My proposal is to create a website using Omeka in order to present the history of video games. The main question I intend to ask is how this industry came to be, and how the people who consider themselves part of the Gaming culture interact with fellow Gamers. I intend to include the rise of arcade games to the transition to home gaming via consoles and computers. Video games have become a billion dollar industry, and while there has been some research into its past, there is little that provides an over-arching research into the industry. I plan to create a forum companion to the exhibit for people to share their experiences as Gamers. This will provide insight into how this history was lived by those who experienced it. I personally consider myself a Gamer, and this project will also allow me to satisfy my own curiosity into the industry’s past.
The main technology that I will use is the Omeka Content Management System. This will allow me to organize the various types of games, systems, and so on that have made an impact in the video game industry. I will also include the contribution plugin for people visiting the site to propose their own ideas for items that made an impact. As for the forum aspect, I am currently looking into which technology will support the project best. It is possible to use the contribute feature, but I have yet to test how it functions as a means of conversation. There are a number of forum software websites that may work better than something built into Omeka itself.
The target audience for my project is anyone who plays, or has played, video games. I do not differentiate between people who currently play, or haven’t played in decades. I also consider all levels of play, from people who play every day to those who play once a month. Since I am part of this culture, I am aware of how fellow Gamers enjoy talking about their favorite games, and to find others who play them in order to share any multiplayer components. This is the main reason I intend to include a forum. Being an academic project, it will allow fellow Gamers to have this discussion in an area free of any trash talk that is prevalent in other forums. Any researcher will be able to view the research into video game history, as well as view the topics that current Gamers are having related to the topic.
