Eleventh International Conference on The Inclusive Museum

Abstract

Digital technologies are part of our everyday lives, affecting how people communicate and perceive the world, and prompting museums into rethinking their exhibitions in order to stay relevant and drive visits. In particular, games have acquired a key role in contemporary society, so many believe they should be included in exhibitions in order to attract new audiences, educate, and engage the public. However, museum professionals often struggle to approach new interactive narratives and may lack technical experience, which translates in pre-conceptions and skepticism towards digital technology and games. Moreover, the use of games in museums is generally limited to educational purposes and to engage with younger audiences, while games have been successfully used in other fields both as a co-design technique and as a method to collect data from and about players. Games are also a global phenomenon that interests a diverse range of users: male and females, of all ages, and across many different countries. In this study, I have investigated game play and game creation as a participatory method to empower museum professionals and support the design of new interactive experiences. I have involved museum professionals in both making and playing games. Drawing from my experience, I suggest that game-based activities can promote creativity, problem solving, dialogue, and social interaction. In particular, game making can provide museum professionals with a better understanding of what a game is and how it can be developed while playing games can facilitate the design of new narratives.