DoctorEldritch
Hello Legion Gamers!
It's time for another interview! Earlier this year, our @CandelaSynth had the pleasure of talking with Álvaro García Daza, the communications manager of OXO Video Game Museum, talking about the opening of a new cultural space in Madrid. Have a read!
Where did the idea of creating a video game museum come from, and why Málaga?
As for where and why, Málaga is the city where Kaiju Group, the company that monitors all OXO Museum activities and other events like Gamepolis and Freakcon, is based. Additionally, we also have the video game school EVAD here.
OXO was born from a foundational premise: that video games are culture, and as culture, they need their own cultural space to tell the story of over 70 years of history, starting in 1952 with Alexander S. Douglas and his Tic-Tac-Toe, played on one of those giant computers—OXO, which gives our museum its name. This way, we trace the evolution of video games from 1952 to the present day: from what were barely pixels on one colour screens to what we know today, like home consoles, gaming PCs, virtual reality headsets, metaverses, and other constantly developing concepts.
When did the idea of expanding to Madrid arise, and what was the process (time, employees, etc.)? How does the cultural offering differ between the two spaces?
The Madrid Museum is the result of the success of the OXO Video Game Museum in Málaga, where the public response, with over 125,000 visitors in its first year in Málaga led to the natural expansion of the project with this "sister" museum in Madrid.
After a year and a half of looking at our options, we decided to open the new site in Madrid. In only six months, we've worked hard to achieve this growth. Both museums offer a similar cultural experience, with some differences, which encourages visitors to visit both locations. Currently, the main difference lies in the temporary exhibitions we offer.
What criteria do you follow when selecting temporary exhibitions?
Our selection process is not based on the popularity of brands or franchises but on their cultural value and their contribution to the history of video games.
For example, we recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of PlayStation, and we chose Final Fantasy for its nearly 40 years history, with our exhibition being the most comprehensive outside of Japan! Likewise, the shows about Animal Crossing and Call of Duty were chosen for their contributions to the video game world.
Currently, we’ve extended the run of the Dynamic exhibition in Málaga, where visitors can learn more about the fascinating history of this company and the origins of video game production in Spain.
In the future, we will continue offering exhibitions on different game series and companies, aiming to provide diverse content so that visitors can enjoy simultaneous temporary exhibitions at both museums.
Can you tell us more about the museum’s target audience? How do you balance catering to a specialised audience with a more general public?
The more general audience seeks entertainment and interactive games, while the more specialized audience, those who want to dive deeper, would also focus on the information on the panels. The museum's founder, Miguel Ramos, particularly values visitors who are enthusiasts but not necessarily experts in the video game industry, but who are interested in learning and broadening their horizons.
The museum offers a wide variety of activities and attractions to satisfy both types of visitors: generalists can enjoy games and interactive elements, while more specialized visitors can engage in talks, tournaments, book presentations, etc.
This year, we’ve mostly had visitors aged between 15 and 50. It’s a broad audience that spans from casual players of Candy Crush to professionals in the video game industry. Another activity we offer is the immersive room, a 360-degree space that uses sound and image to tell a narrative, created by us, about video games.
Ultimately, the main goal of the museum is the dissemination and promotion of video games as art.
What would you like visitors to take home after their experience at the Video Game Museum?
Well, a desire to learn more! 😊
Even the employees discover new things every so often. This happens because we regularly change the permanent exhibition, whether it's the games on the consoles or adding new information. This keeps the experience fresh and encourages visitors to return and explore more.
Just like someone visits an art museum regularly, you can do the same here and learn more in detail about the world of video games. Because sometimes, people mistakenly think it’s just an arcade, but it’s an interactive museum, which is a different concept: It's education and that’s why we also collaborate with schools and institutions.
In 2023, 10,000 schoolchildren visited the Video Game Museum. How does the museum incorporate educational elements into its exhibitions and events?
