Game On exhibition showing at ACMI

PALGN News | Play your way through the history of videogames.

The recently deceased writer Kurt Vonegut Jnr said that “history is merely a list of surprises. It can only prepare us to be surprised yet again.” The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) at Melbourne’s Federation Square is set show us some of what has surprised gamers over the years with the gaming expo Game On.

The exhibition, which is arranged and toured by London’s Barbican Art Gallery, showcases titles from the interactive medium’s inception to current times. Beyond simply supplying visitors with a look at how games have progressed, Game On also aims to inform attendees of the goings on behind the titles that have shaped gaming’s landscape. Objects such as Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto’s original illustrations to concept sketches for titles like Tomb Raider and Grand Theft Auto are presented to give an insight into the creative processes behind some of the medium’s most loved titles. Along with these, the exhibition will have some highly collectible gaming paraphernalia on show. From rare consoles and controllers to packaging and collectibles, the ephemera and artifacts of gaming culture will flesh out the picture of the pastime.

Game On is showing from Thursday 6 March 2008 until Sunday 13 July 2008. Tickets can be purchased from ACMI beginning sometime in February.