Collections

The International Center for the History of Electronic Games^® (ICHEG) at The Strong houses and interprets the largest and most comprehensive public collection of video games, other electronic games, and game-related historical materials in the United States and one of the largest in the world. ICHEG's holdings include more than 36,000 video games, other electronic games, game platforms, and related artifacts and a growing array of library and archival materials. In addition to games and game platforms, the collection includes packaging, advertising, publications, personal and business papers, electronic game antecedents, literary and popular inspirations of electronic game imagery, electronic game inspired consumer products, and other associated artifacts and documents that represent or illustrate how the games have been conceived, developed, sold, and used and the impact they have on people's lives.

For purposes of management and description, the ICHEG collection is organized into several categories. Here are the major ones, along with some recent acquisitions.

Recent Acquisitions

The International Center for the History of Electronic Games continues to acquire a broad range of video games, other electronic games, and other materials related to and inspired by them. Recent acquisitions include the Kevin Gifford Video Game Magazine Collection, a donation of more than 8,000 computer and video game magazines that document the evolution of the video game industry and the games it produced from the 1970s to the present; the Ken and Roberta Williams Collection, a major donation of historic materials documenting the 20-year history of Sierra On-Line, one of the most influential video game companies of the 1980s and 1990s; and the Microsoft Collection, hundreds of artifacts chronicling the corporation's innovative gaming history along with several rare and significant prototypes.

Arcade Video Game Collections

ICHEG's collection of arcade video games encompasses the most significant games ever manufactured—from Computer Space (1971) and Pong (1972) to Space Invaders (1978) and Pac-Man (1980) to Donkey Kong(1981) and Tetris (1988). The collection includes the first machines to use microprocessors, ROM chips, and 3-D graphics and extends forward to some of the latest specialty products being manufactured today. Learn more

Game System (Hardware) Collections

The ICHEG collection of game systems includes examples of every major home video game console manufactured since 1972; dozens of personal computers, both desktop and portable; more than 200 different handheld electronic game systems; and hundreds of children's toys that incorporate elements of electronic game play. Learn more

Game (Software) Collections

ICHEG's collections includes more than 12,000 video games for consoles—from Atari Space Invaders (1980) and NES Super Mario Bros. (1986, North American release) through Sega Genesis Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) and Sony PlayStation Gran Turismo (1998) to NintendoWii Sports (2006)—and more than 4,000 for personal computers—fromSimCity (1989) and Sid Meier's Civilization (1991) through Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (1998). Included are other notable titles such as Utopia(1981), M.U.L.E. (1983), Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty (1993), Doom(1993), and One-on-One (1993) and rarities such as NES Nintendo World Championships 1990. The collection includes more than 3,000 educational games. Learn more

Video Game Company Collections

The International Center for the History of Electronic Games holds tens of thousands of artifacts and library and archival items that represent and reflect the impact of particular manufacturers on the evolution of video games and society. ICHEG works with companies to help preserve those individual historical contributions. This category of ICHEG collections include large or otherwise distinct assemblages provided to ICHEG by specific manufacturers. These collections include either software or hardware, or both, or one or both in addition to archival items. Other materials related to these companies, but not provided by them, may be found in other ICHEG collections categories according to type. Learn more

Library and Archival Collections

The library and archival collections of ICHEG consist of books, periodicals, strategyguides, trade catalogs, and other printed materials plus personal papers, design documents, business records, and other unpublished materials that document the history of video games and other electronic games and the ways in which they affect how people play, learn, and connect with each other. Included are papers and other materials from industry luminaries such as Ralph H. Baer, Dan Bunten (Dani Bunten Berry), Don Daglow, and Will Wright and important publications such as more than 10,000 individual gaming and computer magazines and copies of nearly every strategy guide published by Prima Games. Learn more

The ICHEG collection is the only assemblage of video games, other electronic games, and related materials anywhere that resides alongside and is illuminated and enhanced by a comprehensive collection of other play-related objects—housed in The Strong's National Museum of Play—and an extensive research library and archives devoted specifically to play and related topics—housed in The Strong's Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play.