Once learned, that Accelerate-Reverse-Fire sequence becomes as natural as breathing, a muscle memory that will stay with you for life. I know this to be a fact because a few days ago I was playing Defender, and Space Invaders, and Galixian and Asteroids. And most of all I was playing Tempest, the first video game that really hooked me. 20 odd years ago, I had to beg my parents to drive me from our remote house in the countryside all the way to the nearest town so I could spend the afternoon in the only arcade that owned Tempest.
Today, all you have to do is go to Game On at London's Barbican gallery and join the queue. Game On, subtitled “The History, Culture and Future of Video Games” isn't just a trip down memory lane for 30-something gamers like me, but the largest collection of video games ever assembled and a must see for anyone with the slightest interest in games and game culture.
GameOn is an impressive ensemble of historic games and platforms, and an interesting look at aspects of game culture and technical innovation. But the really, really cool thing is that 150 or so of the exhibits are playable. Which means whatever your age, you are bound to find the game that got you hooked.
As I wanted to avoid the enviable crowds and get a look at the exhibition before anyone else I knew, I blagged myself a Game On press pass, grabbed my notebook and pen, and joined the throng of cynical hacks and Japanese film crews at the launch event. The 'event' it turned out consisted of three things: a few journalists filming interviews, possibly the worst coffee I have ever tasted, and a lot of people doing to video games what the god of arcades always intended. Having fun playing the things.
I did manage to grab an exclusive IGDA interview with James Gooding who's exhibition of photographs and personal testimonies titled “Players” can be found on the second floor and gives a fascinating incite into the diversity of game players and their relationship with games.
So here for the first time is that interview in full:
Me: "Hi, who are you?"
James: "I'm a photographer. I have that exhibition upstairs, do you want to go two player on Defender?"
Me: "Sure!"
At least that’s how I think it went - I'd put down my note pad to play. During the session the guy on Asteroids next to us leaned over and urged us to be a little gentler with the controls. It turned out that this was the owner of the mint condition original consoles we were glibly pounding.
James kicked my ass by the way.
If I do have a reservation about Game On it is the lack of information. For an exhibition that must have taken a huge amount of curatorial effort, Game On is very thin on words. The exhibition space is split into themes: Early Computers and Arcade Games; The Making and Marketing of Games; Game Culture Japan; Sound; Cinema etc. However unless you already understand a topic and are interested in looking at artifacts you are not likely to find enlightenment. For example, there is a seemingly fascinating section on Japanese 'social games' I still have no idea what these actually are, what they do or why people like them.
So, OK this was a bit of a let down, but in practice I guess the lack of info will only really be telling if your stuck in a really, really long queue waiting for someone to get off a particular game so you can have a go. And if it’s me on that game? Give me a break, I used to have to travel miles for this thing and I will break my high score…
Game On is at the Barbican until September 15th, 2002. It then travels to Europe, USA and Japan - dates and locations TBA.
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Ren Reynolds is a full time consultant, part time journalist and some time philosopher based in the UK. He is co-founder of the strategic consultancy and ideas shop Size of a Planet.
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