Game On (again) at the Science Museum

Don't know your DS from your SNES? Can't believe people used to play games in black and white? Maybe you'd simply like to know more about where all these flippin' retro games came from?

Either way the Science Museum's latest exhibition should be of interest. Opening on 21st October (and running through to 25th February 2007), the updated Game On exhibition is dedicated to tracing the history of video games and video games culture.

Bringing together over three decades of games across a vast range of formats (from vintage arcade machines to the latest gaming technology), the show is appropriately enough sponsored by veteran player in the market, Nintendo.

In addition to the exhibition there'll also be a series of special events, ranging from debates to investigations into the science of gaming. There'll also be a little bit of culture in the form of a collection of commissioned artworks by Jon Burgerman.

Gaetan Lee, programmes developer at the Science Museum, was no doubt interrupted whilst playing a bout of New Super Mario Bros when he said: "Game On traces the science behind the dramatic developments in computer game production over the last 30 years and tackles some of the serious issues behind this huge multi billion pound industry."

"We're particularly excited," he continued, "that Science Museum visitors will have a chance to see the PDP-1, the computer that ran the world's first video game, Space War, and the world's first manufactured arcade game, Computer Space from 1971, as well as the chance to play classic arcade games like Space Invaders, Asteroids and Ms Pac-Man. Nowhere else will people be able to see the entire history of the games industry laid out, explained and ready to play."

Tickets for the Science Museum's Game On season are available from www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/gameon or by calling 0870 906 3890.