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‘Tomb Raider and Lara Croft’ © & TM Core Design Limited 2002-2003.
Courtesy of Eidos Interactive Limited.
All Rights Reserved.

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Anne Paterson

An interactive history

Game On at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) is an exciting exploration and celebration of the development of video/computer game technology from the earliest electronic game, Spacewar, in 1962, played on a giant computer, to present day games and into the future. Game On looks closely at the relationship between design and culture. It examines the many areas of design in this industry, such as graphics, illustration, animation, sound, game design and technology, game consoles and much more.

Game On also examines the importance of computer game culture and its place in society; how it borrows from other forms of creativity such as television, music and movies: for example, GoldenEye (Rare), Star Wars (Atari) and Discs of Tron (Bally Midway), and, conversely, the way in which other creative fields are influenced by games such as Tomb Raider (Core Design) and Resident Evil (Capcom) which have become successful movies. Game On also looks at the impact of particular film genres such as anime and comic genres such as manga.

Game on exhibition at ACMI

International exhibition at ACMI
This is a worldwide exhibition, originating in London at the Barbican Gallery in 2002. It has already toured the United States, Europe and Asia and more than a million people have seen it. Just like computer games’ design and technology, this exhibition has evolved to keep pace with ongoing developments in the industry.

The Sims © Electronic Arts Inc. 2002

120 playable games on show
Game On is definitely hands on - a totally interactive experience. We are invited to play! There are over 120 of the most famous video games ever made, in one place and playable. ACMI is the only cultural institution in Australia with a dedicated exhibition space for video games, known as the Games Lab. This comprehensive exhibition is divided into sections which showcase specific areas within the realm of game design and technology, such as Early Arcade Games, Games Consoles, Games Families, Sound, Cinema, Games Culture - USA, Europe and Asia, Multiplayer Games, Online Games and Machinima, Kids’ Games, Character Design, The Making and Marketing of Games, and Future Technology. Running simultaneously with the exhibition, is a rich programme of associated events including gamerthons, watching game artists at work (Tantalus, Interactive), game memorabilia (www.acmi.net.au/collectors), debate on violence in games, choosing good games, and a unique feature of this exhibition - Australian-made games such as the 2007 Game of the Year Puzzle Quest (Infinite Interactive), The Hobbit and The Way of the Exploding Fist (Beam Software)(Melbourne House), and Ty the Tasmanian Tiger (Krome Studios).Game On has something for everyone.

Mario © Nintendo Co. Ltd

A showcase of games design
From a designer’s perspective, the Game On landscape is vast and provides an inspiring experience. The exhibition is a superb example of how broadly the term ‘designer’ can be applied. From concept development of characters in the games, for example, Sonic (the Hedgehog) created by Sega’s Yuji Naka, and Mario, created by Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamototo, to the marketing of the packaged product, we are able to examine a comprehensive design process, combining the talents of designers from diverse fields.

Game On
The History and Future of Computer Games and Gaming
ACMI Screen Gallery
Thursday 6 March - Sunday 13 July 2008
10.00 am - 6 pm daily; Thursday nights until 9 pm
Australian Centre for the Moving Image
Federation Square, Flinders Street, Melbourne

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