World’s largest interactive video game exhibition opens this weekend

GAME ON

29 June to 3 November 2024

National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh

Tickets are available to book at nms.ac.uk/GameOn

The world’s largest interactive exhibition of the culture and history of video games opens at the National Museum of Scotland this weekend. Game On brings together over 100 playable games spanning 50 years. It features iconic characters from Space Invaders to Mario and highlights Scotland’s role as a pioneer and world leader in video game development.

Game On presents Scotland as home to some of the most innovative and influential game makers, including Rockstar Games, creators of the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption series.

Objects from the developer’s archive will be displayed for the first time, including limited edition merchandise and a ‘Key to Liberty City’, awarded to players who completed 100% of Grand Theft Auto IV within one week of the game’s release in 2008. Only 500 were ever made.

“Scotland has played an instrumental part in the evolution of video games as a medium,” said Jennifer Kolbe, Head of Publishing at Rockstar Games. “We’re excited to help the National Museum of Scotland reveal more about the nation’s contributions to this thriving aspect of modern culture.”

The exhibition reveals the story of Scottish gaming, from its roots in Dundee in the 1980s with the manufacture of the ZX Spectrum computer to emerging talent such as Sad Owl Studios, whose game Viewfinder was awarded Best British Game at the Bafta Game Awards 2024. Visitors will also discover the important role Scottish studio, 4J studios played in making Minecraft a global phenomenon.

Game On is curated and toured by Barbican Immersive. The exhibition examines the creative and technological advances that have established gaming as a new art form.

Patrick Moran, Game On Associate Curator, said: ““The gaming world has had an undeniable social, cultural, and technological impact. Games transcend the boundaries between art and technology, becoming part of popular culture.

“Game On presents the opportunity to not only see the evolution of video games and how they have changed over time but also to immerse yourself inside gaming worlds with over 100 playable games.

“The show features the largest playable collection in the world, including original arcades, hand-held consoles, and key games, including Pac-Man, Super Mario, Tetris, Sonic the Hedgehog, Just Dance and FIFA.

“The exhibition also explores new advances in the gaming world. Highly interactive, groundbreaking and popular, Game On is engaging for hardcore gamers and visitors new to gaming. Crucially, the show is suitable for players of all ages.”

The National Museum of Scotland was the exhibition’s very first touring venue in 2002, and Game On has since been visited by over 5 million people of all ages in 25 cities around the world.

Dr Geoff Belknap, Keeper of Science and Technology at National Museums Scotland, said: “It’s great to welcome Game On back to the National Museum of Scotland. As someone in charge of Scotland’s national science and technology collections, it’s exciting to explore the country’s incredible contribution to gaming, past and present.

“I’m delighted to bring Scottish independent games to a new audience, including The Longest Walk, a pioneering project exploring the experience of living with mental health issues and Highland Song, a beautiful adventure through the Scottish landscape. The exhibition has been continually updated at each new touring venue since the early 2000s and so we look forward to bringing the story of video gaming right up to date here in Scotland, where the industry today is so vibrant.”

Chris van der Kuyl, Chairman of 4J Studios, said: ““Scotland is driving innovation in the games industry. The National Museum of Scotland’s new exhibition, Game On, is a fantastic showcase of this pioneering sector and its significant cultural contributions.

“We’re proud that 4J Studio’s achievements are displayed alongside some of Scotland’s most innovative developers, to inspire the next generation of creators and ensure that Scotland continues to punch above its weight on the world stage.”

The exhibition is organised in thematic sections, exploring hardware formats such as handheld to home consoles to arcade machines, as well as wider cultural aspects such as the links between music, film and gaming.

A programme of public events will support the exhibition, including a Museum Late, relaxed viewings for those with sensory needs and family-focused activities to inspire videogaming’s next generation of creators.

Major video game exhibition to open in Edinburgh next summer

Game On 

29 June to 3 November 2024 

nms.ac.uk/GameOn 

Game On, the largest interactive exhibition of the history and the culture of video games, will return to Edinburgh next summer.

The exhibition, featuring iconic characters and games ranging from Space Invaders to Sonic the Hedgehog and Mario to Minecraft, runs from 29 June to 3 November 2024 at the National Museum of Scotland. 

Game On, an exhibition conceived and curated by Barbican Immersive, examines the creative and technological advances that have established a new medium and artform. In Game On, visitors explore gaming’s rich history by playing many of the key games produced over the last 50 years.  

The exhibition will open over 20 years after the National Museum of Scotland was its very first touring venue in October 2002, after its initial opening run at the Barbican in London.  

Since then, over five million people of all ages, have visited this highly interactive exhibition in 24 cities around the world. 

Patrick Moran, Game On Associate Curator, said: “The gaming world has had an undeniable social, cultural, and technological impact. Games transcend the boundaries between art and technology, becoming part of popular culture. 

Game On presents the opportunity to not only see the evolution of video games and how they have diversified, but also lets to immerse yourself inside the gaming world allowing you to play with over 100 playable games.

“The show features the largest playable collection in the world, including original arcade, handle hand, and console games, including Pac-Man, Super Mario, Tetris, Minecraft, Just Dance and FIFA.

“The exhibition also explores new advances in the gaming world. Highly interactive, all action, groundbreaking and popular, Game On is engaging for hardcore gamers and visitors new to the gaming, the show is suitable for players of all ages.” 

Dr Geoff Belknap, Keeper of Science and Technology at National Museums Scotland said: “It’s great to welcome Game On back to the National Museum of Scotland.

“As someone in charge of science and technology collections, it’s exciting to see the rapid changes in gaming technologies over the last 20 years reflected in this exhibition through objects which I used to have in my own living room. 

“The exhibition has been continually updated at each new touring venue since the early 2000s, when the show was first in Edinburgh, and so we look forward to bringing the story of video gaming right up to date here in Scotland, where the industry today is so vibrant. 

The exhibition is organised in thematic sections, inviting visitors to explore game design and technological parallels across the decades.

The sections explore different types of gaming, from handheld to home console to arcade machines across a range of genres, as well as wider cultural aspects such as the links between gaming and both music and film. 

The exhibition will be supported by a programme of public events.