Mostly through the guided tours we offer, where our trained staff narrates the history of video games from their origins in 1952 to the present day. While both the temporary exhibitions and our “OXOLabs” space are very important, the main focus of our educational visits is on the first floor, the permanent exhibition: visitors can observe technological evolution, from rudimentary mechanical systems to modern consoles with 3D graphics, as well as the importance of characters, their creators, creative processes with original documents, and the art that surrounds the world of video games.
This content gives students of any age the material and experience to create a project of their own for their relevant subject.
And of course, if they still have any questions, the museum is open to providing additional information via phone or email. In fact, our cultural director has assisted students, including recent ones from the Complutense University of Madrid. The museum seeks to promote its development and vibrancy through different areas like communication, documentation, advertising, and others, so it can grow through these interactions.
Do you hold workshops, for example?
Yes, we do. For example, we collaborated with Málaga Jam. After the event, Guillermo Yuste, creator of “Bestiario,” came and looked over the projects created during the event, offering his opinion to the creators.
We also held children's workshops on video game development. For instance, with Nintendo Switch, where our video game school, EVAD, was also involved.
On the third floor, we have a library with educational materials of all kinds. This space is also used for workshops aimed at children aged 6 to 12, which were held between April and June during the last edition.
And how do you charge for them?
They’re completely free! And the workshops for adults are free as well. Fantastic! 😍
What’s your opinion on eSports? Have you considered hosting a retrospective on the topic or even hosting an event of this kind at the museum?
Well, you can’t rule out eSports because they are the competitive side of video games. However, not all games are suitable for becoming eSports.
For example, single-player games like Minecraft, Animal Crossing, or Uncharted generally aren't considered eSports. Still, there are different branches, such as "speedruns," which can make a game competitive. There are even Microsoft Excel tournaments! 😁 This shows that almost any activity can become an eSport...
The museum does have space for eSports and has hosted some tournaments, like the NES World Championship. Also, whenever possible, we stream important events in the immersive room, like we did with the 2023 League of Legends World finals, opening the doors for the community to enjoy the event live.
Although we can’t host large-scale tournaments due to space limitations, the museum has participated in eSports events in other venues like Gamepolis. This shows that the museum recognizes competitiveness as an important aspect of video game history, as seen during the visit, particularly in the Half-Life, Valve, and Riot Games section, where we explored multiplayer formats and their competitive nature.
Can you tell us more about your conservation initiative and what it involves? How do you manage donations?
We receive donations almost daily: equipment, games, accessories, etc. Due to privacy reasons, we don’t share the full names of the donors, but we do display their initials.
Regarding conservation, we have trained staff and make a huge effort to keep all equipment running. Despite our efforts, certain things slip through the cracks because some devices are running constantly and are difficult to maintain.
Normally, replacement parts need to be ordered well in advance because they are very specific parts, some of which are no longer even manufactured! If, for example, we have a machine turned off because it's waiting for repair, we try to replace it with another to avoid affecting the visitor experience, as we always prefer to have everything on display in working order.
How complex is the maintenance of all this equipment?
As you can imagine, the older the equipment, the harder it is to maintain and repair.
Since we try to keep everything original, when something needs fixing and we can’t find original parts, we try to make it work as close to the original as possible. For example, we have the oscilloscope, the base of “Tennis For Two” by William Higinbotham. If we can’t find an original 1958 component, we try to find something that makes it function just like the original.
The physical format is losing ground to digital. How will this impact your activities as conservators? For example, would you focus on collector’s editions of new games/devices or do you have any initiatives to “conserve” digital formats?
The goal is that the product, regardless of the year, will have its original format present in a permanent exhibition, say, for a 90-year history of video games.
Let’s assume that in the future, we no longer have the ability to display physical formats, for example, we can't show a cover or there’s no console as such because it's integrated into a TV. Would that be a problem? No, because we could cover previous years that did have this type of product.
Let’s imagine, then, that we have a Smart TV with the “X” console app within it. We would display its original controller—because there will have to be some sort of controller—or any other device that the user interacts with while playing the game.
On the other hand, we could always have collectable materials associated with the most modern devices, just as we have figures like Tekken’s King, Metal Gear’s Snake, or Lara Croft from Tomb Raider, which not only decorate the space but also transport you to those universes represented in their video games.
