July 15, 2008

 

 

A three part lecture series on the history of video games has been added to the ZAP! Vintage Video Games exhibit at Chandler’s McCullough-Price House in July and August. The ZAP! exhibit explores the history of the video game craze and the arcades of the 1970s and '80s. Admission is free, and the exhibit is suitable for all ages.

Associate Professor Michael Eilers of the University of Advancing Technology (UAT) will host the three events. Eilers specializes in game design, interactive writing, editing, and creative composition, video editing and web design. He is a founding member and producer of Alpha Squad, UAT's elite game production environment.

The lecture series will begin on Friday July 25 at 7 p.m. with “Perspectives on the Early Video Game Industry,” a roundtable discussion featuring early industry professionals who were involved in the development of PC and arcade games. They will discuss the origins of the video game industry, significant events along the way, and the current state of video game art. Michael Eilers will moderate the roundtable.

On Saturday, August 9, Eilers will present “Video Gaming’s Golden Age” at 11 a.m. He will give an overview of the height of video arcade gaming popularity, during which some of the most memorable games of all time were made. He'll also show how the games were made, what they were about and what made those classic games so fun and memorable.

The final lecture about the 1983 crash of the video game market will be on Thursday, August 21, at 7 p.m. It will be an account of the crash of the arcade and video game market immediately after the Golden Age, with details on the economics, game design, and eccentric personalities that drove the industry to the edge of ruin.

The McCullough-Price House is located southwest of Chandler Fashion Center at 300 S. Chandler Village Dr., and it serves as the City's Visitors Center, a gallery, and special event facility. The gallery hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and there is no admission fee.

For more details on the ZAP! Vintage Video Games exhibit call (480) 782-2876 or go online to www.chandleraz.gov/pricehouse. The exhibit closes on September 6, 2008.