Entertainment history museums in virtual worlds: video game and music preservation in second life

This research explores and demonstrates the use of Second Life (the popular 3D virtual world) for the purpose of digitally preserving various aspects of video game and music history. Physical game interfaces like joysticks, advertisements used for games, and famous game characters and cultural icons over the history are displayed and preserved in multiple video game exhibits for different eras. Selected game characters are digitally recreated in 3D format as Second Life avatar appearances. Historical changes of musical instruments, musicians, and genres are displayed and preserved likewise. Selected musical instruments are digitally recreated as 3D models playing their real sounds. Some of them will be available for the visitors to play in basic ways.