'Insert Coin' exhibit chronicles rise and fall of Chicago's Midway Games

CHICAGO - A new exhibit at the Cleve Carney Museum of Art explores the evolution of video games, focusing on a Chicago company that played a key role.

"Insert Coin: Inside Midway’s Arcade Revolution" chronicles the rise and fall of Chicago’s Midway Games.

It was inspired by the 2020 documentary "Insert Coin". 

"Well, we love to tell the stories of culture through art, and what better story to tell than the culture of video games, the most predominant creative form in the country today," said Museum Curator Justin Witte.

The exhibit is interactive — offering a chance to play 12 classic arcade games from the 80’s and 90’s like NBA Jam, Tron, Rampage, Mortal Kombat 2, Cruis’N USA and more.

Witte explained how our love affair with video games changed, leading to the demise of Chicago’s Midway Games.

"What happened is they really came out of a period in which cabinet games were made and they were put in bowling alleys and movie theaters and things like that ," Witte said.

"Then eventually in the late 90’s you get the proliferation of home consoles. So they couldn’t really keep up with everyone being able to have a full arcade at home. It’s really a fascinating Chicago story."