Game On: More Than Just an Exhibit

By Greg Stromire • September 16th, 2011

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Next came a row of international games, followed by a row of indie developers. This part really highlighted what we consumers are missing because our western commercial distributors are too afraid to take risks. There were elements of scenic creativity, complex plot and innovative interactivity that I wouldn’t have dreamt of before this visit. And here I apologize, reader; I’d have more titles and notes if I hadn’t been chasing a 5-year-old in a free arcade. For real, though, I swear this indie game was being developed while I was playing it.

Another section was dedicated to character development. It displayed long biographies about how Mario, Lara Croft and even Jak and Daxter got their starts and became the icons they are today. Here I learned how Sonic evolved from a cute, cuddly hedgehog to the fierce, spinning ball of blue we all know and love (hint: focus groups). Describing these histories and characters to Kai felt like I was orating legends of a hidden culture to a new generation.

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The exhibit continued to a minimal exploration of multiplayer games, a decent spread of handheld consoles and an unsurprisingly boring selection of simulators. I was wrong. But the finale of latest advancements in videogame technology was a great way to restore my awe and disbelief. I mean, the Kinect still blows my mind when I really think about it. Virtual reality even makes a bit of a comeback as well. Upon leaving, I thought about how each of these videogames offers more than an escape; they are reflections of our senses of wonder and possibility. And what better place to showcase them than OMSI?