80 video games selected for Smithsonian art exhibit

It seems like a pretty good selection to really show off the artistic qualities of gaming. There's definitely nice variety and games that even non-gamers will recognize and connect with. Also Minecraft, heck yeah!
 
I just think it's about time video games are recognized as an art form. Granted, they are created by a whole team of artists. But the amount of concept art that goes into them before it gets pixelated is enormous. The best examples of artistic games are ones that utilize stylized graphics rather than making an attempt at realism, but even the most realistic looking games still stick to the same formula. And Minecraft is a good example of a game where most of the art is created by the players rather than the developers.

The next step is to recognize competitive gaming as true sports. I've been waiting for eSports to finally take off. At the very least, pro strategy gamers should get the same kind of recognition as chess masters because it takes the same kind of dedication to become great at those kinds of games. Anyway, it's good to see the gaming community get some kind of respect. Maybe someday hardcore gamers won't be frowned upon for playing video games as a hobby. We're still largely considered habitual time-wasters.
 
Good list...But, I'm not sure the breakdown of games (by platform) was the wisest choice, (Sega Saturn didnt have as many memorable games hence 3 Panzer Dragoon games)

If I were to do it over, I'd have done it by year and included arcade games, (Defender, Pac Man, Ghosts n Goblins, Golden Axe, Pole Position, Punchout, Tron, Galaga, Donkey Kong, Street Fighter 2, Star Wars, Dragon's Lair)
 
n4styn4t3 - I don't think the purpose was to present innovative/influential games, but seems like the exhibit is more about the art/art style in games and how it has progressed over the years.

"The Art of Video Games exhibition will explore the 40-year evolution of video games as an artistic medium, with a focus on striking visual effects, the creative use of new technologies, and the most influential artists and designers"
Click to expand...

IMHO the visuals in Heavy Rain aren't really all that earth shattering (I'd probably vie for Uncharted 2 or God Of War 3 myself) but I cannot doubt that there are innovative ideas in the game just doesn't seem like the best fit for this exhibit.
 
I haven't played Heavy Rain. But I agree with continuegaming, they tried too hard to include all platforms. I understand including all generations, but not all platforms were particularly amazing. Besides, they still failed on that front, they skipped TurboGrafx-16 among others.
 
The list is already. I think instead of picking genres for each system. I think picking the best 4 games from that system would've been better. I couldn't live in a world where "Desert Commander" was picked ahead of Mega Man 2, Metroid or Final Fantasy. I'm surprise Sonic 1 or 2 wasn't picked in the Genesis category.
 
[quote name='The Omniscient Lemon']I think Brutal Legend is a pretty good fit as far as art is concerned.[/QUOTE]

Given the Category (Combat/Strategy) and the System (PS3), Valkyria Chronicles would've been a much better fit.

Also found it odd that there were no handheld games on that list.
 
[quote name='Salamando3000']Given the Category (Combat/Strategy) and the System (PS3), Valkyria Chronicles would've been a much better fit.

Also found it odd that there were no handheld games on that list.[/QUOTE]
I can agree with this on a visual level. But Brutal Legend goes pretty far to also impress with the audio for its target audience. Granted the music isn't all created for the game, but it's still part of the end product and could have been done in a less impressive manner. Don't get me wrong, Valkyria Chronicles is still an amazing work of art and if Brutal Legend were offered on other platforms it would probably be better slotted elsewhere on the list. But I do think it belongs in the exhibit. Once again, the selection is severely limited by the platform constraints. They really should have loosened it up a bit.
 
[quote name='Amblix']The main one I can't agree with is Sonic Adventure getting it over Jet Grind Radio.[/QUOTE]
I guess that list is what you get when you "crowdsource" it.
 
All of the choices have real merit, and I honestly don't have a problem with any one choice. There are games that I may have enjoyed more than ones selected, but the selections are a good representation as a whole.
 
I only disagree with Brutal Legend. It had a great presentation but the gameplay fell short and I agree that it should have been bumped for Valkyria Chronicles. Not sure on Heavy Rain but only because I haven't played it.

In all, they did a pretty good job.
 
i dont understand what platforms have to do with anything -- they just kind of listed the most popular games of each console or put some "creative" game here and there.

i guess it could of been much worse though
 
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