International Center for the History of Electronic Games

02/15/2021

Which video games deserve a place in the World Video Game Hall of Fame? Nominate your favorite game today for consideration in the May 2021 induction. https://www.worldvideogamehalloffame.org/nominate

02/11/2021

Did you love Barbie, Hot Wheels, or Masters of the Universe? Did you spend hours playing Sonic the Hedgehog? Are you a fan of Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg’s newly released “Console Wars”? If so, join us on Thursday, February 25 for Cocktails with the Creators featuring Tom Kalinske former CEO of Mattel, Sega of America, Inc., and Leapfrog. https://www.museumofplay.org/calendar/cocktails-with-the-creators

02/09/2021

Collection: Rainbow Arcade collection | The Strong

The Rainbow Arcade collection in the archives is now available to researchers! These digital materials are related to the Rainbow Arcade exhibition on LGBTQ+ game history hosted by the Schwules Museum in Berlin, Germany from December 2018 - May 2019.

Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play The Strong/> One Manhattan Square Rochester, NY 14607 U.S.A. [email protected]

02/08/2021

The Strong is honored to preserve the work of Jerry Lawson. Lawson is perhaps best known for his pioneering work on the Fairchild Channel F, which was the first commercially released console with programmed swappable cartridges.

02/04/2021

Cocktails with the Creators

Cocktails with the Creators is a live, interactive, online Zoom series featuring the most influential and creative innovators in the video game and toy industries … and cocktails! Join us on Thursday, February 25 for Cocktails with the Creators featuring Tom Kalinske former CEO of Mattel, Sega of America, Inc., and Leapfrog. Tom’s work led to his induction into The Toy Association’s Toy Industry Hall of Fame, which is housed at The Strong!

Cocktails with the Creators is a live, interactive, online Zoom series featuring the most influential and creative innovators in the video game and toy industries … and cocktails! Each episode is co-hosted by The Strong’s play and history experts who guide the conversation and highlight rarely s...

02/02/2021

The Super Mario 3D All Stars Limited-Release Window Closes Soon. What’s Next?

When games are only available for a short period of time, preservation of those titles becomes more difficult. Dan Rockwood of Tech Raptor interviewed JP Dyson and Andrew Borman from The Strong, along with historians and archivists from the Video Game History Foundation and the Game Preservation Society, about Nintendo's recent releases, and what may come in the future.

Should Nintendo put N64, GameCube and other titles on Switch? We interviewed game preservationists about limited-run titles like Super Mario 3D All Stars.

01/27/2021

We are pleased to announce that the Michael and Muffy Berlyn papers are now available to researchers! The Berlyns are a husband-wife team who created games together, such as Oo-Topos, Cyborg, Tass Times in Tonetown, and many others.

Mike also designed the Bubsy and Bubsy 3D games. He and Muffy later worked together on making interactive story mobile games. Their archival collection includes game design documentation, notes, sketches, photos, a/v materials, and more.

Check out the link and finding aid created by The Strong's archivist Julia Novakovic!

http://archives.museumofplay.org/repositories/3/resources/219

01/25/2021

While arcade-to-home conversions were quite popular, the opposite rarely happened. Halo: Fireteam Raven does just that, allowing players to choose from one of four characters in a cooperative campaign. The story take place concurrently with those of Halo: Combat Evolved, which was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame in 2017. Watch closely and you might just spot John-117.

Now playing in eGameRevolution!

01/13/2021

While Flash support has officially ended, and as we work with Kongregate to preserve their history with Flash, it's important to remember that Flash was more than just a web tool. Whether used in prototyping or the final product, Flash made its way to many console and PC titles, including Skies of Arcadia on SEGA Dreamcast.

01/12/2021

Cocktails with the Creators

Cocktails with the Creators is a live, interactive, online Zoom series featuring the most influential and creative innovators in the video game and toy industries.

In this first episode of 2021, you’ll meet Tom Kalinske former CEO of Mattel, Sega of America, Inc., and Leapfrog. You’ll hear firsthand how Tom revived the Barbie and Hot Wheels brands, disrupted the video game industry by marketing Sonic and Sega Genesis to an older age group, and other stories from his legendary career—including what led him to the world of toys and video games.

Attendance is limited, so register now! The Cocktails with the Creators series is a "donate what you can" online experience that supports the museum’s educational mission and programming.

Cocktails with the Creators is a live, interactive, online Zoom series featuring the most influential and creative innovators in the video game and toy industries … and cocktails! Each episode is co-hosted by The Strong’s play and history experts who guide the conversation and highlight rarely s...

