Join us on Saturday, August 18, 1--5 p.m., for two panel discussions that will focus on the challenges and opportunities in preserving video games. (See our online calendar for more information.)

Preserving and conserving digital media is a fascinating challenge that museums have been wrestling with for some time. I found it surprising that many of the game companies I talked to about The Art of Video Games exhibition did not have access to content from their older games. Some didn't even have records. One talked vaguely about a warehouse somewhere. While the rapid pace of technology development has led to some incredible artistic achievements over the last 40+ years, it also means we are running out of time to preserve old games and the means by which to play them.

Do you think art museums should collect video games? What does it mean to collect and preserve a video game? How should video games be displayed in a museum context? What are the challenges in dealing with old technologies? Should we just stop worrying about it and use emulators ;)?

Museum experts, industry leaders, and the exhibition curator will talk about all of these issues and more from 1 - 5 p.m. on Saturday, August 18 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Hope to see you there! The program will be webcast, check our website for more information.

Exhibition Coordinator, The Art of Video Games

We held a Pac-Man tournament on August 4 to see who could get the highest score in just 4 minutes. Over 50 people played, and there were some very impressive results! Here are the top ten - congrats! The top two will be hearing from me about their prizes.

1. Nicolai: 21,020
2. Nate: 14,880
3. Mark: 14,770
4. Charles: 14,430
5. Mike: 14,100
6. Tim M: 13,620
7. Mark: 13,450
8. Ari: 12,600
9. Michael: 12,300
10. Clayton: 11,990  

GameFest 2.0


DON'T FORGET! GameFest 2.0 will take place on Saturday, September 8. This will be your last chance to join us for live action game-play, crafts, scavenger hunts, and open-play consoles, as well as a talk by video game pioneer Don Daglow and a discussion with Chris Melissinos and me about putting the exhibition together (bring your best questions!).

GameFest 2.0 will take place at the museum from 11:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Chris and I will talk in the auditorium at noon, and Don will follow us at 2 p.m. with a talk about electronic gaming before Pong. Check the online calendar for more info.

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Smithsonian American Art Museum

P.O. Box 37012

Washington, D.C. 20013