Exhibit explores 'The Art of Video Games' (photos)
New exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum celebrates 40 years of gaming.
Old school
This wing of the gallery shows a time in video game history when 8-bit graphics ruled the world.
Classic collection
Gaming gallery
A digital shrine
A close-up shot of a terminal that displays the various DOS/Windows games chosen for the exhibit by the public. The winners for this category: Doom II (action), Diablo II (target), Fallout (adventure), and StarCraft (tactics).
Check out the full list of games in "The Art of Video Games" exhibit.
Retro art
When everything changed
Another shot of terminals displaying fan-chosen games for PlayStation 2, XBox, and GameCube consoles. The selected titles read like a must-have list for each system. For example, the selected PlayStation games: Shadow of the Colossus (action), Gradius V (target), Okami (adventure), and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (tactics).
Check out the full list of games in "The Art of Video Games" exhibit.
Canvas of creativity
Old meets new
An idea sketched
Pac-Man projected
Visitors can test out five playable games: Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros., The Secret of Monkey Island, Myst, and Flower.
"Using the cultural lens of an art museum, viewers can determine whether the games on display are indeed worthy of the title art," said Melissinos in a statement. "Some visitors will encounter a game that transports them back to their childhood, or gain insight into how games are made."