Experience in Videogame Display: An Extension of the Matrix Model

Abstract

Niklas Nylund argued that videogames lacked a coherent descriptive framework required to understand their complex position as museum artifacts. He proposed a matrix model consisting of three overlapping aspects of games display: objects, context, and experience. Although a starting point for exploring the role of videogames in museums, this required further detailed analysis. The present article extends the matrix model by exploring the area of ‘experience’, separating this aspect of display into three sub-categories: (a) playable experience, (b) collective experience, and (c) situational experience. These sub-categories of experience are discussed regarding videogame display in European museums. It is argued that this extended view of experience, rather than distracting from contextual information, is central to videogame display. Extending this category beyond playable games enables exhibitions to use the area of experience within a wider framework.