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'The Art of Video Games' Exhibition Opens

Posted by Soulskill on from the it's-a-me,-michaelangelo dept.

bednarz writes "The Smithsonian's 'Art of Video Games' exhibition opens today. To kick it off, they're holding a three-day festival with panel discussions, live action gaming, and crafting activities. 'Video games allow us as human beings to explore our dreams, our fears, our thoughts, our morals, and engage with each other in a way that no other medium allows us to. I find that inspiring and beautiful, and I am so happy to be alive during this time. We are going to experience, I think, one of the greatest surges of artistic intent in human history, and I believe that the majority of it will come through video games,' said Chris Melissinos, former Sun exec and guest curator of the new exhibition."

29 comments

  1. Art by busyqth · · Score: 3, Funny

    We are going to experience, I think, one of the greatest surges of artistic intent in human history, and I believe that the majority of it will come through video games,'

    It's true. Duke Nukem is so... so... beautiful! *snif*

    1. Re:Art by game+kid · · Score: 1

      I know, right? It evokes such fantastic images as shitting down a decapitated alien's neck!

      Way better than that Picasso dude.

      --
      You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
    2. Re:Art by interkin3tic · · Score: 2

      I planted Mona Lisa's face in my crops in farmville, then recreated the scene in minecraft!!!

      Actually I said that sarcastically, but that would be kind of cool. I retroactively take back the sarcasm.

    3. Re:Art by justforgetme · · Score: 2

      Well it's better than looking at some "random" naked fat lady that sold for 124M £

      --
      -- no sig today
  2. This schedule looks great by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...if you happen to live within about 60 hours of downtown Washington, DC.

    1. Re:This schedule looks great by Onuma · · Score: 1

      I might imagine that, with the new-fangled telecommunications tools we have, a few people from outside the NCR might actually have heard about this prior to reading it on /.

      Your internets...you *can* use them for more than just porn and trolling.

      --
      What else can happen when an unstoppable force collides with an immovable object?
    2. Re:This schedule looks great by CanHasDIY · · Score: 1

      Your internets...you *can* use them for more than just porn and trolling.

      WHAT??? You haven't told the serfs that, praytell?

      If they realize there's more to life than fucking (and fucking with each other), they may very well rebel!

      It will be the end of internetz nobility as we know it!

      --
      An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
  3. Can't deny the influence of VGs. by Onuma · · Score: 1

    Seeing how I live nearby, I'll try to check this out soon. I'm interested in seeing how "games as art" will be portrayed. The Smithsonian exhibits are known to be very good, and I suspect this one will be impressive as well. Let's not forget that they're also the best free museums I've ever seen.

    Though they may seem like ancient history now, games with groundbreaking stories, movies, music and scenery have certainly left an impact on our generation(s). I don't think I'll ever forget the world or battle music to the original Dragon Warrior, the Zelda theme, the FMVs of the PlayStation-era Final Fantasy games, or countless other moments which have imprinted themselves in memory. Art is defined by the beholder; I'm glad to see the Smithsonian Institute has decided to view the world of Video Games as art as well.

    --
    What else can happen when an unstoppable force collides with an immovable object?
  4. List of Games... by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 2

    Where the heck is the Apple ][ category ... no Oregon Trail, Choplifter, Lode Runner, Rescue Raiders, Karateka (the first game to have cut scenes), nor Conan ???

    *sniff* no Loom, Monkey Island, Guardian Heroes. :-/ Nice to see Rez, and Shadows of the Colossus though.

    i.e.
    * Although there isn't much to do in Shadow of the Colossus other than
    killing the colossi and sightseeing, you'll find yourself captivated
    enough by the scenery to sink hours into just wandering around the
    place and drinking in the beauty of the setting. Scenery Porn at its
    finest. [ http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SceneryPorn ]

    http://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/archive/2012/games/featuredgames/

    * Atari VCS
    Pac-Man (Action), Space Invaders (Target), Pitfall! (Adventure), Combat® (Tactics)

    * ColecoVision
    Donkey Kongâ (Action), Zaxxon (Target), Pitfall II: Lost Caverns (Adventure), Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator (Tactics)

