The 2024 Game Developer Conference (GDC) wrapped last month, but videos are still getting posted about some of the talks, speakers, ideas, booths, and more that caught and held people’s attention. So, we’ll share a corner of the GDC expo floor that shares some fascinating gaming history that will resonate with many developers and gamers alike.
The Video Game History Foundation (VGHF), a “non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and teaching the history of video games” organized a booth space at GDC this year. Narrated by Frank Cifaldi, Executive Director and Co-Founder at VGHF, the video is a thoughtful 10 minute walkthrough of their booth and highlight five games with a unique and impactful history.
Among the five games featured, one was Wabbit, an Atari 2600 game with the first known female protagonist, from the long-shuttered independent game developer Apollo. Van Mai, one of the game’s developers, was found after an online search ended successfully. The discovery reinforced that women were involved in the early days of the game industry and in more ways than might otherwise might’ve been known.
Frank Cifaldi goes on to explain the mission of the Video Game History Foundation, and how they made the most of their attendance at GDC 2024 by not only showing off some of their game preservation in action but also to raise funds to continue their mission. He also explains what he believed the VGHF excelled at in their booth and also what he might like to see them do better next year.
Grab a beverage or snack to accompany this shorter video!
Whether you are an event coordinator, press, or general attendee, if you have an event video to share with us, please let us know and we’ll be happy to feature it!
