Video gaming history exhibition returns to Edinburgh museum

The largest interactive exhibition of the video game history and culture has made its return to the Scottish capital.

The Game ON in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh is opening its doors on Saturday, July 29, over 20 years since the museum was its very first touring venue in October 2002.

It invites visitors on a journey through video game history, from Pong and Space Invaders through Grand Theft Auto and Minecraft.

The exhibition offers more than 100 playable games from across the last five decades, be it on the arcade machines, legendary gaming consoles, or through VR headsets.

“This is an opportunity to play your way through video game history,” explains Geoffrey Belknap, the head of the department of Science and Technology at the National Museum of Scotland.

“You can play everything from Pong to a VR experience. Everything is on its original, unique console, so if you want to play Pong, you are playing Pong on the original arcade or a Magnavox or a Famicom,” he adds.

“Everything that you could imagine in a video game exhibition is here to play.”

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Visitors will also get to learn about Scotland’s rich history and the key role it plays in the industry.

“Scotland goes right back to the origins of gaming—Rockstar is an amazing example of that, creating the iconic Grand Theft Auto trilogy as well as Red Dead Redemption, both of which you can play in the exhibition here,” says Geoffrey.

“And they, along with a number of other companies such as 4J, which is really well-known for porting Minecraft onto consoles, have created a really diverse and strong industry in Scotland.”

But the offering of the local video game industry goes beyond the blockbuster titles like GTA, Minecraft, or Lemmings.

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Among the many technological exhibits to see is one with a Scottish link—the legendary ZX Spectrum 8-bit home computer developed by the famous Sinclair Research—which was manufactured in Dundee by Timex Corporation at their Dryburgh factory.

The exhibition also recognises the local vibrant indie scene featuring the like of Viewfinder by Dundee-based Sad Owl Studios.

The Game On exhibition will be hosted by the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh until November 3.

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