What does an Atari console do in a Museum of Nature?

[karokoenig]

Good question.

 

Answer: it is set up as part of an exhibition called "Erzähl mir was vom Tod" (german for "Let's talk about death"). Sitting right next to a PSone, it's meant to be an example for how Death came into videogames.

 

Let's not argue about if its true or not that Outlaw was one of the first ever games involving death. There is an Atari console set up in the museum where I work!!! How cool is that???

 

It is a really cool exhibition - not only because of the Atari. Target audience are kids. The exhibition does a pretty good job of introducing the topic of death gently, with tact and sensitivity to children. And while it's at it, it introduces kids to the Atari 2600. Sweet!

[Keatah]

sounds like some kinda high-art wannabe.

[+save2600]

sounds like some kinda high-art wannabe.

sounds like another high artist to me.

[Keatah]

Outlaw introduces them to reincarnation or zombieism. Shoot'em dead and they get right back up and keep playing!

[high voltage]

German children /teens aren't even allowed to play shooting video games, River Raid, Goldeneye, MK, Cannon Fodder etc...all illegal.

Edited November 23, 2013 by high voltage

[karokoenig]

German children /teens aren't even allowed to play shooting video games, River Raid, Goldeneye, MK, Cannon Fodder etc...all illegal.

 

And where did you get that piece of information from?

[+Random Terrain]

And where did you get that piece of information from?

 

The Internet is never wrong. It's like Wikipedia, but bigger.

[karokoenig]

Well, gee... I'm glad the internet wasn't around back in the days. Otherwise I would have ended up in a childrens' jail for buying and playing all that stuff as a kid.

 

Also, please don't tell the internet that I recently played River Raid and Combat with my underage nephew. And Jungle Hunt. Don't tell PETA.

[atarilovesyou]

...and here I thought that somebody decided to retrofit their heavy sixer with REAL WOODEN panels.

 

That's nature, isn't it?

[karokoenig]

...and here I thought that somebody decided to retrofit their heavy sixer with REAL WOODEN panels.

 

Nice idea for a mod. Now you mention it, isn't it interesting to see that the 2600 is comfortably cushioned with a nice warm wood construction to prevent the cart from getting stolen - while the PSone gets restrained by cold hard metal strips?

[Destinaxe]

Cool exhibit, reminds me of the Art of Video Games exhibit that I saw in the Smithsonian a few years ago, neat stuff!

[high voltage]

 

And where did you get that piece of information from?

It's from the German Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Medien http://www.bundespruefstelle.de/, they enforce onto German youth which video games they can play and which they are not allowed to play. And those guys don't even play the stuff, they just willy nilliy 'index' it: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundespr%C3%BCfstelle_f%C3%BCr_jugendgef%C3%A4hrdende_Medien

They also killed off the arcade gaming industry in Germany way back in the late 80s.

Edited November 24, 2013 by high voltage

[karokoenig]

It's from the German Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Medien http://www.bundespruefstelle.de/, they enforce onto German youth which video games they can play and which they are not allowed to play.

 

You mean like your PMRC with their righteous indignation and annoying stickers all over perfectly harmless music albums? Ah well, I guess every country has its own skeleton in the closet.

 

I didn't see any arcade crash in the late 80's and I was kind of right in the middle of Germany at that time. I played arcade machines way into the 90s. They were all over the place, and then they were gone, because home consoles were technically advanced and computers like the Amiga were out - so no one gave a shit about dirtiy, smoke-filled Arcades. Neither were many games really "forbidden" in Germany, except for some outliers like Splatterhouse back in the days. Games, just like movies, get classified as appropriate for certain age groups, that's all. I do think there's a similar system in the US, right?

 

A final question... would you let your 8-year old play, say, the Xbox version of Splatterhouse/Modern Warfare and all the other junk? No? Glad to hear that.

[high voltage]

Here's a readers letter (Star Letter) in issue 18 of RG about the sad state of arcade gaming in Germany way back.