01/11/2021

A pair of games from a recent donation caught this curator's eyes. Both Barrels and Star Cruiser were developed by Sirius Software for the Apple II. The front cover of Star Cruiser shows something extra: by NASIR.

Nasir Gebelli was the programmer on these titles, both extremely impressive for the Apple II. But he would go on to work on a game that almost anyone would recognize: Final Fantasy.

He would continue as a programmer for Squaresoft on Final Fantasy II and Final Fantasy III, both Japanese exclusives at the time, before working on Secret of Mana as his last commercial release before retirement in 1993.

In 2018, The Strong Museum inducted Final Fantasy VII into the World Video Game Hall of Fame. While Nasir Gebelli didn't work on this sequel, his pioneering work on the Final Fantasy series laid the foundation for many Japanese RPG's that would follow.

01/08/2021

Nominate a Game | World Video Game Hall of Fame

Wish your favorite game was in the World Video Game Hall of Fame? Nominate it! The World Video Game Hall of Fame recognizes electronic games of all type that meet the following criteria: Icon-status, longevity, geographical reach, and influence.

Which video games deserve a place in the World Video Game Hall of Fame®? Nominations will be considered for the May 2021 induction. Selection Criteria The World Video Game Hall of Fame recognizes individual electronic games of all types—arcade, console, computer, handheld, and mobile—that meet ...

12/28/2020

Virtual Trivia Night

Join Julia Novakovic, archivist at The Strong, and Lauren Tagliaferro in a virtual trivia night on Thursday, January 7th.

Answer questions pulled from your favorite trivia board games. Get a sneak peek behind-the-scenes of the museum's collection and win prizes!

Buy your tickets today!

Are You Game? Virtual Trivia Night Thursday, January 7 7 p.m. EST $10 Buy Tickets Calling all quiz brains and game enthusiasts! Have you ever memorized the back of a Trivial Pursuit card? Is watching Jeopardy! part of your nightly ritual? Think you know “a little bit about a lot of things”? Kick...

12/19/2020

In 1968, Operation Bootstrap launched Shindana Toys, a community-owned company dedicated to making toys that “reflect black pride, black talent, and most of all, black enterprise.” This photograph was donated to The Strong from Louis Smith, III, son of Shindana co-founder Louis S. Smith, II.

12/18/2020

The Strong museum has acquired a compilation of primary sources and files (including articles, websites, blogs, web forums, videos, and images) used in the creation of the LGBTQ Game Archive, established by Adrienne Shaw, PhD, from Temple University. https://www.museumofplay.org/blog/2020/12/preserving-the-lgbtq-game-archive-at-the-strong

12/16/2020

The Strong Acquires Source Files from LGBTQ Game Archive

The Strong is pleased to announce that we have acquired source materials from the LGBTQ Game Archive to help better tell the story of video game history. This includes the first known LGBTQ games.

ROCHESTER, New York—The Strong, home to the International Center for the History of Electronic Games and World Video Game Hall of Fame, has received a compilation of primary sources and files (including articles, websites, blogs, web forums, videos, and images) used in the creation of the LGBTQ Ga...

12/14/2020

The Strong’s archivist, Julia Novakovic, will be presenting in the Rochester Archives Fair on December 15. Tune in to hear Julia uncover the history of Parker Brothers and many more talks by local experts. #ROCarchivesfair https://rochesterarchivesfair.wordpress.com/lightning-talks/

12/10/2020

The Strong launches new Google Arts & Culture online exhibit—Ten Sports Video Games that Changed the Digital Playing Field. Check it out! https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/ten-sports-video-games-that-changed-the-digital-playing-field/9gKytM3SdJY2Ig

12/09/2020

Bid today on a one-of-a-kind Xbox Series X package in The Strong’s holiday auction! Package includes a Xbox Series X console and a live chat with one of the creators of the original Xbox—Seamus Blackley. This package will be the highlight of the year for kids and grown-ups alike. And it’s only available in The Strong National Museum of Play’s holiday auction! Thank you to Wegmans, Kellogg's, and Seamus Blackley for making this package possible and supporting The Strong! https://museumofplay.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/Endof2020Auction/tabid/1196346/Default.aspx

12/08/2020

The Xbox Series X is sold out all over the world, but The Strong just added one to our holiday auction! This Xbox Series X comes with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to Zoom with Seamus Blackley, the video game legend who created and designed the original Xbox! Thank you to Wegmans, Kellogg’s, and Seamus Blackley for making this package possible! Bid now! https://museumofplay.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/Endof2020Auction/tabid/1196346/Default.aspx

12/08/2020

Ten Sports Video Games that Changed the Digital Playing Field - The Strong National Museum of Play - Google Arts & Culture

Boomshakalaka! Sports games have been an integral part of electronic games since the beginning. Check out ten games that changed the playing field in our newest online exhibit!

