For the love of the game

The Barbican hits on possibly the only exhibition guaranteed to lure gamers away from their screens and into the gallery, with a look at the 40-year history and culture of video games.

Beginning with the first arcade game, Space War!, designed in 1962, this themed exhibition takes in everything from design and marketing to differences between the USA, Japan and Europe, the issue of violence, the classification of games ? with examples of thought, action and simulation games ? the social side to gaming with multiplayer online play, plus games based on films, including Star Wars and GoldenEye, and films based on games such as Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (game version of Lara, right).

A screening room will show TV documentaries, films and pop promos influenced by the industry and commissioned digital artworks will highlight the artworld crossover. No doubt, though, the main attraction will be the number of playable games available in each section, from vintage arcade classics to the latest platform games as they're released for PlayStation 2, X-box and GameCube. The next generation of gamers aren't forgotten either with a special area featuring games for three- to five-year-olds.

Game On: The History And Culture Of Videogames, from Thur 16 May, Barbican, Silk Street, EC2 (020-7638 8891).