Media Arts and Science faculty, led by Mathew Powers, and Luddy Indianapolis staff are saving video consoles and games for future generations
Of all the classic video games ever released in the United States, 87% are no longer available. However, at the IU Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering on the Indiana University Indianapolis campus, a collection of video games has grown for years in a lab.
With support from University Collections, the lab was granted IU Museum Collection status in the spring, leading preservation efforts while inviting the next generation to experience the magic of classic video games.
Mathew Powers, Media Arts and Science lecturer, has collected video game paraphernalia from IU students for the past 18 years. In 2009, Powers and a council of faculty established the Media Arts and Science Research Learning Arcade, also known as MARLA.
Thomas Lewis, professor and director of the Media Arts and Science (MAS) program, said, “With the museum collection, our MAS students will have an ever-expanding resource for inspiration and appreciation (not to mention fun) as they develop their own games; games that will in-turn be preserved in the collection. It is a great education resource that I am happy to have here in MAS.”
Students in the Luddy Indianapolis MAS program are already shaping the digital media landscape, developing skills in 3D graphics and animation, digital storytelling, game design and development, video development and sound design, and web design and development. Graduates of the program finish with an industry-ready portfolio and work in industries ranging from advertising and entertainment to healthcare and hi-tech, at start-ups and at well known companies like Eli Lilly, Kohl’s, Pixar Studios, Salesforce, and Rockstar Games.
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