On this topic, what’s your opinion on NFTs applied to video games?
NFTs are another area of the video game industry, and as such, they’re part of its history. We don’t have any NFTs within the museum yet because it’s a very new industry, so we need to study how it works.
Obviously, we can’t ignore it, but we don’t yet have enough information about it, nor about metaverses, for example. So for now, we can’t offer an objective explanation of what it entails.
Who are your favourite video game influencers (on streaming, social media, or podcast format) and why would you recommend them?
How about spreading the word? There are many formats and sources that could fit this category, but I’d like to highlight the importance of video game journalism. Ultimately, it’s part of a primarily cultural industry where information professionals provide guides and reviews, offering their own evaluation.
In this realm, I’d mention José Luis Ortega, a journalist at Eurogamer. I’d also name Diego Vargas, author of Cinco Duros, a book about the history of video games during the '80s and '90s.
I’d also like to highlight the importance of national video game developers, and I’d definitely emphasize Dynamic - we cover their history extensively in our current temporary exhibition in Málaga.
What’s your opinion on the video game industry right now, both internationally and in Spain, and how can it become more sustainable and fairer?
I think that despite the difficulties, it’s a hopeful moment, with so many quality titles announced for this year. I’m excited about what’s to come.
Though there are some subscription elements that are becoming more expensive, partly due to the current economic situation, it’s not exclusive to the video game industry. I think alternatives will emerge, even though the big companies will stay on top.
From events like the Fórum del Décimo Arte at the Thyssen Museum, I believe that in Spain, we have a solid industry foundation. Although there’s still room for improvement in terms of both quantity and quality of content, Spain is making progress.
The pandemic played a significant role, encouraging a cultural and societal shift, and allowing digital spaces to flourish. I hope the industry continues this momentum with more support from official institutions and the public to create fairer and more accessible spaces for everyone.
We are already seeing this at events like FREAKCON, where cinema, series, comics, and video games coexist. The time of seeing fans as weirdos dressing up for conventions is long gone! On the contrary, these fandoms are increasingly being recognized as cultural expressions that share something in common: the connection between people with similar tastes who create one single community.
An example of this synergy can be seen in the old LAN (Local Area Network) events, where different communities would come together to celebrate a common event. Thanks to the internet, all of this has evolved, with technology enabling a digital leap where people can connect in a more basic, almost natural way. The internet has also made it easier for international communities to access each other, even though they share common interests.
Another current example of how video games are influencing other cultural sectors is in theme parks, which are always evolving. For example, PortAventura introduces video games into the park through a QR code in the queues, allowing visitors to compete against others in line as a way to pass the time while waiting.
In short, I believe that at these types of conventions, there will be more and more of a shared theme that we could call “geek culture” in Spanish, which would bring together various cultural industries, regardless of their format, just like we’ve seen recently in successful adaptations like The Last of Us and Fallout.
How Do You Imagine the Future of Video Games? For instance, Do You See an Absolutely Immersive Future Like in Ready Player One?
I think everything coexists, and that’s the answer.
I don’t think kids born in 2024, who by 2042 will be in their twenties, will experience video games the way I’m experiencing them today, but I do think that there will still be people in that same generation who will want to continue playing on a couch with a controller. Even if we reach a future where immersive experiences are fully developed, there will still be people who aren’t ready to wear virtual reality headsets and would prefer to play on a screen.
Similarly, there are people who enjoy a more immersive 4D cinema today, but that hasn’t caused conventional 2D cinema to disappear.
I believe that video games, being an industry very similar to cinema, will develop in a similar way, with some people who will want to play on a screen, others who will prefer to play with VR headsets, and some who will love a type of ultra-sensory game with VR glasses and kinetic suits that let you feel bullets when you're shot or how the ground moves, or even the sensation of rain… etc. Reaching total immersion, but as I said, I believe that one form will not replace the other; rather, they will coexist.
Thank you so much for your time and your words, Álvaro!
