In the last forty years, video games have transformed from a niche hobby into a dominant cultural force. Who were the key innovators? What were the key technologies? What social forces shaped this transformation? 

In this course, students examined the evolution of video games from their experimental origins, through the arcade boom and console wars, to today's online gaming culture. 

Students focused on the people who created, played, and were affected by video games. They explored the tremendous technological, cultural, social, and economic changes that gaming sparked, and the lasting impact of interactive entertainment on society. Students actively engaged with multimedia primary sources and relevant secondary literature, and produced original research papers and posters based on that work.

This poster exhibition is the result of an ongoing partnership between the UCR Department of History and the Library’s Teaching and Learning Department. The posters on display showcase not only students' ability to find and critically engage with primary documents, but their capacity to tell new stories — about video games, through video games, and with video games.