    * Intellivision
    TRON: MazeâAtron (Action), Star Strike (Target), Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (Adventure), Utopia (Tactics)

    * Commodore 64
    Jumpman (Action), Attack of the Mutant Camels (Target), The Bard's Tale III: Thief of Fate (Adventure), Pirates! (Tactics)

    * Nintendo Entertainment System
    Super Mario Brothers 3 (Action), 1943: The Battle of Midway (Target), The Legend of Zelda (Adventure), Desert Commander (Tactics)

    * SEGA Master System
    Marble Madness (Action), After Burner (Target), Phantasy Star (Adventure), Spy vs Spy (Tactics)

    * SEGA Genesis
    Earthworm Jim (Action), Gunstar Heroes (Target), Phantasy Star IV (Adventure), Dune II: Battle for Arrakis (Tactics)

    * Super Nintendo Entertainment System
    Super Mario World (Action), Star Foxâ (Target), The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Adventure), SimCity (Tactics)

    * SEGA Saturn
    Tomb Raider (Action), Panzer Dragoon II: Zwei (Target), Panzer Dragoon Saga (Adventure), SimCity 2000 (Tactics)

    * DOS/Windows
    DOOM II (Action), Diablo II (Target), Fallout (Adventure), StarCraft (Tactics)

    * PlayStation
    Metal Gear Solid (Action), Einhander (Target), Final Fantasy VII (Adventure), Final Fantasy Tactics (Tactics)

    * Nintendo 64
    Super Mario 64 (Action), Star Fox 64* (Target), The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Adventure), Worms Armageddon (Tactics)

    * SEGA Dreamcast
    Sonic Adventure (Action), Rez (Target), Shenmue (Adventure), ChuChu Rocket! (Tactics)

    * PlayStation 2
    Shadow of the Colossus (Action), Gradius V (Target), ÅOEkami (Adventure), Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (Tactics)

    * Microsoft XBox
    Halo 2 (Action), Panzer Dragoon Orta (Target), Fable (Adventure), Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (Tactics)

    * Nintendo GameCube
    Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (Action), Star Foxâ: Assault (Target), The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (Adventure), Pikmin 2 (Tactics)

    * Modern Windows
    Portal (Action), flOw (Target), Fallout 3 (Adventure), Minecraft (Tactics)

    * Microsoft XBox 360
    Bioshock (Action), Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 (Target), Mass Effect 2 (Adventure), Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth II (Tactics)

    * Nintendo Wii
    Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Action),

    1. Re:List of Games... by Hatta · · Score: 1

      That's why I thought SoC was overrated. There's not a lot to do, and it's all very samey. Once you get tired of looking at things, the game is real quick and easy to beat. Or it would be, if it didn't take so much time to navigate. I swear I spent more time riding from colossus to colossus than actually fighting them. Yawn.

      --
      Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
    2. Re:List of Games... by pjt33 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Where the heck is the Apple ][ category

      The categories were selected based on number of units sold. That's why there's no Amiga category either.

    3. Re:List of Games... by inputdev · · Score: 1

      That doesn't sound like the right way to select art...

    4. Re:List of Games... by Samantha+Wright · · Score: 1

      It's not. It really, really isn't; personally I was annoyed when they originally announced the games in the running. Very few of the games on the list deserve to be on any list about art—and certainly there aren't many that couldn't be replaced with something better. This suggests that TAOVG is just a publicity stunt to try and get game players to visit and pay attention to the Smithsonian; they're not really giving it equal treatment as an artform.

      --
      Bio questions? Ask me to start a Q&A journal. Computer analogies available for most topics!
    5. Re:List of Games... by antdude · · Score: 1

      That sucks then. I grew up on Apple 2s, Texas Instrument 99/4A, etc. Boo! I was jealous of Amigas too!

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    6. Re:List of Games... by Brian+Feldman · · Score: 1

      I played some Monkey Island there... it's worth making it out to see the exhibit. I plan to go back on Sunday and stay for the dance party!

      --
      Brian Fundakowski Feldman
    7. Re:List of Games... by justforgetme · · Score: 1

      Great to see Okami, in it's day It was touted as PS2's zelda and that overshadowed it's artistic beauty.

      In general it looks like a very solid list. Wish I could go.