I hope you enjoyed reading the interview!
It's time for another interview! Earlier this year, our @CandelaSynth had the pleasure of talking with Álvaro García Daza, the communications manager of OXO Video Game Museum, talking about the opening of a new cultural space in Madrid. Have a read!
Where did the idea of creating a video game museum come from, and why Málaga?
As for where and why, Málaga is the city where Kaiju Group, the company that monitors all OXO Museum activities and other events like Gamepolis and Freakcon, is based. Additionally, we also have the video game school EVAD here.
OXO was born from a foundational premise: that video games are culture, and as culture, they need their own cultural space to tell the story of over 70 years of history, starting in 1952 with Alexander S. Douglas and his Tic-Tac-Toe, played on one of those giant computers—OXO, which gives our museum its name. This way, we trace the evolution of video games from 1952 to the present day: from what were barely pixels on one colour screens to what we know today, like home consoles, gaming PCs, virtual reality headsets, metaverses, and other constantly developing concepts.
When did the idea of expanding to Madrid arise, and what was the process (time, employees, etc.)? How does the cultural offering differ between the two spaces?
The Madrid Museum is the result of the success of the OXO Video Game Museum in Málaga, where the public response, with over 125,000 visitors in its first year in Málaga led to the natural expansion of the project with this "sister" museum in Madrid.
After a year and a half of looking at our options, we decided to open the new site in Madrid. In only six months, we've worked hard to achieve this growth. Both museums offer a similar cultural experience, with some differences, which encourages visitors to visit both locations. Currently, the main difference lies in the temporary exhibitions we offer.
What criteria do you follow when selecting temporary exhibitions?
Our selection process is not based on the popularity of brands or franchises but on their cultural value and their contribution to the history of video games.
For example, we recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of PlayStation, and we chose Final Fantasy for its nearly 40 years history, with our exhibition being the most comprehensive outside of Japan! Likewise, the shows about Animal Crossing and Call of Duty were chosen for their contributions to the video game world.
Currently, we’ve extended the run of the Dynamic exhibition in Málaga, where visitors can learn more about the fascinating history of this company and the origins of video game production in Spain.
In the future, we will continue offering exhibitions on different game series and companies, aiming to provide diverse content so that visitors can enjoy simultaneous temporary exhibitions at both museums.
Can you tell us more about the museum’s target audience? How do you balance catering to a specialised audience with a more general public?
The more general audience seeks entertainment and interactive games, while the more specialized audience, those who want to dive deeper, would also focus on the information on the panels. The museum's founder, Miguel Ramos, particularly values visitors who are enthusiasts but not necessarily experts in the video game industry, but who are interested in learning and broadening their horizons.
The museum offers a wide variety of activities and attractions to satisfy both types of visitors: generalists can enjoy games and interactive elements, while more specialized visitors can engage in talks, tournaments, book presentations, etc.
This year, we’ve mostly had visitors aged between 15 and 50. It’s a broad audience that spans from casual players of Candy Crush to professionals in the video game industry. Another activity we offer is the immersive room, a 360-degree space that uses sound and image to tell a narrative, created by us, about video games.
Ultimately, the main goal of the museum is the dissemination and promotion of video games as art.
What would you like visitors to take home after their experience at the Video Game Museum?
Well, a desire to learn more! 😊
Even the employees discover new things every so often. This happens because we regularly change the permanent exhibition, whether it's the games on the consoles or adding new information. This keeps the experience fresh and encourages visitors to return and explore more.
Just like someone visits an art museum regularly, you can do the same here and learn more in detail about the world of video games. Because sometimes, people mistakenly think it’s just an arcade, but it’s an interactive museum, which is a different concept: It's education and that’s why we also collaborate with schools and institutions.
In 2023, 10,000 schoolchildren visited the Video Game Museum. How does the museum incorporate educational elements into its exhibitions and events?
