Netmarble Cultural Foundation announced on the 5th that it has opened the 'Netmarble Game Museum' on the third floor of the Netmarble headquarters G Tower and unveiled its first special exhibition 'Press Start, The Stage of Korean PC Games.'
The 'Netmarble Game Museum' was established to inform about the socio-cultural value of games and spotlight the game industry and culture. It consists of an 'exhibition space' showcasing domestic and foreign game-related collections, a 'learning space' for accessing various materials, and a 'play space' for experiencing old games.
The museum displays a total of over 2,100 artifacts, including about 300 gaming devices, around 1,300 game software titles, and 500 peripherals and other collectibles. Among these, over 700 items were collected through donations from citizens and Netmarble employees. Key artifacts include 'Odyssey (1972),' 'Home Pong (1976),' 'Apple II (1977),' 'Remix (1987),' and 'Game Boy (1989).' Additionally, early forms of video game consoles such as 'Tennis for Two' and 'Spacewar' are also being replicated and exhibited.
Currently, the museum features the first commercial arcade game machine, 'Computer Space,' and plans to continuously acquire artifacts that hold significant meaning in the history of games.
The first special exhibition, 'Press Start, The Stage of Korean PC Games,' organizes and introduces the history of Korean PC games in chronological order with keywords. It highlights the impact those games had on Korean society, showcasing over 60 Korean PC game software titles and computers held by the museum. The special exhibition is set to take place annually with a new theme each year.
The museum's exhibition hall is composed of three themes: ▲Game History ▲Game World ▲Game Culture. In the 'Game History' section, visitors can explore the development of the game industry both domestically and internationally, while 'Game World' allows the experience of elements that compose games, such as game professions, game characters, and game music. The 'Game Culture' space provides an area to learn about game materials and play past games, featuring a 'library' with various game books and digital materials and a 'play collection' for enjoying classic arcade, console, and PC games.
The Netmarble Game Museum can be visited through online reservations or on-site ticket purchases.
Kim Seong-cheol, the head of the Netmarble Cultural Foundation, noted, 'The Netmarble Game Museum is a space for researching and experiencing the cultural value of games,' adding, 'We plan to hold special exhibitions with new themes each year to provide diverse viewing experiences.'