Pong to Pokémon: The Evolution of Electronic Gaming

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Pong to Pokémon: The Evolution of Electronic Gaming explores the past and future of electronic gaming through the player's experience. In living rooms and arcades, on the internet and mobile devices across the globe, players of electronic games continue to influence the astounding success of an ever-growing industry.

Since the introduction of the first arcade and home console gaming platforms in the early 1970s, the resulting unprecedented social phenomenon of electronic gaming has built a commercial market with a worldwide effect that far surpasses Hollywood or any media counterpart in terms of revenue and participants. The demand for engaging, affordable, and accessible gaming platforms has driven technology and gameplay advancements from simple circuit boards and television or computer screens to smart phones and other internet-based platforms, and is extending into virtual realms that blend reality and game worlds in increasingly sophisticated and exciting ways.

Inside the Exhibition

Visitors will discover the scope and impact of the electronic gaming industry as a cultural and technological phenomenon through a behind-the-scenes look at the technology and artistry that drive modern game development. Dozens of rare artifacts — brought together for the first time from extensive collections across the globe — will be on display, featuring key milestones in technology, art, music, and design that forever intertwined video and games.

Electronic Gaming in Texas

Texas ranks third in having the most video game personnel in the nation, accounting for approximately seven percent of total industry employment nationwide. Many of the most successful games ever created were born in the Lone Star State, including Doom, Ultima, Wing Commander, The Sims, Half-Life, and Call of Duty. The exhibition features Texas entrepreneurs and innovators, game development and player community leaders, artifact collectors, and more, to show how Texas contributes to the fastest growing industry in the world!

Playable Classic Video Games. No Quarters Required!

• Text-based adventures for early home computers
  • Oregon Trail
  • ZORK I
• Arcade console classics through support of Arcades4Home
  • Centipede
  • Ms. Pac-Man
  • Street Fighter II
• Home game consoles and handhelds from the 1970s and 1980s
  • Tetris
  • Super Mario Bros.
  • Madden 95
  • Sonic the Hedgehog 2
  • Atari 2600, Nintendo NES, and Sega Genesis classic console re-releases
• Modern home games using advanced controllers, mobile devices, and home computers that offer personalized gameplay and outlets for user creativity
  • Guitar Hero
  • Wii Sports
  • Angry Birds
  • Minecraft

Select Artifacts On View in the Exhibition

• Space Invaders arcade cabinet
• Ralph Baer's "Brown Box" prototype
• Barbie Fashion Designer CD-ROM
• Hand-drawn maps and game mechanics from DOOM Bible
• Richard Garriott's Apple II computer

Press Materials

• Press Release
• Media Kit

Presented by Nintendo and Retro Studios

Opening Reception sponsored by Entertainment Software Association.

Support for the Bullock Museum's exhibitions and education programs is provided by the Texas State History Museum Foundation.