No game did more to define sports video games than Atari’s table tennis-themed arcade game Pong. Its universally intuitive gameplay—bounce a pixelated ball...

12/03/2020

What was the first video game?

What was the first video game? Well, it's complicated! Jon-Paul Dyson explores the question in his latest blog post.

One of the most frequently asked questions about video game history is perhaps the simplest: what was the first video game? It’s a logical question to ask. After all, we’re always curious about these questions of primacy. Who was the first man on the moon? Neil Armstrong. Who was the first woman...

11/25/2020

@insertcoindoc

We were lucky to be able to preview Insert Coin Documentary last year at the museum, but as of today the documentary is now available online! Hear the history of Midway and the arcade boom of the 1990's straight from the people that were there.

Linktree. Make your link do more.

11/24/2020

Anyone baking a cake for Thanksgiving? I would love to be able to make a Computer Cake for myself, but I think it is frowned upon! Newly arrived at the museum!

11/20/2020

Andrew Borman on Twitter

Scott Traylor donated hardware and software to the museum which included his work for Leap Frog devices. Digital Games Curator Andrew Borman has been sharing some of the prototype and development devices as he catalogs it.

“While my colleague Racquel processed a large part of a wonderful donation from @360KID to @museumofplay, she left for me a few boxes of development equipment that I'll share as I catalog it, starting with this Leapfrog System card from 2003.”

11/17/2020

Nicolas Ricketts on Twitter

Check out this Space Invaders hat from 1978 that was recently acquired! It is one of the earliest known pieces of arcade-related clothing!

“1978 Japanese cap. May be the first piece of clothing marked for an arcade game. U.S. 4-H exchange student got while there. Has tiny light and circuit board behind the logo. New ⁦@museumofplay⁩. So cool!”

11/12/2020

Sometimes the slightest difference in a game's packaging can draw you in. This is a promotional copy of Might and Magic II that was sent to developer Doug Whatley. Only a sticker differentiates it from the standard retail packaging, but knowing the provenance of this game makes it even more interesting!

11/09/2020

Working on cataloging some great APF MP-1000 (M-1000) titles today, including Space Destroyers, a clone of the World Video Game Hall of Fame Inductee Space Invaders.

Ed Smith, one of the first African-American electronic engineers in the video game industry, developed the hardware for the system. Read about Ed Smith's story in this great article by Benj Edwards. https://www.fastcompany.com/3063298/ed-smith-and-the-imagination-machine-the-untold-story-of-a-black-vid

10/27/2020

Joshua Tsui, director of Insert Coin Documentary and developer on many titles including the Mortal Kombat series, donated a pair of maquettes from the unreleased arcade game Primal Rage 2. We're extremely excited to add these to the collection at the museum!

10/26/2020

Sony's PlayStation 2 launched on this day 20 years ago! The system went on to become the best-selling game console of all time. What are some of your favorite games for the console?

10/23/2020

The Strong museum’s archives are constantly acquiring new collections, and we were especially delighted with a recent donation by renowned video game designer Jane Jensen. Learn more at https://www.museumofplay.org/blog/2020/06/building-a-mystery%E2%80%94spotlight-on-jane-jensen #womeningames2020

10/23/2020

“When you are female or an underrepresented minority in any space, when you fail, you are often told, ‘See, that’s why you’re not supposed to do this.’ … It’s hard to remember you absolutely have every permission and right to just try again.”
— Kellee Santiago, video game designer and Head of Developer Relations for Niantic, 2019 #womeningames2020

10/23/2020

​Denise Chaudhari was the first woman hired for the then-secret Xbox project, where she designed more than just the original "Duke" controller that launched with the system in 2001. Learn more in Andrew Borman's latest blog. https://www.museumofplay.org/blog/2020/10/designing-the-duke

10/23/2020

“I’d never seen anyone that looked like me working in video games. I’d never heard about it. Nobody in my family talked to me about, ‘Hey, you like games, why don’t you work in games?’ … And that’s not an uncommon story.”
— Keisha Howard, founder and C.E.O. of Sugar Gamers, 2019 #womeningames2020

10/22/2020

The Strong’s Her Interactive Collection consists of games, design drafts, memoranda, press materials, focus group studies, player correspondence, and other materials that document the company’s history, the development of their Nancy Drew games, and the attitudes of girls towards gaming over the past 20 years.
museumofplay.org/blog/chegheads/2013/01/her-interactive-collections-at-icheg #womeningames2020