When curating video games one has to keep in consideration the interactive nature of the form. At its core interactivity is what defines video games and differentiates them from video art and film, thus, stripping interactivity from a game negates its very essence. Unfortunately, very few video game exhibitions are capable of presenting all its works in their interactive form. These can be separated into technical limitations, conceptual limitations and accessibility limitations.

Limited space can force curators to make decisions over which games will be playable and which to present in deactivated form. Some games may require large custom interfaces or specialized equipment such as game cabins or VR igloos to name a few. In this case it is better to prioritize these displays over games that the visitor may be able to acquire and play at home since access to the former is much less probable.

This is not to imply an arcade solution is not possible, for example, the V&A's Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt (2018-19) features one such section where visitors walk into an arcade-like space where they are free to play most of the games within. However, this only applies to a fraction of the exhibition in order to limit overstimulation.

And while sensory overstimulation may be used by a talented curator as a rhetorical or conceptual tool, in most cases it is best to avoid bombarding the audience with too many sounds or images as these may interfere with transmitting the themes and atmosphere desired by the game's creators.

Overcrowding, particularly in the case of very popular exhibits can also place a need to limit the amount of playable games in a space as it poses both logistic and health and safety concerns particularly in the case of VR games where the participants may have limited visibility/mobility and having a crowd too close may result in accidental injury.

While it may be considered a technical limitation, playtime length also puts limitations on the curator at a conceptual level. While most art games lean towards exhibition friendly formats such as short playtime or pick up and put down timeframes, some games, particularly commercial ones may require playtimes of over 50hrs to fully experience. In this case decisions have to be made as to how to present gameplay. The simplest solution would be to allow players to take the game from the beginning, however this will result in tutorials being played over and over as well as not offering the full experience. In other cases, the game may be more suited to be played at home at leisure so the themes are fully communicated or the state of flow and control fluency is achieved.

As such, not all video games may be served by presenting them in their interactive form and other approaches such as screenshots or gameplay videos may be used. In the cases where interactivity is desired, thought must be put into how interaction will take place. The following questions will be helpful in determining the best solution.

1. Will the game be available on a first come first serve basis or will it be handled through some booking system?
2. Is the game short enough that the player can complete the experience within a reasonable amount of time? (0-5 minutes)
3. If not, will the player be able to play from the beginning or start at another determinate time of the game, and for how long?
4. Are the game controls simple enough that most users will be able to adequately engage with the game within the determined time frame or will there need to be some sort of training or assistance?

The exhibition theme will also determine how many games will be playable. If an exhibition focuses on art and design at the production stage of game making, interactivity may not be a priority and perhaps a showcase of concept art and game play videos may be better suited to the exhibition. Again, the V&A exhibition is a perfect example of this, as at its core the exhibition is centered on the design process of the games rather than the games themselves, the focus is not on gameplay or the meanings and themes derived from play.

Motion sickness, color blindness, mobility limitations and game literacy are a few of the main limitations to accessibility most games face. For an exhibition to be successful, it has to take steps to counter these issues.

These factor affects both VR and traditional video game with 67% of adults and 57% of children reporting a degree of motion sickness while playing video games¹⁾. At the base level a warning regarding motion sickness may be recommended at the entrance. Further precautions include disinfectant wipes, motion sickness bags, and a trash can. In the case of VR, it is a good idea to keep players seated unless necessary in order to avoid potential injuries.

Colorblindness solutions vary on a game to game basis. Some commercial and indie games have an in-game option that applies filters for the different types of colorblindness. For games running under PC and Mac, the operating systems themselves have filters that can be enabled when needed go here for PC and here for Mac. Of course these filters should only be enabled upon request and disabled immediately after.

Most games depend on keyboard and mouse (PC), gamepads (consoles, VR and PCs) and motion controls (PC,VR and consoles). Unfortunately, this makes accessible controllers a complicated situation requiring a sizable budget and custom solutions. For PC and the Xbox console, the Xbox Adaptive Controller offers a flexible, solution that can fit most limited mobility situations. Unfortunately, this solution will not work for all devices nor provide a simple solution that can be deployed 24/7. Nevertheless it should be easy to provide access to this device or even invite players to bring their own and adapt it to most experiences.

This barrier to entry is the most common barrier in video game exhibitions as not every player has experience with the variety of game systems and mechanics and thus requires a degree of learning. As a general rule, driving simulations, point and click games and text adventure games are the simpler games to control, with first person shooters and flight simulators being the most complicated. One way to combat this situation is through invigilators ready to teach the controls and mechanics to those who require it or Vicarious participation.

Vicarious participation is the process where the audience may get to experience a video game without having to actually control the action. This is achieved by placing large secondary screens that can be seen by others in the space which mirror the action the player sees, a smaller monitor for the player to engage with and space for the audience to sit back and enjoy the gameplay. In smaller setups a single large screen and allowing the vicarious participate to communicate with the player is enough to satisfy the needs of vicarious participation.

Rene G. Cepeda

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