Mayhem
11-16-2003, 12:53 PM
Level X exhibition starting on December 4th, 2003 in Tokyo
"Nintendo will hold an exhibition called Level X commemorating the Famicom's 20 year anniverary. Level X will take place at Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography from December 4th to February 8th; the exhibition will have in display all Famicom related stuff, from games to peripherals like ROB or the Twin Famicom."
The Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography today announced plans for an unusual videogame exhibition, to run from December 4 through February 8 of next year. The purpose of the exhibition, entitled "Level X," is to display one of every videogame ever made in Japan for Nintendo's Famicom console, alongside other exhibits on the history of gaming in Japan.
There's only one problem, though. The event's organizers have been unable to secure permission to display perhaps two dozen games out of the more than 1200 made for the system, because their creators and copyright holders have long since faded into the ether.
As such, if you are aware of the fate of any of the following Japanese software publishers, and particularly to whom their copyrights may have passed after their demise, the Association for Copyright of Computer Software seeks your assistance via the contact information located here (we'll assume that if you can help, you probably know Japanese). The listing is as follows:
A-WAVE
Angel
Athena
BI
BPS
Debi Soft
EAST CUBE
Hecto
Hero
High Score Media Work
HotB
Human
IGS
Imax
Induction Produce
Takeru
Technos Japan
Toaplan
TSS
UPL
Varie
Yonezawa
Youth
We apologize for any failures of Romanization, but checking the spelling of decades-dead Japanese companies is difficult.
Regardless of the exhibition's current difficulties with loose copyright ends, it looks as if it will be a fascinating display of videogame history. If you're in the neighborhood this winter -- the museum is located in Tokyo's Meguro district, and you can check out its official site as well -- it should be worth a visit. "
"As most of you are no doubt aware, videogames have been a staple in Japan for a long time now, and as the medium expands and evolves, more and more serious attention is being given to it. An example of this is a recently announced exhibit at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography. The museam has announced that it will be hosting an exhibit that examines the short but tumultuous history of this burgeoning art form and its impact on popular culture. Titled Level X, the exhibition will take over the lower floor of the museum, with emphasis being given to the Famicom (the Japanese version of the NES), which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. The exhibit will feature a timeline of the Famicom, from its original iteration two decades ago to the very last machine that rolled off the production line when manufacture of the console ended last September.
As one of the main attractions of the exhibit, the organizers are planning to display copies of all 1,200+ games that were released for Nintendo's machine, several of which will be present in either playable or video form. Creators will receive some of the spotlight too, as the exhibit will include pre-recorded interviews with such notable game creators as Shigeru Miyamoto, Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri, Earthbound director Shigesato Itoi, Dragon Quest director Yuji Horii and several more. It's not all going to be about the Famicom though: several modern games on all three current consoles will also be on display. Level X will run at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography from December 4th to February 8th. "
"Nintendo will hold an exhibition called Level X commemorating the Famicom's 20 year anniverary. Level X will take place at Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography from December 4th to February 8th; the exhibition will have in display all Famicom related stuff, from games to peripherals like ROB or the Twin Famicom."
The Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography today announced plans for an unusual videogame exhibition, to run from December 4 through February 8 of next year. The purpose of the exhibition, entitled "Level X," is to display one of every videogame ever made in Japan for Nintendo's Famicom console, alongside other exhibits on the history of gaming in Japan.
There's only one problem, though. The event's organizers have been unable to secure permission to display perhaps two dozen games out of the more than 1200 made for the system, because their creators and copyright holders have long since faded into the ether.
As such, if you are aware of the fate of any of the following Japanese software publishers, and particularly to whom their copyrights may have passed after their demise, the Association for Copyright of Computer Software seeks your assistance via the contact information located here (we'll assume that if you can help, you probably know Japanese). The listing is as follows:
A-WAVE
Angel
Athena
BI
BPS
Debi Soft
EAST CUBE
Hecto
Hero
High Score Media Work
HotB
Human
IGS
Imax
Induction Produce
Takeru
Technos Japan
Toaplan
TSS
UPL
Varie
Yonezawa
Youth
We apologize for any failures of Romanization, but checking the spelling of decades-dead Japanese companies is difficult.
Regardless of the exhibition's current difficulties with loose copyright ends, it looks as if it will be a fascinating display of videogame history. If you're in the neighborhood this winter -- the museum is located in Tokyo's Meguro district, and you can check out its official site as well -- it should be worth a visit. "
"As most of you are no doubt aware, videogames have been a staple in Japan for a long time now, and as the medium expands and evolves, more and more serious attention is being given to it. An example of this is a recently announced exhibit at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography. The museam has announced that it will be hosting an exhibit that examines the short but tumultuous history of this burgeoning art form and its impact on popular culture. Titled Level X, the exhibition will take over the lower floor of the museum, with emphasis being given to the Famicom (the Japanese version of the NES), which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. The exhibit will feature a timeline of the Famicom, from its original iteration two decades ago to the very last machine that rolled off the production line when manufacture of the console ended last September.
As one of the main attractions of the exhibit, the organizers are planning to display copies of all 1,200+ games that were released for Nintendo's machine, several of which will be present in either playable or video form. Creators will receive some of the spotlight too, as the exhibit will include pre-recorded interviews with such notable game creators as Shigeru Miyamoto, Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri, Earthbound director Shigesato Itoi, Dragon Quest director Yuji Horii and several more. It's not all going to be about the Famicom though: several modern games on all three current consoles will also be on display. Level X will run at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography from December 4th to February 8th. "