HSUHK Strategic Development Grant Project AY2022/2023 –

From Retro to the Metaverse Games: Imagining Asia and Creative Industries from the Past, the Present, to the Future

University Library Exhibition and Public Lectures

Public Exhibition- Paratext: The Info World of Retro Games

(March 20 – April 4)

Student Work Exhibition: Street Fighter Stages in Hong Kong: Exploring Local Cultural Landscape through Games

(April 6 – April 19)

Dear Colleagues and Students,

Last semester, the RETRO.HK Gaming Expo 2022 was held at the University, with over 1,000 students and members of the public participating to experience the Asian cultural elements and creative design of retro games.

This semester, the RETRO.HK team, the Department of Social Science (Asian Studies), and the Department of Art and Design (Cultural and Creative Industries) continue their collaboration to jointly organise exhibitions and public lectures, showcasing the social and cultural context behind game art.

In the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou in September, e-sports will be included as an official event for the first time, and Hong Kong will select 35 e-sports athletes to participate. We hope that the exhibition and public lectures will help students and the public understand the Asian gaming culture and art design behind e-sports.

French literary theorist Gérard Genette proposed the concept of “paratext,” referring to the text and images that arise around the main text. When we read a book, we not only read the content, but also look at the cover, title, author’s name, book flap, book blurbs, illustrations, preface, bibliography, online reviews, and so on. When playing retro games, the game is the main text.  When a retro game player entered the game world, what “paratext” or various game information did they immerse themselves in? What was “gaming”–an aesthetic and social experience–like before the invention of the internet? 

1. Exhibition: Paratext: The Info World of Retro Games
This exhibition will showcase classic posters, discontinued newsletters, flyers, small gifts, and more from game design companies, allowing students and the public to experience a pre-internet game world.

Date: March 20-April 4 (Venue: Exhibition Area, G/F of the HSUHK Library)

Opening Ceremony: March 20, 12noon (Venue: Stella Fung Siu Wan Space For All, G/F, HSUHK Library)

Officiating guest: Founder and Organizer of the RETRO.HK Gaming Expo: Mr. Dixon Wu, Acting Vice-President (Learning and Student Experience): Prof. Jeanne Fu, Associate Vice-President (Development and Campus Services): Ms Antonia Yeung, University Librarian: Mr Michael Cheng, Dean of School of Humanities and Social Science: Prof. KK Tam, Head of Department of Social Science: Prof. Lang Kao

Online Q & A Activity: HSUHK students successfully completed the questions earn 1 iGPS! 

2. Public Lecture: Video Games as Cultural Heritage: Preserving Video Games in the Digital Age
Date: March 20 (Monday)
Time: 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

Language: Cantonese
Location: Stella Fung Siu Wan Space For All, G/F, HSUHK Library

Speaker: Mr. Dixon Wu (Founder and Organizer of the RETRO.HK Gaming Expo)

Activity Hour: 1 iGPS

3.  Public Lecture:  The Development of Video Games Industry in Asia
Date: March 23 (Thursday)
Time: 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Language: Cantonese
Location: Stella Fung Siu Wan Space For All, G/F, HSUHK Library
Speaker: Mr. Dixon Wu (Founder and Organizer of the RETRO.HK Gaming Expo)

Activity Hour: HSUHK students attending on-site earn 1 iGPS! 

4. Student Art Exhibition: Street Fighter Stages in Hong Kong: Exploring Local Cultural Landscape through Games

Date: April 6-April 19

Venue:  Exhibition Area, G/F of the Library

This exhibition is an explorative attempt of cross-disciplinary collaboration and learning.  Students from Asian Studies Programme (ASI4006 Food and Cuisines) and Cultural and Creative Industries Programme (CCI4004 Issues in Contemporary Cultural and Creative Industries) came together to explore the cultural landscape of Hong Kong portrayed in the video game Street Fighter, and to analyze the text from the perspectives of their academic disciplines. They then applied different media to create their own interpretations of the text. The exhibition will showcase the students’ learning outcomes.

The activities are open to HSU students, teachers, and the public for participation.

Co-Curators:
RETRO.HK
HSUHK Strategic Development Fund Project Team 2022/23
Department of Social Science (Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Asian Studies) Dr. CHEUNG Pui Sze and Dr. Joseph LI Cho Kiu
Department of Art and Design (Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Cultural and Creative Industries) Dr. Christine CHOY Hiu Ying and Dr. Patrick MOK Kin Wai

We look forward to seeing you at our exhibition and public lectures.
 
With warm regards,
Department of Art and Design and Department of Social Science
The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong

About RETRO.HK

RETRO.HK is a non-profit association formed by a team of volunteers who are driven to preserve, curate, and showcase video game hardware and software for the purpose of public education. Since 2015, they have been hosting the annual RETRO.HK Gaming Expo. As Hong Kong’s first and only event dedicated to promoting the history of video games, it celebrates over 40 years of digital entertainment in a variety of ways, ranging from a console hardware museum, a huge free play zone with over 100 CRT TVs and systems for visitors to experience, and RETROCUP – a retro game e-sport tournament featuring only classic titles.

About The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong

The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (HSUHK) is a non-profit private liberal-arts-oriented university with five Schools (Business, Communication, Decision Sciences, Humanities and Social Science, and Translation and Foreign Languages) and around 6,000 full-time students. Adopting the unique “Liberal + Professional” education model, HSUHK is a residential institution which puts quality teaching and students’ all-round development as its highest priorities.

Aspiring to be a leading private university in the region, HSUHK features a primary focus on undergraduate education, top-quality faculty members, award-winning green campus facilities, innovative degree programmes, unique residential college system combining living and learning, interactive small class teaching, very close student-teacher relationship, RGC-funded impactful research, and excellent student development/support services. Listed among the top 200 worldwide for ‘Quality Education’ and ‘Decent Work and Economic Growth’ in Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2021, the University aims to nurture young talents with critical thinking, innovative minds, caring attitudes, moral values and social responsibility.

About the Department of Art and Design, HSUHK

The Department of Art and Design (AAD) offers two undergraduate programmes (BA in Cultural and Creative Industries and BA in Art and Design) with emphases on both the management and business aspects in cultivating in students the creativity and entrepreneurship that are core to the cultural and creative industries. Graduates will contribute as art and design creators or project managers, cultural event and venue managers, product and service designers, business development executives, or entrepreneurs in the fields of digital culture, technology, and economy.

About the Department of Social Science, HSUHK

The Department of Social Science (SSC) offers three undergraduate programmes (BSS in Asian Studies, BA in Psychology and BSS in Philosophy, Politics and Economics). SSC provides a multidisciplinary learning environment for students to critically study human interactions and social processes in various societies with a global awareness. SSC strives for excellence in teaching and research by means of collaborative and innovative inquiry methods.