Mission Statement

Summary

Our 501(c) 3 organization was created to display , preserve, and educate the public on the history, systems and pioneers that created todays video game boom ,we are educating and inciting learning in electronics, programming and technology development in order to inspire the next generation to create the gaming and learning technologies of tomorrow.

Grants, contributions, and museum fees will be used to acquire a location in which to house, preserve and display the history of video and pc gaming, we will require individuals to help run the facility and online presence. Our methods will be by using computers in classes and hands on interactive displays to achieve our goals.

Can you help us to realize this goal?

Objectives

To build a museum in which to house the first iteration of the video gaming history museum.

To house educational programs in which to inspire learning through game development/programming and electronics courses

To create an environment to encourage Miami's emerging maker community as well as future scientists and game developers.

Services

We will be offering discounted/free classes and or entrances to the museum/ special events to social or economically challenged students and individuals in order to help strengthen and encourage learning in S.T.E.M programs.

Calendar of Events

The museum will be running 2 special events per month,

1) Will be an educational session with myself and a chosen system, in which I will highlight the technology and programming that was used to create system and it's games, I will also be discussing the history and letting the patrons actually try the system out by playing it so they can see how the games played and get a feeling for the controllers that were used.

2) Laser light shows, in which not only do they see a laser show, but can actually play vector based video games projected using laser systems in real time. Imagine playing asteroids on a 15ft screen.

Activities

We will be displaying the history and technology of video gaming along with its creators/developers/innovators as well as companies that have transformed video gaming into the phenomenon that it has grown into today. Each grouping of systems will have an interactive display that will allow the patrons to select a system and then select a game from the system and play it or challenge a friend.

Also we will be offering classes to help further the S.T.E.M initiative by allowing students to learn video game development in a pc based environment.

We will also setup a hacker space allowing students and individuals the ability to try out new technologies such as 3d printing, electronics/robotics, augmented/3d and virtual reality systems to help invigorate learning towards S.T.E.M.

A gift shop selling classic, refurbished retro systems & video games in order to help fund the museum and also teach students how to repair & program classic video game systems. Nothing gets a student more excited than playing something they have programmed or fixed themselves.

How video games have enhanced our lives

Since the beginning of time humans have used games as an escape from the stresses of everyday life. From the Mesopotamians and Chinese playing with dice over 4 millennia ago to today's highly evolved video games; games have become ingrained in who we are as a people, culture and society.

Video Games have pushed games to become more popular than ever, becoming a major source of entertainment for millions around the world; but video games specifically have become so much more than simply a source of entertainment in modern society. Video games are creating new worlds, training professionals, teaching children valuable skills and languages, and even teaching us how to be social.

Many studies have shown that video games can have incredibly positive impacts in society, such as: increasing the brains ability to learn and increased processing speed, social and teamwork skills, language studies, and the development of mental and physical dexterity and coordination.

Games are also becoming a great equalizer in today's classrooms. Games can tailor themselves to teach from the most brilliant to the most disaffected, engaging students, encouraging participation in learning and a greater sense of belonging. Video games encourage players to learn the rules and restrictions of their world, but also the freedoms and possibilities leading to rewards. A well designed game balances rules and freedoms to engage players in an enjoyable interactive experience.

Games are universal; video games span languages, continents, and societies and have the ability to bring people together in a safe space that allows interaction between anyone on the planet. Video games have long passed the status of fad; they are an integral part of modern life. First generation video game players have now become adults, parents, and even grandparents; and still retained their passion for video games, passing it along to future generations.

Examples of how video games are reshaping our global society for the better.

1. Games help individuals who are ill or disabled. Playing video games distracts the mind from pain and discomfort. Many hospitals are helping children and others whom are undergoing painful treatments, even those with traumatic brain injury such as a stroke, by playing video games.

2. Studies have shown that playing video games helps children with attention deficit disorders.

3. Many medical departments are using computer games as a form of physiotherapy. Games help people who are recovering from physical injuries gain motor skills and coordination.

4. Video games are being used to treat Physiological and emotional disorders such as Post traumatic stress disorder.

5. Video and computer games improve skills and hand-eye co-ordination. Including helping doctors train to perform laparoscopic procedures. This was in the journal of the society of Laparoendoscopic surgeons - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3407453/

6. Video games can also help doctors diagnose diseases such as the free, Internet-based pattern recognition game based on images of real life blood cells developed by the University of California. Researchers hope the online game will cut down the amount of time it now takes to distinguish infected red blood cells from healthy ones. - http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/05/a-video-game-where-players-help-real-doctors-diagnose-malaria/256759/

Or helping solve complex disease structures such as AIDS -

Gamers solved the structure of a protein found in an AIDS-like monkey virus. The structure had stumped scientists for over a decade; the gamers, incredibly, cracked it in less than three weeks. - http://www.forbes.com/sites/sarikabansal/2011/09/28/crowdsourcing-gamers-solve-protein/

Finding a cure for cancer - Cancer Research UK has developed the mobile game "Play to Cure: Genes in Space," which will involve sifting through real genetic data by people all over the world to aid scientists in decoding it quickly to ascertain the causes of breast cancer. - http://www.techtimes.com/articles/3244/20140207/can-video-game-help-find-cure-for-cancer-doctors-say-yes.htm

7. Video Games improve decision making skills.

8. Video Games help boost social, and memory skills.

9. Video Games encourage creativity.

10. Video games improve core STEM subjects such as reading, language, history, geography, and science.

11. Video and computer games help children gain self-confidence and esteem.

12. Video Games teach problem solving, motivation, critical thinking and cognitive skills in players.

Contact

If you have any questions or recommendations you may reach the curator directly at rmedina@nvghm.org.

Many Thanks
Rick Medina
National Video Game history museum