Whilst it is fascinating to the inveterate gamer to actually see the more obscure and esoteric consoles in the flesh (such as the MSX Hitbit HB 75p 1984 running an original version of Metal Gear 1), this section has lost its informative edge in favour of nostalgia for the grown ups and disparagement from the younger generations. Pillars in the centre of each room generally display ADHD friendly snippets, posing questions ranging between the ludicrous and the vacuous, without any actual answers. An example from a later section reads...

Pro Gaming Teachers.... Do they really mean it? Almost 60% of teachers would consider using gaming in the classroom...And they don't just see games as a reward for good behaviour - they could help develop motor-cognitive skills and strategic thinking, as well as tempting teenagers back into lessons.

The gaming exhibits continue with similarly ludicrous statistics, wildly flailing generalizations in the somewhat depressing tone of desperate ingratiation and grovelling towards the Daily Mail reading Reactionary Parent Association.

The show's shortcomings become more apparent when the products on display are more likely to be the ones that the public might still own or be influenced by in the 'Genre', 'Culture', 'Sound' and 'Multiplayer' sections. The exhibitors have done a fine job of getting in varied and unusual examples of computer gaming, and the visitors not too familiar with computer games will certainly come out better informed of the advances made in whacky peripherals, children's entertainment, and playing nicely with friends. As one of the callow heartless individuals that I know make up this fine site's readership, I was starting to notice the distinct lack of digital bloodshed. The informed gamer can obviously point out that the vast bulk of gaming is intelligent, and completely without the spectre of violence, but the under-representation at the show is perhaps glaring. The exhibition comes closest to considering in gaming as a few sound bites, Virtual Fighter and the original Street Fighter. The representation of the entire First Person Shooter genre is one example of Meteoroid Prime and running in the Multiplayer section. There is no mention of Mortal Combat, Doom, I Have No Mouth But I Must Scream, or any of the other titles that inarguably have had a serious impact on all subsequent gaming development. The conspicuous absence of a particular title by Games is the most glaring. was in the running to become one of the ten greatest examples of design in the UK, along with the Spitfire (displayed on the other side of the lobby) and the red London bus. But caught between ingratiating the Conservative wing and the nature of the show, its coverage is limited to a rolling video of driving a car and an extremely euphemistic collection of post-it notes describing development. The original outfit as worn by is the closest the organizers dare come to mentioning the Oscar winning and seminal title.

Other misses in the show include the poorly considered Asian Gaming section, showing off what those whacky Japanese come up with. Seeing as the whole event is Nintendo's baby, a disproportionate amount of the titles and on show is actually Japanese based, but the dedicated section is a disappointment to the experienced gamer. As I wander through it, a totally bemused man wiggles the single lever back and forth controlling Go By Train, a train simulator for the PS2. Just down from him a more confused visitor frowns at the apparently random pyrotechnics of Dragonball Z Budokai: Tenkaichi. Ultimately, the grand prize for the utterly mind boggling goes to the individuals bravely trying to make sense of the truly epic hundred button interface of Steel Battalion. unquestionably comes out with some of the strangest consumer products in the whole world, but it's a shame to see the cliche so embraced and no attempt to penetrate actual overseas innovation.

Near the exit one of the last obvious omissions is the attempt by the organizers to consider design in games. Given the untouchable status of any of Rockstar's products (aside from Ping Pong up on the big screen), and the equally unmentionable innovations of id Software, the organizers still failed to strike a realistic balance between the popular and the informed. An example of this is the work of Ocean Quigley, one of the formative visual designers of computer gaming with his designs for SimCity and various titles. He enjoys a couple of A4 sheets, massively overshadowed by the over-exposed bosom of Lara Croft - which whilst both ample and popular, is a long way from design genius.

The Game On show is not for the informed or experienced gamer, and by the time you have made it as far as this website and article, you are probably one of the former two. Or lost. However, seeing as those attending will likely be the younger and less informed, it may be praised for promoting the positive aspects of the games world, and maybe defuse some of the undeserved criticism it attracts. Additionally, the organizers must receive recognition for going to such lengths to make sure the show is genuinely interactive, with nearly every exhibit not only playable, but actually working. Only for the uninitiated, the inexperienced, or the absolutely, incurably nostalgic.

By Duncan Lawson