The National Videogame Museum is a museum in Frisco, Texas, that focuses on the history of video games and the video game industry. It opened in 2016 and includes classic arcade machines set up like an old arcade, games from different video game consoles arranged like a living room, and games from historic computers. The museum also has displays about the history of the video game industry, as well as items and collectibles related to the industry. A main goal of the museum is to let visitors play the games, so there are many interactive exhibits where visitors can try playing games.

History

In 1999, John Hardie, Sean Kelly, and Joe Santulli began hosting the first Classic Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. This event aimed to honor the people, systems, and games from the past. A traveling exhibition called the Video Game Museum was part of the Expo and also shown at events like E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) and GDC (Game Developers Conference).

In 2011, the founders started a Kickstarter campaign to gather their collection as a first step toward finding a permanent home for it, which would later be named the Videogame History Museum.

On September 18, 2014, the Frisco Community Development Corporation board voted unanimously to bring the Videogame History Museum to Frisco, Texas. This was not their first choice; they preferred Silicon Valley.

In April 2016, the National Videogame Museum, which is 10,400 square feet (970 m²), opened in the Frisco Discovery Center.

Features

The National Videogame Museum has several exhibits that each highlight a different part of video game history. These include displays about sound design in games, the video game crash of 1983, the development of home computers, and the changes in video game controllers and consoles over time. The museum has detailed displays of rare and famous gaming items, such as the Stadium Events and the Nintendo World Championships NES Cartridge, as well as special edition consoles that were made in very small numbers. The museum also protects early versions of video games, including the only known prototype of the unreleased Sega Neptune. The National Videogame Museum is known for having one of the largest collections of historical gaming materials in the world.

Throughout the museum, visitors can sit and play various game consoles at their own pace or challenge others to play games. The selection of games changes each month. The museum also includes a fully equipped arcade that looks like it is from the 1980s, featuring classic games such as Pac-Man, Punch-Out!!, Donkey Kong, and others. A large version of the game Pong is also on display and has helped the museum gain recognition.