Pittsburgh, PA - The Carnegie Science Center (premier/test run) - 6/15/96 - 9/15/96
Philadelphia, PA - The Franklin Institute Science Museum - 6/20/97 - 9/1/97
Washington, DC - The National Press Building - 1/31/98 - 4/30/98
Tampa, FL - Museum of Science and Industry - 6/6/98 - 9/7/98
Dallas, TX - The Science Place - 9/25/98 - 1/5/99
Baltimore, MD - Maryland Science Center - 5/29/99 - 9/6/99
San Antonio, TX - Institute of Texan Cultures - 8/12/03 - 11/02/03
Singapore - Singapore Science Centre - 10/21/04 - 2/14/05

Examples of Exhibit Television Coverage

• CBS: This Morning – Windows Media Format (7 MB)
• Videotopia Nostalgia Movie – Quicktime (8 MB)
• Modern Marvels clip, the History Channel – Quicktime (coming soon)

Examples of Videotopia Press Coverage

USA Today – pdf format (800 KB) “The fact is, the exhibit isn’t just fun. It’s fascinating. For one thing, it drives home in a very tangible way how far computers have come in a fairly short time.”

Ticket Magazine – pdf format (2.5 MB) “First, you must know that I am no fan of video games. So what was I thinking coming to Videotopia, the Franklin Institute’s interactive celebration of video games? But I’ve come to trust the great science museum to make a believer out of me… It was an exhilarating ride and more pure physical fun than I’d had in years… Visit this remarkable show!”

Forbes Magazine - pdf format (3 MB) “Feinstein founded a company… dedicated to setting history straight through an informational website (www.videotopia.com) and the traveling exhibit, Videotopia that packed in crowds at Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute and Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Science Center…”

Star Ledger – pdf format (1 MB) “Part Arcade, part quiz, part history lesson, Videotopia features virtually every important game in the history of the medium.”

Dallas Morning News – pdf format (22 KB) “Like a multimedia time machine, Videotopia offers the chance to retreat into a lost world. As Videotopia’s collection goes on, black and white bursting into color, crude outlines becoming ever more complex characters and a flat two-dimensional world adding an eye-tricking third, an archaeological time line tracing the computer’s development is created.”

Sample Exhibit Testimonials

Franklin Institute Science Museum – pdf format (600 KB) “The exhibit – the history of videogames – is complete and informative and the nostalgia visitors felt at the exhibit was authentic… we are pleased with the decision to offer this exhibit to our visitors and found that our attendance increased compared to [the previous summer].” – Janet Kamien, Vice President.

The Science Place, Dallas, TX– pdf format (1.3 MB) “I admit to being a bit skeptical early in our considerations – a serious show featuring arcade games? But you were right, once I saw it I completely changed my mind. Not only have you done a thorough and accurate job telling the story of the development of electronic games, a genre tightly woven into popular culture, you’ve managed to do it in a fun and informative way…” – Jeff Courtman, Vice President of Exhibits.

Singapore Science Centre – (pdf article coming soon) “We are pleased to have brought Videotopia to Singapore, the exhibit was educational and a real treat for our visitors.” – Anna Tan Kim Teng, Events Manager

Exhibit Description

VIDEOTOPIA explores humanity's first giant leap into interactive electronic media - - the videogame. Understanding this often overlooked technology is necessary if we are to make informed choices about the evolving uses of computers and videogames -- today, and as they develop with the technology of the future. VIDEOTOPIA explores such areas of relevant cultural influence, in addition to the science and applied technology behind the games.

Videogames are largely responsible for the widespread acceptance of computers by the public. The exhibits and displays in VIDEOTOPIA communicate the impact these games and their technology have had on our culture. A walk through VIDEOTOPIA engages each visitor in the worlds that support the worlds of virtual reality, videogames, artificial intelligence, and computers. Three areas of exhibits explore the artistry, technology, and human experience of interactivity.

The ease with which these games illustrate the importance of varied technologies is astounding. Each example of videogame technology and design expression in VIDEOTOPIA is accompanied by an intensively researched "Info-pedestal" which not only explains what each advance in technology and design actually "does" for the game and therefore the user, but also places the machine in its own historical and sociological perspective.

Please do not confuse VIDEOTOPIA with some random selection of old videogames and a loose framework of content. In addition to theatrical displays and multimedia stations, original design documents, and materials from the beginnings of the industry, VIDEOTOPIA is a careful selection of machines that provides the only easily visualized representation of the evolution of computing technology.

VIDEOTOPIA was born out of the desire to teach and entertain, to enlighten as well as preserve.

"The games of a people reveal a great deal about them." - Marshall McLuhan

"I don't believe anyone ever expected videogames to have such a fundamental impact on our society in so many areas. [They] have become an integral part of the fabric of American life, changing the way we think, the way we learn, and the way we see the future." - Dr. Christopher Geist, Chair of the department of Popular Culture at Bowling Green University, member of the Videotopia Advisory Panel.

"Videogames are not for us. They're here to entertain the television." - Mel Brooks