Potential of video games for future museum engagement and audience attraction: implications of two Nintendo cases

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Article / Journal

Author(s) / editor(s):
Xiaoxuan Huang

Year: 2026

Keywords: museums and video games; visitor engagement; digital-native audiences
Language(s): English

Abstract:
he paper proposes a “museum–game engagement framework” to analyse how video games can engage visitors and attract digital‑native audiences to museums, focusing on representation, interaction, and motivation. It compares the Audioguide Louvre–Nintendo 3DS, which offers a virtual exploration of the Louvre, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which lets players create their own virtual museums. Using qualitative game content analysis and player questionnaires, the study finds that both games effectively represent museum content, support meaningful digital interaction with museum themes, and encourage real‑world museum interest, though via different mechanisms. The results show video games can successfully bridge digital and physical museum spaces and offer practical insights for future museum–game collaborations.

https://doi.org/10.1080/14626268.2026.2624408

Post created by: Virginia Signorini

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