Behind the Scenes of Video Game History: Exploring Design Documents at the National Museum of Play

Summary

In this article, we take a behind-the-scenes look at the National Museum of Play in Rocheste, New York. We explore the library, where they preserve material related to video games, including design documents and background information, giving us a fuller picture of the whole history of gaming. We also examine some of the design documents, including those of Roberta Williams’ King’s Quest I, handwritten in pencil. We examine the design documents for King’s Quest V, which is a much bigger production, and scrutinize a Ziploc bag containing one of gaming’s iconic games, Mystery House. Finally, we discuss our personal favorite games and ask the readers about theirs.

Table of Contents

• The National Museum of Play’s Video Game Collection
• Design Documents Behind Video Game Creation
• Scrutinizing Roberta Williams’ Design Documents for King’s Quest I and King’s Quest V
• Exploring Video Game History with Iconic Games like Mystery House and Wolfenstein 3D
• Conclusion: The Beauty of Video Game History

Introduction

The National Museum of Play in Rocheste, New York, is home to one of the world’s most amazing collections of toys, games, and yes, video games. In this article, we take a behind-the-scenes look at the library where the museum preserves the material related to video games, providing a chance to explore the design documents and background information. This gives us a fuller picture of the whole history of gaming, and in the process, we appreciate the beauty of video game history.

Q&A

The National Museum of Play’s Video Game Collection

Q1: What is the National Museum of Play in Rocheste, New York?

A: The National Museum of Play is a museum that houses an amazing collection of toys, games, and video games.

Q2: What is preserved at the library of the National Museum of Play?

A: The museum preserves material related to video games, including design documents and background information, providing a more comprehensive insight into the history of gaming.

Design Documents Behind Video Game Creation

Q3: What are design documents in video game creation?

A: Design documents are documents that game developers use to outline the game’s concept, mechanics, characters, plot, and other components before starting the actual development process.

Q4: Why are design documents important in video game creation?

A: Design documents serve as the foundation of the game, guiding the development team through the creation process, ensuring that the final product meets the original vision.

Scrutinizing Roberta Williams’ Design Documents for King’s Quest I and King’s Quest V

Q5: What are Roberta Williams’ design documents, and why are they significant?

A: Roberta Williams’ design documents are handwritten documents of her thoughts, ideas, and concept for her famous game series, King’s Quest I and King’s Quest V. They are significant because they provide insight into Roberta’s creative process, and her design style and allow us to see how some of the early games were conceptualized.

Q6: What is the difference between Roberta Williams’ design documents for King’s Quest I and King’s Quest V?

A: The design documents for King’s Quest I were handwritten on notebook paper and contained a simple outline of the game’s scenes, characters and interactions. The design documents for King’s Quest V were typewritten, included more detailed outlines with categories and flow charts, and were organized into sections by specific rooms in the game.

Exploring Video Game History with Iconic Games like Mystery House and Wolfenstein 3D

Q7: What is Mystery House, and why is it significant?

A: Mystery House is a game released in 1980 created by Roberta Williams and her husband, Ken Williams. It is significant because it was the first interactive fiction game designed with graphics and the first game published by their company, On-Line Systems.

Q8: What is Wolfenstein 3D, and why is it significant?

A: Wolfenstein 3D is a game released in 1992, created by id Software. It is significant because it is considered one of the first and most iconic first-person shooter games, popularizing the genre and paving the way for future games in the genre.

Conclusion

In conclusion, as we explored the behind-the-scenes of video game history, we found that video games have a rich history, and the National Museum of Play’s collection and library provide an insight into that history. Exploring the design documents, we learned that they play a significant role in the creation of video games, ensuring the development team stays true to their vision. Similarly, iconic games such as Mystery House and Wolfenstein 3D remind us of the evolution of video games and the importance of capturing that history. Video games are an essential medium and have become an integral part of modern culture, and documenting their history is vital.