Experts create videogames museum

An archive to preserve the history of videogames is being set up by university experts.

Nottingham Trent University says the global videogames industry is worth about �22bn and steps are needed in order to record its development.

The archive will be housed at the National Media Museum in Bradford and put together by researchers from Nottingham Trent University.

The collection will include consoles, cartridges and advertising campaigns.

The archive will chart the history of videogames from Pong in 1972 to present-day blockbusters.

Hands-on collection

Dr James Newman, from Nottingham Trent University's Centre for Contemporary Play, said: "The National Videogame Archive is an important resource for preserving elements of our national cultural heritage.

"We don't just want to create a virtual museum full of code or screenshots that you could see online.

"The archive will really get to grips with what is a very creative, social and productive culture."

He said the team behind the archive was keen to avoid the mistakes of their counterparts in the film industry where pieces of historically significant material had been lost over the years.

The collection will be officially opened at the GameCity festival in Nottingham on 30 October.

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