In UK my kids were so happy playing Killer Instinct on Bournemouth beach where arcades were for everyone, you could play any arcade game without a swastika hanging above your head.

 

As for my children, wow good times, way back we played Silent Service (indexed in Germany) and immensely enjoyed the strategy of the game, Splatterhouse (good game) we also played on PC Engine way back, but now my children are grown up and successful lawyers and actors and have little or no time to play video games. Shame really.

 

But you're right about other countries with 'skeletons' - 'closet', especially the 'no nipple' law in UK and USA, what nonsense.

Edited November 24, 2013 by high voltage

[karokoenig]

... we played Silent Service (indexed in Germany)

 

That's weird... there must be some kind of miscommunication. I bought Silent Service on tape for the C64 in '85. It was freely available here. Love that game, and playing about every single submarine simulation I can get my hands on since the day I first played it. Actually, that was one of the very few games I actually bought, since the cracked disk version was bugged and wouldn't load :-).

[high voltage]

ASM 1987

You sure you were around during the 80s, you're just making it up, anyway the BPjM started in 85, a game like RR was already available since 3 years, which made the actions of the BPjM something of a mockery. So you got lucky buying Silent Service in 85, that's all

Edited November 24, 2013 by high voltage

[AtariLeaf]

I thought I remember Bushnell or someone saying that outlaw isn't really violent since the little cowboy doesn't die, just falls on his butt and gets back up. Can't find where I read that or if I'm misremembering or not.

[karokoenig]

ASM 1987

 

You sure you were around during the 80s, you're just making it up, anyway the BPjM started in 85, a game like RR was already available since 3 years, which made the actions of the BPjM something of a mockery. So you got lucky buying Silent Service in 85, that's all

 

First: I can't say I'm all too happy about what you are implying about my attitude towards truth in your post. What's up with that cheap shot? You say it yourself. "ASM 1987".

 

Second: did you actually read that article, or just searched the keywords silent, service, and index? The text clearly states that the Bundesprüfstelle only got active when an official request about a specific game, movie or book has been made. That means a lot of games kept under the radar and never even got considered by the BP. It also means that they were NOT actively combing the whole market in search for an opportunity to spit in gamer kids' glasses.

 

Third: A minimum of extra research would have revealed that Silent Service was on the index only for a short time. That happened all over the place. Games landed on that index, got re-evaluated and were removed from it. Big deal. We didn't realize there was something wrong with any game most of the time.

 

Fourth, and most important: this discussion has absolutely nothing to do with the original topic.

[high voltage]

You're right about 'fourth', congrats for having an Atari playing in your museum.

[karokoenig]

You're right about 'fourth', congrats for having an Atari playing in your museum.

 

And you were right about Silent Service being temporarily on the index. Got me there.

 

Now, finally, back to topic. I am thinking about organizing a little Outlaw tournament for the museum staff, if the director is okay with it. I'll keep you guys updated on that.

[jhd]

Is the 2600 (and/or the PlayStation) part of the permanent collection of the musem, or is it just a loaner?

 

I have seen a few video game consoles on display in Canadian museums, but they were never hooked-up, just sitting in the typical glass case.

[karokoenig]

Is the 2600 (and/or the PlayStation) part of the permanent collection of the musem, or is it just a loaner?

 

A loaner. Both are part of a special exhibition we have in the house till the end of April. Did I mention that I would LOVE to get my hands on that Competition Pro? It's one of the good models :-).

[high voltage]

 

And you were right about Silent Service being temporarily on the index. Got me there.

 

Now, finally, back to topic. I am thinking about organizing a little Outlaw tournament for the museum staff, if the director is okay with it. I'll keep you guys updated on that.

 

Excellent.

I work in a museum too (Ludwig Museum Koblenz), I wish we could have consoles on show, I always tell my boss we should have a video game exhibition.

 

7 years ago there was a Nintendo exhibition at the Landesmuseum Ehrenbreitstein. That was a great exhibition, I went several times, didn't have a camera though.