Mostly through the guided tours we offer, where our trained staff narrates the history of video games from their origins in 1952 to the present day. While both the temporary exhibitions and our “OXOLabs” space are very important, the main focus of our educational visits is on the first floor, the permanent exhibition: visitors can observe technological evolution, from rudimentary mechanical systems to modern consoles with 3D graphics, as well as the importance of characters, their creators, creative processes with original documents, and the art that surrounds the world of video games.
This content gives students of any age the material and experience to create a project of their own for their relevant subject.
And of course, if they still have any questions, the museum is open to providing additional information via phone or email. In fact, our cultural director has assisted students, including recent ones from the Complutense University of Madrid. The museum seeks to promote its development and vibrancy through different areas like communication, documentation, advertising, and others, so it can grow through these interactions.
Do you hold workshops, for example?
Yes, we do. For example, we collaborated with Málaga Jam. After the event, Guillermo Yuste, creator of “Bestiario,” came and looked over the projects created during the event, offering his opinion to the creators.
We also held children's workshops on video game development. For instance, with Nintendo Switch, where our video game school, EVAD, was also involved.
On the third floor, we have a library with educational materials of all kinds. This space is also used for workshops aimed at children aged 6 to 12, which were held between April and June during the last edition.
And how do you charge for them?
They’re completely free! And the workshops for adults are free as well. Fantastic! 😍
What’s your opinion on eSports? Have you considered hosting a retrospective on the topic or even hosting an event of this kind at the museum?
Well, you can’t rule out eSports because they are the competitive side of video games. However, not all games are suitable for becoming eSports.
For example, single-player games like Minecraft, Animal Crossing, or Uncharted generally aren't considered eSports. Still, there are different branches, such as "speedruns," which can make a game competitive. There are even Microsoft Excel tournaments! 😁 This shows that almost any activity can become an eSport...
The museum does have space for eSports and has hosted some tournaments, like the NES World Championship. Also, whenever possible, we stream important events in the immersive room, like we did with the 2023 League of Legends World finals, opening the doors for the community to enjoy the event live.
Although we can’t host large-scale tournaments due to space limitations, the museum has participated in eSports events in other venues like Gamepolis. This shows that the museum recognizes competitiveness as an important aspect of video game history, as seen during the visit, particularly in the Half-Life, Valve, and Riot Games section, where we explored multiplayer formats and their competitive nature.
Can you tell us more about your conservation initiative and what it involves? How do you manage donations?
We receive donations almost daily: equipment, games, accessories, etc. Due to privacy reasons, we don’t share the full names of the donors, but we do display their initials.
Regarding conservation, we have trained staff and make a huge effort to keep all equipment running. Despite our efforts, certain things slip through the cracks because some devices are running constantly and are difficult to maintain.
Normally, replacement parts need to be ordered well in advance because they are very specific parts, some of which are no longer even manufactured! If, for example, we have a machine turned off because it's waiting for repair, we try to replace it with another to avoid affecting the visitor experience, as we always prefer to have everything on display in working order.
How complex is the maintenance of all this equipment?
As you can imagine, the older the equipment, the harder it is to maintain and repair.
Since we try to keep everything original, when something needs fixing and we can’t find original parts, we try to make it work as close to the original as possible. For example, we have the oscilloscope, the base of “Tennis For Two” by William Higinbotham. If we can’t find an original 1958 component, we try to find something that makes it function just like the original.
The physical format is losing ground to digital. How will this impact your activities as conservators? For example, would you focus on collector’s editions of new games/devices or do you have any initiatives to “conserve” digital formats?
The goal is that the product, regardless of the year, will have its original format present in a permanent exhibition, say, for a 90-year history of video games.
Let’s assume that in the future, we no longer have the ability to display physical formats, for example, we can't show a cover or there’s no console as such because it's integrated into a TV. Would that be a problem? No, because we could cover previous years that did have this type of product.
Let’s imagine, then, that we have a Smart TV with the “X” console app within it. We would display its original controller—because there will have to be some sort of controller—or any other device that the user interacts with while playing the game.
On the other hand, we could always have collectable materials associated with the most modern devices, just as we have figures like Tekken’s King, Metal Gear’s Snake, or Lara Croft from Tomb Raider, which not only decorate the space but also transport you to those universes represented in their video games.
