Focusing on key game developments between 1962 and the present day, Game On takes a global perspective at gaming’s fascinating past and limitless future. From the colossal PDP – 1 of the early sixties to the latest industry releases, Game On examines the creative and scientific advances that have revolutionised the games we play. The exhibition features more than 150 playable games, including Space Invaders, Sonic the Hedgehog and Rock Band, together with the ten most influential consoles.
See the design process, from concept to packaging, for Grand Theft Auto, The Sims and Tomb Raider. Explore the influence of manga and anime on computer games, as well as the influence of gaming on film.
In keeping with the rapid developments of the gaming industry, in 2010 we developed and launched Game On 2.0 . This new iteration features additional content which further explores early games and the latest ground breaking technologies.
Reflecting on early forms of gaming, visitors can play pinball games such as Space Riders and The Machines – Bride of Pinbot. In contrast, the ‘Futures’ section of the exhibition features cutting edge technologies such as virtual reality, 3D technology and thought interface technology. Nintendo’s Virtual Boy is available to play and also the Virtusphere – an interactive virtual reality console that creates a truly immersive experience.
Highly interactive, all action, state-of the-art, ground breaking and popular, Game On and Game On 2.0 are suitable for players of all ages.
Collections
Technical objects
General Information
Created In
2002
Available Package Options
Turnkey
Content only
Languages
English
Venues
Past and Future Venues
Game On
Barbican Art Galler, Londo, UK (16/05/2002-15/09/2002) The Royal Museum at the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, UK (17/10/2002-02/02/2003) Tilburg Art Foundation, Tilburg, Netherlands (28/05/2003-24/08/2003) Helsinki City Art Museum, Helsinki, Finland (18/09/2003-14/12/2003) Lille Festival of Culture 2004, Lille, France (19/05/2004-08/08/2004) Eretz Israel Museum, Tel Aviv, Israel (26/09/2005-01/01/2005) Science and Industry Museum, Chicago, USA (04/03/2005-05/09/2005) The Tech Museum of Innovation, San Jose, USA (30/09/2005-31/12/2005) Science and Industry Museum, Chicago, USA (31/01/2006-30/04/2006) Pacific Science Center, Seattle, USA (26/05/2006-31/08/2006) Science Museum, London, UK (01/12/2006-01/05/2007) Cyberport Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China (21/07/2007-07/10/2007) Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Melbourne, Australia (28/02/2008-13/07/2008) State Library of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia (15/11/2008-15/02/2009) National Science and Technology Museum, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (18/07/2009-31/10/2009) Cellars of Cureghem, Brussels, Belgium (22/12/2009-18/04/2011) Ambassador Theatre, Dublin, Ireland (20/09/2010-30/01/2011) Galeria Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico (01/05/2011-03/07/2011) Museu da Imagem e do Som, Sao Paulo, Brazil (10/11/2011-08/01/2012) CCBB Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil (26/01/2012-26/02/2012) Museum of Popular Art, Lisbon, Portugal (22/03/2012-29/07/2012) Design Centre, Budapest, Hungary (08/10/2012-08/01/2013) Costanera Centre, Santiago, Chile (27/03/2013-15/05/2013) Tecnopolis, Bueno Aires, Argentina (12/07/2013-03/11/2013) Montreal Science Centre, Montreal, Canada (15/04/2015-13/09/2015) Miraikan, Tokyo, Japan (01/03/2016-30/05/2016) Trznice Hall 40, Prague, Czech Republic (21/09/2017-31/03/2018) OCT Creative Exhibition Centre, Shenzhen, China (18/08/2018-14/10/2018) International Exhibition Hall of Art, Eastern Suburb Memory, Chengdu, China (06/07/2019-28/10/2019)
Game On 2.0: Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia (03/07/2010-03/10/2010) Technopolis, Athens, Greece (16/12/2010- 16/03/2011) OMSI, Oregon, USA (25/06/2011-18/09/2011) KinoKino, Sandnes, Norway (25/02/2012-09/06/2012) Ontario Science Center, Ontario, Canada (09/03/2013-02/09/2013) Tekniska Museet, Stockholm, Sweden (25/10/2013-28/09/2014) Life, Newcastle, UK (23/05/2015-03/01/2016) Norsk Teknisk Museum, Oslo, Norway (09/03/2016-29/01/2017) SPAZIO TIRSO, Rome, Italy (04/03/2017-04/06/2017) Bienal, Sao Paulo, Brazil (15/08/2017-15/11/2017) VillageMall, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (01/12/2017-25/02/2018) Life, Newcastle, UK (25/05/2019-04/09/2019) Fundacion Canal, Madrid, Spain (29/10/2019-20/05/2020)
Game On is the first major exhibition exploring the vibrant history and culture of computer games. Running for 17 years, together with Game On 2.0, it is Barbican’s most popular exhibition, having received over 3.5M visitors combined so far.
