Many people go to Rome to soak up the culture, but soon there will be a different type of culture to enjoy: Video Game culture. Europe’s first video games museum is set to open in Rome next year.
The museum will be called ViGaMus, an amalgamation of the words Video Game Museum, and is currently under development. There are other museums of this type in America and Japan, but this is the first of its kind in Europe, and we’re extremely excited.
Plans for the museum will be revealed next month at the Italian Videogame Developer Conference, but in the meantime some awesome concept images have been shown off. Above we see what the ViGaMus could look like from the outside, with the walls covered in giant illuminated green space invaders. Below is a concept of what one of the displays could look like, showcasing video games consoles of yesteryear, such as the original Game Boy and Super Nintendo.
Aside from video game history on a global scale, the museum is expected to showcase what its home country has contributed towards the industry. While the majority of games are developed in Japan and the U.S, there are two standout studios in Italy that we can think of – 505 Games and Milestone. The former has been responsible for titles such as Cooking Mama, Bust a Move and Harvest Moon, while the latter has developed some of the MotoGP titles.
ViGaMus is aimed at bringing the country recognition in the games industry, and drawing some of that focus away from America and Japan. IVDC president Marco Accordi Rickards explains:
“ViGaMus sends a message to the world that Italy is confident, innovative and open for business,” he said. “ViGaMus is the first of a raft of ambitious projects which sees the Italian Videogames industry, Italian government and private investors working closely together towards a common goal.”
It’s an exciting prospect, that’s for sure, and one that will make Rome a more attractive prospect to young gamers being dragged around the city to look at classic culture with their parents. ViGaMus will open sometime in 2013.
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Via: GamesRadar