Where to find it
The mural can be found on the S. Wilmington St.-facing side of the City Center/Red Hat Parking Deck near downtown Raleigh's City Plaza.
It's approximately where S. Wilmington and E. Cabarrus Sts. intersect.
Origins of the mural
The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Downtown Raleigh Alliance were seeking an art installation that was a reflection of the area’s contributions to gaming and technology. The tribute would need to speak to the history of Raleigh’s business community, inspire future generations of creators and innovators and require an artist who understood both the world of gaming and the unique fabric of the Raleigh area.
Subnation, a leading gaming and esports advisor to Raleigh, N.C., was commissioned to create the concept and find the right artist to make the mural come to life. American figurative artist Taylor White immediately came to mind. A Raleigh native, White possesses a deep understanding of that unique character of the city and its people—the importance of history and shared values, but always with an eye on innovation and the future.
History of gaming
In the beginning there was PONG, and it was good. The arcade became a place where legends were born. Soon the games followed us home, occupying a central spot in our living rooms—where they’ve been ever since. The graphics improved. More games appeared. And our love grew fonder. The Internet allowed us to play with the world—and build real social connections in fantastic digital worlds.
Today, video games are the world’s favorite form of entertainment—pushed forward by advances in technology, and also the medium’s ability to tell genuinely emotional stories. The future, filled with AR/VR magic and faster machines with remarkable power, holds new ways to play and realism that we once didn’t dare imagine.
But the connection between us and the game remains the same. The one we felt after our first journey into the arcade, the day we brought the games home or took on the world in competition.
Raleigh, N.C.
Raleigh, N.C., is a city with a rich history that’s also helping craft the future of gaming. Home to a growing number of highly respected gaming and tech companies, Raleigh is a city of the future, powered by the collective beating heart of its people. Students, tech professionals, innovators and creators—all find themselves right at home here in the Raleigh area.
