RetroGames
RetroGames is an arcade museum with a permanent exhibition of operational classic arcade machines , game consoles and pinball machines in Karlsruhe , which is run by the RetroGames e. V. is operated. It is part of the retrogaming movement. According to its own information, the association is Germany's first and only registered association for the preservation and maintenance of video game culture.
history
The association was founded on June 15, 2002 in Karlsruhe after the founding members were dissatisfied with the fact that the development history of video game culture from the 1950s to the present day is hardly known and that both in Germany and worldwide, apart from private collectors , hardly anything is done to preserve and save classic video game devices, and in some cases only a few well-preserved and functional devices exist as “witnesses” to this contemporary history . RetroGames e. V. has therefore set itself the task of saving old entertainment equipment from scrapping , restoring it true to the original and preserving it for posterity in an exhibition .
A short time after the association was founded, RetroGames received several classic video games donated, so that the first exhibition opened in July 2002 and has been expanded to this day. The culture of video games is to be promoted through regular public events and their historical beginnings preserved from being forgotten.
With the support of amusement arcades based in Karlsruhe and private collectors, RetroGames has been able to and is able to constantly expand its collection and now has over 70 original video game machines , including classics such as Pac-Man , but also rare examples such as a fully functional poly-play machine.
After the exhibition opened in 2002, the space in the temporary premises quickly became tight, so that the following year the museum and the association moved to their final premises in the Karlsruhe culture house GoTEC , with which RetroGames has been working closely since it was founded.
Today RetroGames is known throughout Germany and is regularly mentioned in the local press as well as in specialist magazines.
exhibition
The RetroGames exhibition currently includes over 70 original video game machines, various pinball machines and a cross-section of over 40 years of video game history. The collection is constantly being expanded and restored devices with explanatory background information are exhibited in rotation. The offer is supplemented by classic video game consoles and home computers as well as various print, music and film materials.
In contrast to classic museums, touching is expressly allowed at RetroGames: All games at RetroGames are kept ready to play and can be tried out free of charge during opening hours.
Web links
- Reports
- Pacman becomes a member of the association ( Memento from September 9, 2003 in the Internet Archive ) Report by the network on the opening of RetroGames (Till Frommann, July 22, 2002)
- Smalltalk - Retro Games eV Article on "fudder.de" (January 5th, 2007)
- Piepsy, pixelated and trendy report from ORF
- trend-facts Current youth culture phenomena and their consequences for youth work, trend: Freestyle and retro gaming ( Memento from September 27, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 371 kB) Work of the Austrian Institute for Youth Culture Research (Beate Großegger, 2004, archived )
swell
- ^ Peter Schmitz: First registered association for computer and console game oldies opened . Heise.de . July 19, 2002. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
Coordinates: 49 ° 1 '27.3 " N , 8 ° 21' 12.9" E