A voiceover explains that history of video games is too long for us to explain in the 30 seconds that the ad lasts. But we can do something even better: give you the chance to play with it. At that moment, the voiceover invites you to record the sound that you will now hear: 16 seconds of a strident noise, with whistles and variations, very similar to the sound of an old modem. It’s a ZX Spectrum game, which has been compressed into 2kb programmed in machine code. After this sequence, the voiceover reveals what the sound is. If you recorded the sound, you’ve just downloaded a video game, and you are invited to visit www.historyworthplaying.com to play it. Finally, we finish the ad with the name of the client: the Computerspielemuseum (Berlin Museum of Video Games).

In a world obsessed with technological advances, the Berlin Museum of Video Games, whose mission is to explain their history, launches a simple video game that’s relevant because it uses an obsolete technology for distribution: radio waves.

To do that, we developed a game in assembly language code of only 2kb compatible with the legendary ZX Spectrum, a computer that made a peculiar sound when uploading games: the sound of the code recorded on the cassettes that stored them.

Recording the 16 seconds on a cassette, the game can be played on a classic ZX Spectrum, but if you use any app on your mobile to record it, it can also be played on the website advertised on the ad, designed to work as a microcomputer from the 80s.

The game, despite being so small, also contains a discount on the price of a ticket, driving traffic to the museum.

VOICE: We couldn’t possibly tell you the history of gaming in 30 seconds so we’ve decided to let you play with it. Record this sound:

SFX: ZX SPECTRUM LOADING SOUND (16 SECONDS)

VOICE:Congratulations! You’ve just downloaded a game.

To play it, go to historyworthplaying.com

Computerspielemuseum.