Living Computer Museum rebrands to focus on hands-on dev education

Seattle's Living Computer Museum is changing its name and revamping its layout to focus not just on teaching visitors the history of computing technology, but how they can potentially use it to their own ends.

Game devs may appreciate how the facility's new name, Living Computers: Museum + Labs, reflects an emphasis on using computers to tinker and develop new projects -- including video games and VR experiences.

"A new main gallery offers direct experiences with robotics, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, self-driving cars, big data, the Internet of Things, video-game making, and digital art," reads an excerpt of the museum's website. "The main floor features education labs for learning new skills (or dusting off old ones). Come in. Geek out."

The museum was originally founded by Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen in 2012 as a means to exhibit vintage computers and make them available, in special scheduled sessions, to visitors for hands-on use. Most (if not all) of the computers on display were a significant presence in the early days of the game industry.

Those curious to visit the museum in person should know that its scheduled to fully reopen next month (November 18th, to be exact) with its new name and renovated layout.