Frequently Asked Questions

What is the International Center for the History of Electronic Games™?

The International Center for the History of Electronic Games (ICHEG) collects, studies, and interprets electronic games and related materials and the ways in which electronic games are changing how people play, learn, and connect with each other, including across boundaries of culture and geography. ICHEG houses one of the largest and most comprehensive public collections of electronic games and game-related historical materials (more than 20,000 objects) anywhere and is the only one that resides alongside and is illuminated and enhanced by a comprehensive collection of other play-related objects (more than 100,000) that have inspired the design and development of electronic games. ICHEG is also supported by a research library of more than 100,000 volumes, including vintage comics and children’s books and the largest collection of toy catalogs in the United States.

How does the International Center for the History of Electronic Games define electronic games?

Games
Game platforms
Packaging and advertising
Publications
Electronic-game-inspired consumer products
Personal and business papers of key figures in the electronic-game industry
Literary and popular inspirations of electronic-game imagery
Electronic-game antecedents
Associated artifacts and documents that represent or illustrate the impact of electronic games on people’s lives

Why is the International Center for the History of Electronic Games situated at Strong National Museum of Play^®?

Strong National Museum of Play houses the world’s most comprehensive collection of artifacts of play and is the only museum anywhere devoted solely to play and the ways in which it encourages learning, creativity, and discovery and illuminates cultural history. Electronic games are a profoundly influential form of play, affecting not only how people play, but also how they learn and how they live. Therefore, the museum established ICHEG to help ensure that electronic games and related materials are collected, preserved, and interpreted for both present and future generations

ICHEG began as a “national” center for the history of electronic games. Why has it become an “international” center?

The development, production, and use of electronic games cuts broadly across cultural, political, and geographic boundaries, and therefore it is impossible to interpret their history without considering their impact on the global exchange of ideas, technology, commerce, and culture.

Why is the International Center for the History of Electronic Games unique among existing initiatives that collect and preserve electronic games?

ICHEG defines electronic games broadly to include video games, computer games, console games, arcade games, handheld games, and toys that combine digital and traditional play. In addition to collecting and preserving these items, ICHEG also collects a wide range of other electronic-game-related artifacts and archival materials. Further, ICHEG resides alongside more than 100,000 toys, role-playing and board games, and other objects of play that have inspired and informed the creation and development of electronic games. ICHEG is also supported by a research library of more than 100,000 volumes that include vintage children’s books and comics and the largest collection of toy catalogs in the United States. Finally, ICHEG develops exhibits and undertakes other activities to interpret the historical and cultural significance of electronic games to ensure that present and future generations can explore that history, understand how it began and evolved, and appreciate the impact that electronic games have on society.

Do the preservation activities of the International Center for the History of Electronic Games include seeking ways to prevent the obsolescence or decay of floppy disks, magnetic tape, and other forms of media storage associated with electronic games?

Preserving interactive media is of paramount importance for all who are interested in the history of electronic games. At this time, ICHEG is focused chiefly on collecting, preserving, and interpreting the broad material culture of electronic games, but it is studying and implementing current best practices for optimal preservation and emulation of games in digital forms. Currently, the Library of Congress’s National Digital Information Infrastructure Preservation Project (NDIIPP) is researching new techniques for preservation, including funding the collaborative Preserving Virtual Worlds Project conducted by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Stanford University, the University of Maryland, and Rochester Institute of Technology. ICHEG interacts with activities such as these through consultation with Preserving Virtual Worlds Project partners and by participating in the Game Preservation Special Interest Group of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), as well as other initiatives.

In addition to the aforementioned games and toys, what else does the International Center for the History of Electronic Games collect?

In keeping with ICHEG’s interest in the broad cultural history of electronic games, the collection encompasses not only games and game platforms, but also a wide variety of other materials such as packaging, advertising, publications, electronic-game-inspired consumer products, literary and popular inspirations of electronic-game imagery, personal and business papers, and other associated artifacts and documents that represent or illustrate the impact of electronic games on people’s lives.

What is the scope of the collection of the International Center for the History of Electronic Games?

At more than 20,000 items and growing, ICHEG’s collection of electronic games and related materials is the largest and most comprehensive public collection in the United States and one of the largest in the world. It includes the most important arcade video games of all time; examples of every major video-game platform manufactured since 1972, from Magnavox Odyssey and Atari 2600 through Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii (more than 100 in all); more than 10,000 individual video-game titles, from Atari Space Invaders, Nintendo NES Super Mario Bros., and Sega Genesis Sonic the Hedgehog to Sony PlayStation Gran Turismo and Nintendo Wii Sports; examples of all significant handheld-game systems and many electronic educational games, from Milton Bradley Microvision and Nintendo Game Boy to Sony PSP (more than 100 devices); more than 5,000 children’s electronic educational games and software titles; an extensive collection of children’s toys, such as Simon, Tamagotchi, and Webkinz, that combine digital and traditional play; significant international systems, such as Nintendo Famicom and Sega Mega Drive; and much, much more. Equally important, ICHEG’s collection is housed alongside more than 100,000 toys, board and role-playing games, and other objects of play that have inspired and informed the creation and development of electronic games and alongside a research library of more than 100,000 volumes, including comic books, children’s books, and the largest collection of toy catalogs in the United States. This juxtaposition expands the research and interpretive potential of the ICHEG collection exponentially.

Is the International Center for the History of Electronic Games collection accessible to scholars, other researchers, and the public in general either on site or online?

On-site access to the collection is available to scholars and researchers by appointment. Many artifacts are on public view in museum displays and exhibits, and some are available for guests to play. Many more will be accessible in future exhibits. Thousands of items are accessible through the online collections catalog of Strong National Museum of Play, and with the help of grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services the museum is currently cataloging the entire ICHEG collection with the goal of eventually making information about all of its holdings accessible online. In October 2010, the museum will open eGameRevolution, an expansive, artifact-rich exhibit where guests can play classic arcade games, the latest consoles, and everything in between.

Is the International Center for the History of Electronic Games actively collecting additional electronic games and related material?

Yes. ICHEG is actively seeking and acquiring additional examples of games, game platforms, handheld-game systems, children’s electronic educational games and software titles, toys that combine digital and traditional play, and supporting materials of all types, including other game-inspired consumer products, packaging, advertising, historical records, and business and personal papers related to the design and production of electronic games and their use.

How can individuals or organizations donate to the International Center for the History of Electronic Games collection?

The International Center for the History of Electronic Games encourages queries from individuals and organizations that have important electronic games and related materials that merit a permanent home where they can help inform future generations.

To inquire about donating games, platforms, or other materials, contact:

Jon-Paul C. Dyson, Director, International Center for the History of Electronic Games
jpdyson@museumofplay.org
+1 585-410-6341

Eric Wheeler, Associate Curator, International Center for the History of Electronic Games
ewheeler@museumofplay.org
+1 585-410-6398