http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ne...ves-videogames
A friend of mine just alerted me to this article.
Sounds like it's worth a visit next time I have the opportunity.
Videogame Museum opens in NY
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ne...ves-videogames
A friend of mine just alerted me to this article.
Sounds like it's worth a visit next time I have the opportunity.
I'm not sure the industry is old enough yet to justify a museum. But it's still cool to preserve the stuff for the future.
I personally think it is... specially having in count the amount of systems and collectible articles there are out thereOriginally Posted by TonyTheTiger
Definitely something i need to scout out next time im in NY.
If we can have a Museum of Broadcast History (TV and Radio); a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum; and a Cartoon Art Museum, I don't see why videogames can't be enshrined in a similar manner.
Still Around...Still Gamin'...
I'm not saying that something needs to be 400 years old before it warrants a museum. But each of those things are all older than video games by at least a few decades. It's an interesting prospect, sure. But, depending on what it looks like, it could be seen as a bit "thin" on the history that is expected from a museum.
It would just feel a bit weird to see a particular retro console enshrined when I have one I regularly play in my basement.
Maybe I'm just splitting hairs between "museum" and "exhibit."
Of course video games deserve their own museums. It is a huge industry which has had a significant impact on the world in both a commercial and in an artistic way. In addition, they have literally consumed billions of dollars and millions of hours of time. Just because something is only 40 years old doesn't mean it's not worthy. Heck, look at how many museums are devoted to the computer and really it's only been a consumer product for what, 30 or so years?I'm not saying that something needs to be 400 years old before it warrants a museum. But each of those things are all older than video games by at least a few decades. It's an interesting prospect, sure. But, depending on what it looks like, it could be seen as a bit "thin" on the history that is expected from a museum.
It would just feel a bit weird to see a particular retro console enshrined when I have one I regularly play in my basement.
Maybe I'm just splitting hairs between "museum" and "exhibit."
I was assuming the museum opened up in NYC but it is actually in Rochester, NY which is pretty far upstate.
http://www.ncheg.org/
Well, Google and other internet search sites are huge, too. But a History Channel special about the "History of Google" would come off as silly to me. A G4 or Discovery Channel special about the "Growth of Google," however, would not come across as silly to me. It's all about how it's presented. Again, maybe I'm splitting hairs but a "museum" usually implies historical significance. Other than making a shit load of money, video games haven't really had a whole lot of impact on society outside of providing a new venue for entertainment (and doing it extremely well). Computers, however, changed the world in just about every way imaginable. And they're still older than 40 years.
I know I'm splitting hairs. A video game exhibit showing off all the little details of the industry sounds neat. I'd go.
Last edited by TonyTheTiger; 03-19-2009 at 03:01 PM.
Whether it's justified or not, I'm glad it exists. I'll be in Rochester on Monday and I'm checking it out!
Mr. TonyTheTrademark,
Google is a company, not an industry. If we're going to talk about significance, clearly we should note there is a transformative effect of net searches on society.
I would agree that, thus far, video games are somewhat limited in their effect on society, but that's because interactive mediums including video games aren't really fully developed yet. They're a treasure trove to cultural studies people and historians already.
And anyhow, if the Museum of Bad Art gets a mention in the first five pages of Google, surely vidya gaemz deserve a spot there too. Maybe on Yahoo too.
Lies.
I'm aware that Google is not an industry. But my point was that it would seem awkward, at least to me, to see The History Channel's lineup consist of "World War II: Another Documentary," "The History of Google," and "The Samurai Tradition." Seeing something like a retrospective on Google's rise on The Discovery Channel, however, would make perfect sense to me. Maybe it is just my perception, but The Discovery Channel or G4 or something sounds to be a much more appropriate venue for something like that. The actual content of the TV special could be exactly the same. I was making an analogy of venues rather than directly comparing Google and video games.
That would then support the argument that video games are yet not old enough, wouldn't it?
I personally think it remains to be seen exactly how much potential video games have to shape society. They might have as much potential as movies. They might have as much potential as board games. Video games are sort of the bastard child of both.
For the record, I'm also using "shaping society" in a broad sense. Casablanca is an amazing film but, outside of influencing other filmmakers and storytellers, I'm not exactly sure I can say it had a part in "shaping society." I think we can say that film itself helped shape society a lot easier than we can point to a particular instance of film that did. The same is probably going to be true for gaming.
Uh...I'm not following. This was never about what's deserving of a spot on Google.
But as for the Museum of Bad Art, I think that if the word "museum" is what people insist on using then fine. In this case I think it's satirical. I'm just saying that, to me, "Museum of Video Games" clashes with my most basic interpretation of what a museum is. It'd be a weird feeling walking through a museum and saying "I have that."
well its a fine idea that will turn a profit not sure it qualifies as a museum but I wouldn't know what else to call it. I'm sure it would be fun to walk around if it was done right.
I think that's really it. If not a museum, what do you call it? It'll be a nice exhibit regardless.
I think it could be a lot of fun or it could be like walking around your bedroom, i keep picturing the cave men from monh in new york frozen in time hitting a 2600 with clubs for some reason. If it wasn't a 4 day drive from here Id think about going just to see it.
It all depends on how its done. If they manage to gather all the earliest examples of video games, which is pretty much anything from 1947-1970, then it will be super cool. If the oldest video game they have in there is Computer Space, I'll be less than impressed.
Awkward?
Hang on a second there Swiss Tony. I'll hop in my car and go visit the western front where samurai are cutting Soviet tanks and each other in half with the power of bushido and bamboo!
Fun fact - video games have existed about half of the time between now and WWII. Google is just over a decade old.
Man, what's this crap I hear about museums for movies? They're not even a fraction as old as cave paintings. NO SIGNIFICANCE
Either you're missing my point or being facetious. Either way I'll leave it at that.
And then there's the third possibility: It's retarded to argue that video games don't deserve their own museum when movies and all sorts of other light entertainments have their own.
If games museums don't get started now, future collections will just be tons of busted up crap anyhow.
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