On this topic, what’s your opinion on NFTs applied to video games?
NFTs are another area of the video game industry, and as such, they’re part of its history. We don’t have any NFTs within the museum yet because it’s a very new industry, so we need to study how it works.
Obviously, we can’t ignore it, but we don’t yet have enough information about it, nor about metaverses, for example. So for now, we can’t offer an objective explanation of what it entails.
Who are your favourite video game influencers (on streaming, social media, or podcast format) and why would you recommend them?
How about spreading the word? There are many formats and sources that could fit this category, but I’d like to highlight the importance of video game journalism. Ultimately, it’s part of a primarily cultural industry where information professionals provide guides and reviews, offering their own evaluation.
In this realm, I’d mention José Luis Ortega, a journalist at Eurogamer. I’d also name Diego Vargas, author of Cinco Duros, a book about the history of video games during the '80s and '90s.
I’d also like to highlight the importance of national video game developers, and I’d definitely emphasize Dynamic - we cover their history extensively in our current temporary exhibition in Málaga.
What’s your opinion on the video game industry right now, both internationally and in Spain, and how can it become more sustainable and fairer?
I think that despite the difficulties, it’s a hopeful moment, with so many quality titles announced for this year. I’m excited about what’s to come.
Though there are some subscription elements that are becoming more expensive, partly due to the current economic situation, it’s not exclusive to the video game industry. I think alternatives will emerge, even though the big companies will stay on top.
From events like the Fórum del Décimo Arte at the Thyssen Museum, I believe that in Spain, we have a solid industry foundation. Although there’s still room for improvement in terms of both quantity and quality of content, Spain is making progress.
The pandemic played a significant role, encouraging a cultural and societal shift, and allowing digital spaces to flourish. I hope the industry continues this momentum with more support from official institutions and the public to create fairer and more accessible spaces for everyone.
We are already seeing this at events like FREAKCON, where cinema, series, comics, and video games coexist. The time of seeing fans as weirdos dressing up for conventions is long gone! On the contrary, these fandoms are increasingly being recognized as cultural expressions that share something in common: the connection between people with similar tastes who create one single community.
An example of this synergy can be seen in the old LAN (Local Area Network) events, where different communities would come together to celebrate a common event. Thanks to the internet, all of this has evolved, with technology enabling a digital leap where people can connect in a more basic, almost natural way. The internet has also made it easier for international communities to access each other, even though they share common interests.
Another current example of how video games are influencing other cultural sectors is in theme parks, which are always evolving. For example, PortAventura introduces video games into the park through a QR code in the queues, allowing visitors to compete against others in line as a way to pass the time while waiting.
In short, I believe that at these types of conventions, there will be more and more of a shared theme that we could call “geek culture” in Spanish, which would bring together various cultural industries, regardless of their format, just like we’ve seen recently in successful adaptations like The Last of Us and Fallout.
How Do You Imagine the Future of Video Games? For instance, Do You See an Absolutely Immersive Future Like in Ready Player One?
I think everything coexists, and that’s the answer.
I don’t think kids born in 2024, who by 2042 will be in their twenties, will experience video games the way I’m experiencing them today, but I do think that there will still be people in that same generation who will want to continue playing on a couch with a controller. Even if we reach a future where immersive experiences are fully developed, there will still be people who aren’t ready to wear virtual reality headsets and would prefer to play on a screen.
Similarly, there are people who enjoy a more immersive 4D cinema today, but that hasn’t caused conventional 2D cinema to disappear.
I believe that video games, being an industry very similar to cinema, will develop in a similar way, with some people who will want to play on a screen, others who will prefer to play with VR headsets, and some who will love a type of ultra-sensory game with VR glasses and kinetic suits that let you feel bullets when you're shot or how the ground moves, or even the sensation of rain… etc. Reaching total immersion, but as I said, I believe that one form will not replace the other; rather, they will coexist.
Thank you so much for your time and your words, Álvaro!
I hope you enjoyed reading the interview!
