The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) is preparing to present Game Masters, a highly interactive videogame exhibition, as part of Melbourne Winter Masterpieces from 28 June 2012.
The exhibition, announced last October, will showcase the work of leading local and international videogame designers with over 125 playable games from the arcade era through to the latest console and mobile game technology.
Today, ACMI released the first glimpse of what visitors can expect to hear from the Game Masters with a short clip cut from interviews filmed for the exhibition. In the clip, key designers reveal their love of games, the genesis of their creations, their unbridled imagination for the possibilities of the medium and also discuss games as art.
Over 30 game designers who have made a significant and ongoing impact in the field will be profiled throughout the exhibition, including well-known international, independent and Australian game designers. The designers’ work will be explored through a combination of rare concept artwork, newly commissioned interviews and playable games.
Also announced today is the extended list of major designers who will be taking part in the exhibition.
Pioneering designers from the arcade era will include; Masanobu End? (JPN, Xevious, 1982), Toru Iwatani (JPN, Pac-Man, 1980), Eugene Jarvis (USA, Defender, 1980), Konami (JPN, Scramble, 1981), Ed Logg (USA, Asteroids, 1979), Tomohiro Nishikado (JPN, Space Invaders, 1978), Taito (JPN, Elevator Action, 1983), Tim Skelly (USA, Rip-Off, 1980) and Dave Theurer (USA, Missile Command, 1980).
Leading contemporary designers featured in-depth include Blizzard Entertainment (USA, World of Warcraft, 2004), Paulina Bozek (UK/CAN, SingStar, 2004), Hideo Kojima (JPN, METAL GEAR SOLID, 1998), Tetsuya Mizuguchi (JPN, Child of Eden, 2011), Peter Molyneux OBE (UK, Populous, 1989, Dungeon Keeper series, Fable series), Yuji Naka and the Sonic Team (JPN, Sonic the Hedgehog, 1991), Nintendo (JPN, Super Mario Bros, 1985, The Legend of Zelda, 1986), Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy (USA, Rock Band, 2007), Tim Schafer (USA, Psychonauts, 2005), Warren Spector (USA, Disney’s Epic Mickey, 2010), Yu Suzuki (JPN, Hang On, 1983), TT Games (UK, LEGO Star Wars: The Videogame, 2005), Fumito Ueda (JPN, Ico, 2001, Shadow of the Colossus, 2005) and Will Wright (USA, SimCity, 1989).
A major component of the show will be an exploration of independent game designers such as; Jonathan Blow (USA, Braid, 2008), Capy (CAN, Critter Crunch, 2008), Eric Chahi (FR, Another World, 1991), Jakub Dvorský (CZ, Machinarium, 2009), Firemint (AUS, Flight Control, 2009), Halfbrick (AUS, Fruit Ninja, 2010), Introversion (UK, Darwinia, 2005), Masaya Matsuura (JPN, PaRappa the Rapper, 1996), Marcus Persson (SW, Minecraft, 2011), Rovio (FIN, Angry Birds, 2009), Erik Svedäng (SW, Blueberry Garden, 2010), thatgamecompany (USA, flower, 2009) and The Behemoth (USA, Alien Hominid HD, 2002).
The Game Masters exhibition will be accompanied by a series of public, film and education programs, expected to appeal to people of all ages and abilities, from the budding game developer to smart phone users, children to the ‘original’ gamers. Peter Molyneux is the first international guest announced to attend the world premiere of the exhibition and will be participating in a series of public programs and industry events to be announced shortly. ACMI will soon announce a digital program concurrent to the exhibition, incorporating a suite of online resources and a newly commissioned mobile game.
As a major contribution to 21st Century moving image practice and entertainment, video games have been celebrated by ACMI in exhibitions, films and public programs. Game Masters is the much anticipated follow up to ACMI’s successful 2008 Game On exhibition which explored the history of videogames and videogame genres from the 1960s to the present day.
Curated by ACMI, Game Masters is the first entirely home grown exhibition for the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces initiative and will open at ACMI on 28 June and run through to 28 October 2012. For more information please visit acmi.net.au