The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment (The MADE) will kick off its 24-Hour gameplay marathon this afternoon to help complete its Level 2 fundraising goal of $20,000. The funds raised will pay for operation of the MADE for six months.

As a non-profit video game museum, the MADE will use these funds to continue its free programming classes for kids, and to keep the lights on for the Museum’s events, lectures and tournaments.. The game-beating marathon will begin on Friday afternoon, 5 PM pacific time, April 27 at the Museum in Oakland. Volunteers have signed up to beat their favorite games during an at least 24 hour period into Saturday, April 28. The marathon will begin with Final Fantasy Mystic Quest and Super Metroid on Super Nintendo, and Paper Mario on N64 for the overnight shift.

More details can be found at http://www.themade.org/node/109

The game-beating marathon has a goal of raising $1,000 per game defeated, with the ultimate goal being $20,000. Any additional funds raised will keep the marathon going until 1 game has been defeated for every $1,000 raised. The event will be video streamed, live, on The MADE’s Website. “We hope that enthusiastic donors commit enough cash to keep us playing games for week,” said Alex Handy, founder and director of the MADE. “But we’ll be extremely satisfied if we can meet our goal. All of the funds raised will be used to pay for rent, utilities, insurance and Internet for our facility. In turn, we provide a safe place to learn about programming, and to socialize for Oakland’s youth, and to the preservation of our video game heritage.” The MADE is a 501c(3) non-profit video game museum dedicated to the preservation of videogames, and the presentation of games as art.

The MADE raised its initial $20,000 on crowd-funding site Kickstarter.com, and has used those funds to pay for rent, Internet and insurance at its facilities in downtown Oakland. “In the seven months since we opened the doors of the MADE, we’ve accomplished every goal we set. Our free classes in Python and Scratch are overflowing with kids, our attendees are playing significant games across many systems, and our community has grown to support talks, tournaments and co-working days,” said Alex Handy, director of The MADE. “Indie developers are working on their games at The MADE, and we hosted the Oakland chapter of the recent MolyJam global game jam. Now, we just need to ensure the MADE’s continued operation through tax-deductible financial contributions.”

Henry Lowood, Curator for History of Science & Technology Collections at Stanford University Libraries and founding member of The MADE’s board of directors, said that “Digital games without a doubt have become one of the central creative media available for entertainment, art and other forms of expression. So much so that contemporary cultural history is difficult to talk about without including digital games. As a result, not only will the history of this medium be lost if we do not preserve the history of digital games, but there is more at stake: we will be unable to provide a complete cultural history of our times.”

Donors interested in supporting the MADE can donate at http://www.themade.org/node/84 via PayPal.

About The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment (MADE)

Founded in 2010, The MADE is an all volunteer organization created by Alex Handy, a video game journalist and technological archaeologist based in Oakland, California. In 2008 Mr. Handy unearthed an 25-year-old parcel of long lost Atari 2600 and Colecovision games at a flea market in that city, spurring his creation of the Museum. The MADE is an IRS recognized 501c(3) not-for-profit organization. It’s EIN number is 26-4570976 . The MADE is 100% volunteer operated.

The MADE 610 16th St. Suite 230 (Second floor) Oakland, CA 94612 Dial #0230 to be buzzed in 510-788-5702