Good news, everyone: Game Developers Conference officials are excited to highlight exhibitors showcasing classic games and hardware at GDC Retro Play, the interactive space at GDC 2018 in San Francisco that specifically concentrates on showcasing retro consoles, computers, games and related memorabilia!
The Retro Play area at GDC was a big hit when it debuted last year, and so GDC officials are pleased to again donate space in the North Hall Expo Floor to select retro collectors or organizations interested in exhibiting their collections Wednesday through Friday (March 21-23) during the show.
Each accepted organization is set to receive complimentary GDC 2018 passes and be given free space to show classics, curios, obscurities, or sets of games across multiple machines.
Here, then, is a glimpse of what you can expect to find at the Retro Play area while you're attending GDC 2018! Some of the exhibitors are already talking about what games they'll be bringing, though of course that may change between now and March.
Digital Game Museum
The Digital Game Museum preserves, presents, and studies the history and evolution of digital games and explores the impact of games on individuals, communities, and society.
They'll have the cocktail Pong table near the table, with copies of the schematics for the board and home console version available to view. They'll also have several issues of St. Pong, the internal company newsletter that will be available for limited viewing (under plexi) along with a company t-shirt from one of the summer picnics.
Plus, they'll have the Atari 2600 port of Pac-Man playable and a full package of materials from the 10th Anniversary Atari Sales Kick Off meeting that was held for global employees in Hawaii, providing an unprecedented look into the business side of Atari.
The MADE
The MADE (Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment) is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of video game history, and to educating the public on how video games are created. The goal is to inspire the next generation of game developers.
Last year, the fine folks at The MADE brought a number of intriguing pieces of video game history, including exhibits of early MMO game Habitat, The Journeyman Project, Night Trap, and Spaceship Warlock.
This year, the MADE would like to complement the GDC Classic Game Postmortems and also bring retro computers, like an Amiga, an Apple IIGS, and a Mac SE30 with lots of games on them. Specific games may include various Ultimas, The Bard's Tale, and Neo-Habitat, so make time to stop by and check them out!
MAGWest
MAGWest is a community gathering of music and gaming enthusiasts, celebrating the music, culture, and history of games.
In an effort to spread the word about MAGWest events, the MAGWest Retro Play booth will feature retro games. live jam sessions, and hippy philosophers looking to give your community a place to grow.
For GDC Retro Play this year, MAGWest will be bringing some retro (NES/SNES), some mid-retro (PS2/Gamecube) and some evergreen (PC with indie and classic games) games. There will also be lots of music from games past and present, as the MAGWest team aims to show GDC attendees how they integrate rock, chiptunes, blues, and more into a celebration of all that games and music can be when combined. Don't skip it!
For more information on GDC 2018, visit the show's official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS.
