Conclusion

Another form of preservation is essentially keeping a physical Q*bert machine. If in working condition, it would preserve the experience in its entirety. However, physical items do diminish due to wear and tear. Emulation is a non-physical form of preservation, but it comes with its own challenges as discussed in this exhibit. Q*bert in particular does not benefit from the forms of emulation, but would rather benefit from a raw, physical form of preservation. Q*bert works best at arcades, and it is disheartening that arcades are becoming a thing of the past. Visiting an arcade supported small businesses, however since the 1980s big corporations have taken over the video game market. The evolution of technology and the gaming industry pushed the experience of playing video games into the home, instead of at arcades which is the medium that Q*bert thrived in. Additionally, this made the haptics of Q*bert in particular obsolete, since emulation does not exactly replicate the experience of playing Q*bert. Discussing Q*bert in this exhibit gives the game historical context and appreciation, however the authenticity of the game is lost in emulation. Q*bert was a unique game that had much of its novelty wrapped up in its user experience, so the world moving to new interfaces, such as using a mouse and keyboard, resulted in Q*bert becoming obsolete.