      --
      -- no sig today
    8. Re:List of Games... by justforgetme · · Score: 1

      In their defense, I don't think art critics allocate a big portion of their lifes to gaming so guessing that no gamers were actually involved in the selection going with successes might have been a save move.

      Also a lot of people misunderstand gaming art for gaming themed visual art. It's not that. I personally have my own reservations to the selections, I'd like to have seen some Tale of tales games in there - because those come very close to actually being art in the sense of having no other function other than themselves, their existence.

      Also I'm a it disappointed about the NES titles. The NES was a landmark in gaming and they managed to eek out only 4 games? This is where they failed completely I think. 1943? really? No Metroid, no original Mario but 1943?

      Well, at least they managed to include the correct Okami & SoC versions.

      --
      -- no sig today
    9. Re:List of Games... by pjt33 · · Score: 2

      The curator is Chris M, who used to be the Sun exec trying to push Java in the gaming world, and IIRC collects arcade games. So it wasn't a typical art critic who did the initial selection.

      His shortlist was then put up for public vote to select one game each in a Cartesian product of four vaguely-defined genres and a number of platforms, so some gamers were involved in the selection.

      Of course, the problem with involving gamers is that there's an inherent bias towards better known games, so more interesting but lesser known ones didn't make the final cut.

    10. Re:List of Games... by TuringTest · · Score: 1

      You must be a different kind of game than I am. I never get tired of looking at thinks in SoC. Navigating the country was the best part of it.

      --
      Singularity: a belief in the "God" idea with the "demiurge" relation inverted.
    11. Re:List of Games... by TuringTest · · Score: 1

      s/game/gamer/

      --
      Singularity: a belief in the "God" idea with the "demiurge" relation inverted.
    12. Re:List of Games... by Hatta · · Score: 1

      It would have been more interesting if there was stuff in the world to do. Encourage me to explore by putting some chests with items, that sort of thing. I spent a lot more time aimlessly wandering the countryside in Dragon Quest VIII than SoC.

      --
      Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
    13. Re:List of Games... by TuringTest · · Score: 1

      So you missed all the "catch the lizard tails to upgrade your grip power" and "ride the giant eagle to fly the countryside" and "climb the tower to visit the secret garden" and the "new game plus to unlock the magic weapons?" (How did you defeat the colossi without the lizard tails BTW)? You should be reading the game walkthroughs when you think you're missing the fun.

      --
      Singularity: a belief in the "God" idea with the "demiurge" relation inverted.
    14. Re:List of Games... by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 1

      Agreed on SMB.
      Agreed that Metroid (prferably the Game Boy Advance version =) should be included.
      Along with Mortal Kombat for the SNES.
      The Modern Windows version should include Limbo and/or Braid.
      Also would of preferred Ico over SoC.
       

    15. Re:List of Games... by jamiemorgan · · Score: 1

      Wow.. What a great list of games

      --
      texting games
  5. Works Of Video Game Art by Artea · · Score: 0

    God of Gears of Duty 5 - Only $99.99 On Steam, Preorder and get an exclusive HAT for TF2!

  6. Ebert by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Not mention of Ebert yet? For shame slashdot, I want an Ebert flamewar.

    I AM NOT ENTERTAINED!

  7. Wish there were more PC games by AdamHaun · · Score: 1

    There are only two PC game categories -- one for old DOS/Windows, and one for "modern" Windows. Eight games doesn't seem like very much for 20 years, especially when 15 of those years were very distinct from console gaming. That being said, the list of games isn't bad. Lots of recognizable and clearly significant titles. I'd actually like to see this if I get the chance.

    --
    Visit the
  8. Wait... 2 games "Mistagged"? by Raxxon · · Score: 1

    Phantasy Star and Phantasy Star IV classified as "Adventure"? I guess they're throwing all RPG games into that category? I mean, Legend of Zelda is more Adventure than RPG but PS and PSIV are quite a bit more "open" as far as the RPG element goes.... For that matter, FFVII and Fallout3 as well.

    1. Re:Wait... 2 games "Mistagged"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They threw all RPGs into the Adventure category, that's why Shenmue made it but the much better Skies of Arcadia didn't.