Exhibition: Videogame Nation, Urbis, Manchester, May 14 – September 20 2009.
Computer game exhibitions aren't often inspired by nightclubs, but a celebration of Manchester's hedonistic past proved the ultimate provocation for just that when David Crookes visited Urbis in 2007.
"I'd seen this fantastic Hacienda exhibition, about this legendary nightclub in Manchester where the likes of The Smiths and Madonna had performed," says the co-curator of Videogame Nation, the techtastic new show at the contemporary urban gallery.
Lara Croft, Tombraider. © Eidos, Videogame Nation, Urbis (2009)
A local lad, the opening got him thinking about "how the city really pushes its music and television heritage, but never showcases its gaming history."
Manchester is also home to Ocean Software, one of Europe’s biggest gaming publishers, as well as a string of developers Crookes reckons have been forgotten.
"So I approached Urbis with the idea and got invited in for coffee," he recalls. "I actually think my entire creative output on this exhibition has been fuelled by the mochas they keep pouring down my neck."
Geometry Wars 3, Videogame Nation exhibition, Urbis (2009)
Despite being "up for the idea right from the very start", Creative Director Pollyanna Clayton-Stamm initially suggested it should be part of Manchester on Screen, an exhibition looking at the city's contribution to TV.
"About four months later, as the content began to roll in, we decided that shoe-horning gaming into another exhibition wasn't going to work," reflects Crookes, who expanded the show and widened the scope of his project to take in the whole of Britain.
4illustration. © Liam Palmer, Videogame Nation exhibition, Urbis (2009)
Featuring art, tales from software history and the games themselves, Crookes aims to leave visitors wanting to "do something with gaming that is going to blow everyone's mind", from programming their own adventures to art and design.
"Jeez, even if people just walk straight to HMV or Game or go on the net when they get home and buy a game, it means we've pricked someone's interest," he says, calling the show "an absolute joy" to devise. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't frustrated by some British publishers and developers, though," he adds. "Getting a few of them to even respond was like drawing blood from a tree."
RETROGRADE game inlay for Thalamus Games (1989), Oliver Frey
The lost heritage of gaming has also been a concern for Crookes. "It's scary that a sizeable percentage of companies haven't kept their older assets, and that's why something like the Save The Videogame campaign, which myself and Urbis are fully behind, is so important."
Videogame Nation aims to attract both expert joypad jugglers and the casual devotee. "There will be core gamers who have never touched a retro game and gamers who almost fear the larger, more complex worlds of today's titles," observes Crookes, keen to dispel the notion that games are made by "nerds who have no lives and nothing interesting to say."
"What this exhibition does is fuse the whole lot together, it celebrates it and tells the stories of the people behind the games. The British gaming industry is packed with talent, and they should be allowed to step out of the shadows."
Elite, Acornsoft, David Braben. Frontier Developments (1984)
Exhibition events:
Jon Hare: Playing for England June 14, 12pm-4pm
Getting Dizzy: The Oliver Twins June 28, 2pm-4pm
Matthew Smith: Manic Musings July 19, 2pm-4pm
Retro Revival July 26 11am-4pm
The Godfather: David Braben August 9, 2pm-4pm
Bricking it: Arthur Parsons TTGames August 16, 2pm-4pm
Sailing the Ocean Waves September 6, 2pm-4pm
Start a Revolution: Charles Cecil September 13, 2pm-4pm
Admission to all events £5, includes entry to exhibition on dates show. Call 0161 605 8220 or visit Ticketline to book.
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