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By Adam Nedeff, Researcher for the National Archives of Game Show History
Different shows treat Christmas differently. Some game shows have been content to just do their normal game, but with tinsel and a tree adorning the set. Some shows take it a little further, playing the game with special material—What’s My Line? might welcome a reindeer breeder, Wheel of Fortune might have the lyrics to a Christmas carol as the solution to a puzzle. But few game shows turned Christmas into […]

Continue Reading about Concentrating on Santa—and CARE Published on:
November 18, 2022

This week we’re celebrating our annual Women in Games event that spotlights women who have shaped the video game industry, and so it seems fitting to post a blog honoring Margot Comstock, a publishing visionary who helped people become familiar and fall in love with computers and computer games. Sadly, Margot passed away on October 22, 2022.
When Margot Comstock began her work in the 1970s, personal computing was just taking root. Computers, as they first developed after World War II, […]

Continue Reading about Margot Comstock, Publishing Pioneer Published on:
November 14, 2022

On November 10, 2022, the top was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame along with Lite-Brite and Masters of the Universe. In the runup to the induction, the primary comment I heard about the top ran along the lines of, “What?! You mean the top isn’t already in the Hall of Fame?” That reaction underscores just how universal and timeless the top feels even to people in our highly technological era. It’s definitely a toy with a lengthy […]

Continue Reading about The Top of Its Class Published on:
November 11, 2022

Your hands are shaking as you fumble with the small, plastic pieces, eyes scanning the red board for the hole that matches the shape clutched in your fingers…
The tick-tick-tick of the timer is drowned out by the pounding of your heart in your ears…
You know it’s coming but cannot stop yourself from jumping when the timer stops ticking and BOOM! The game board pops up, launching all the pieces into the air and onto the floor around you.
You breathe a […]

Continue Reading about Playing to Conquer Fears and Tame Anxiety Published on:
November 4, 2022

With a growing collection of digital files, it can be a challenge to identify what every file does. But you never know what you may find, including completely unseen games like Rock It Man for the SEGA Genesis.

Continue Reading about Game Saves: Rock It Man—A Punny Unreleased SEGA Genesis Game Published on:
October 26, 2022

At the entrance to The Strong’s Field of Play exhibit, a giant Snoopy statue with sunglasses playfully greets guests and beckons them inside. Mary Valentine—a museum trustee, long-time philanthropic supporter, and great friend to many at The Strong—donated the beloved canine five years ago to bring joy to guests. Sadly, Mary passed away recently at the age of 74.
Snoopy wears a shirt emblazoned with powerful words, and one stands out that defined Mary’s character—COMPASSION. While many museum guests never had […]

Continue Reading about Remembering Mary Valentine: A Leader and Friend of The Strong Published on:
October 25, 2022

By Adam Nedeff, Researcher for the National Archives of Game Show History
You bring the stuffing, the cranberry sauce, and the pumpkin pie. For Thanksgiving, we’ll bring you the biggest turkey in the history of game shows: You’re in the Picture
By 1961, Jackie Gleason was already a bona fide show business legend. His Cavalcade of Stars had made him one of the first superstars in the young medium of television. The classic 39-episode season of The Honeymooners had been icing on […]

Continue Reading about Biggest “Turkey” in Game Show History Published on:
October 21, 2022

Playing video games can be many things: entertaining, collaborative, emotional, or even a learning experience. Using video games for education is nothing new, but in recent years developers have seen how interactive media can help create an understanding of those around us. According to Professor Paul Fletcher at the University of Cambridge, “Video games can be powerful tools because they are absorbing and immersive. They require active participation, and they allow players to explore new and uncertain worlds.” The topic […]

Continue Reading about Senua’s Journey: The Portrayal of Mental Illness in Video Games Published on:
October 7, 2022

One Prototype to rule them all, One Prototype to backup and save.
Long before Peter Jackson brought The Lord of the Rings to life on the big screen, others tried their hands at adapting the J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy classic. With the 1978 animated film directed by Ralph Bakshi just a few years prior, Parker Brothers began advertising a video game adaptation in 1982.
Scheduled for a winter 1983 release, The Lord of the Rings: Journey to Rivendell for Atari 2600 home consoles […]

Continue Reading about Game Saves: The Lord of the Rings Atari 2600 Published on:
September 30, 2022