The Thailand Creative Design Center (TCDC) is currently hosting Digiplay Thai-UK Digital Festival, a collaborative exhibition between TCDC and the British Council, which continues through May 22.

Focused on the Thai and British video game and animation sectors, the event comprises three main sections, covering the history and development of video games and consoles, animation, and the development of these important industries in Thailand and the UK.

Rapid Development
The first exhibition hall contains an impressive collection of electronic games and consoles, which really emerged commercially towards the middle of the 20th century. Visitors can retrace the technological evolution of these devices thanks to a display area that features a beguiling realm of games and consoles, many of which belong to a private local collector.

Digiplay looks at the development of video games from the early pre-console era to the cartridge game console, produced by Atari, the Japanese-based company that created some of the most popular home-gaming devices available during the 1970s and 1980s.

The exhibition takes visitors back to the birth of digital gaming and the rapid dominance of the market by the Japanese corporations, Nintendo and Sega. The exhibition covers the era of the CD format, along with examples highlighting the high quality images generated via a HD operating system and Sony Playstation Blu-ray. Overall, the exhibition illustrates the multi-faceted aspects of development taking place in the world of animation, amid ever improving technological advances.

Digital UK
The second phase of Digiplay (see main photo) allows you to learn more about the creative process and advanced technology used in the development of video animation and games. This section includes examples of the latest Xbox360 games and Kinect, a newly developed controller that allows players to use movements and gestures rather than a controller, producing an unprecedented level of visual realism. Visitors can check out this innovative gaming experience with Kenectimals, a game that allows players to interact with their on screen pets in virtual reality.

In this section, visitors can play notable games by British talents such as LittleBigPlanet 2, a puzzle solving game that is one of the UK’s best sellers; Chromaroma, an experimental online game based around travel on London’s transport network; Chime, a block-dropping game featuring music by famous recording artists, including Philip Glass and Moby; and Papa Sangre, an audio-only game, which is scarily effective.

Digital Thailand
This section showcases notable works by local talents in game and animation development and production, such as Igloo Studio, Imagimax, Kantana, PromptNow, Studio Hive and The Monk Studio, which get the opportunity to present their latest projects.

Packed with fun features, King Naresuan, an online game, simulates the legendary battles of the great king of the Ayutthaya period, while Khankluay takes players on an epic adventure, illustrating how a baby elephant became the greatest war elephant in Thai history. The exhibition also provides a space for the work of students from Bangkok’s leading universities in the field of digital animation: Silpakorn University and Bangkok University.