This is an exhibit currently going on at the Smithsonian American Art Museum:

http://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/a ... 012/games/

I just got back from it and I want to post my thoughts.

I read about it in the Washington City Paper and they gave it a pretty bad review but I'm glad I didn't let that stop me. I really liked it. It seems to be a good size. It isn't super big as other temporary exhibits might require but if you take your time through it, there is a lot to offer. The goal of the exhibit is to invite the viewer to consider whether or not video games might in fact be considered art.

The initial video that welcomes the visitor shows a good diversity of games from all eras. The first room focuses on some game developers talking about what they do and what they believe video games can offer. It also includes a few samples of artwork, boxes, and conceptual art. There really was not that much in the way of box and art samples and this was disappointing. However there were about 5 or 6 concept sketches from World of Warcraft and Starcraft and MY GOD these were awesome. A few were the best pencil sketches I myself have ever seen in person in my life.

The next room included games from about 5 eras that could be played. There was a good amount of room so that people could stand around and watch. I myself enjoyed watching a young lady flying through Myst.

The final room was the heart of the exhibit. It included just about every important console that I can remember from Atari 2600 to present day. Computer gaming was also well represented but handhelds were not included unfortunately. Each console was displayed grouped in technology eras (8-bit, present day, etc.), in its own particular kiosk with a video to accompany it and four representative titles from the particular console to address related advances in the categories of Action, Target, Adventure, and Tactics. I enjoyed learning that Metal Gear Solid was designed by Hideo Kojima as an alternative to violence so that if you played the game in a certain way you didn’t have to kill a single person. I was also happy to see Shenmue given its fair respect for being the first type of convincing real world experience that it was and that it laid the groundwork for. It may be in my opinion the greatest example of video game “art” that there is. As a side note when I got to the Gamecube kiosk I saw a big picture of Samus but to my delight the representative game was for the sequel Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. That is the game that I have been exclusively devoting myself to for the last few weeks (as I finally beat a really tough boss after the game was sitting for years). I felt connected.

By the time I left the exhibit it developed a really long line but it was a really busy this Saturday in DC with locals and tourists alike out and about. Everyone was positive, respectful, nostalgic, and had fun with the exhibit. Some of the criticisms, however, were warranted. For example so much of the art and industry of video games is due to creators from outside of the United States yet this is at the Museum of American Art. Also it was much better for highlighting the history and evolution of gaming than it was for drawing out the art experience per se. Unfortunately do to realistic considerations only a limited number of the thousands of great titles could represent the industry. I think however for non-gamers who maybe never really gave video games a fair shot, and for those who still have a bias against them, the developer videos, the quotes on the walls, the representative playable samples all in a single room, and a close look at the evolution of gaming may cause them to reconsider or at least open their mind to what others see in gaming. For those of us who are gamers we have known for a long time now that video games, like every media out there, can provide the expression and experience of art. But we also know that the only way you can ever truly appreciate and experience the art of video games is to play them.

Wow... I remember doing the voting for this for which games would be in. Very cool stuff, makes me wish I could get there more easily.



Heh, I can definitely see a media outlet doing that. Glad you enjoyed it anyways.

This exhibit is definitely a step in the right direction in a country where video games are still believed to be downright immature at best, and the cause of killing at worst. Hopefully, this kind of industry insight can aid in repairing the reputation of video games.

Well the City Paper is kind of your typical urban free lefty paper. For example it has Savage Love with Dan Savage which is syndicated around the country in these kind of indie papers, that kind of thing. I wish I would have kept the article to see how much I agreed after seeing the exhibit. While I think their criticisms were technically warranted they didn't convey how enjoyable it was otherwise and that is where I was pleasantly surprised and I really think most people that attended were very happy with it.

I should note that the 4 samples per console are not playable. They are just viewed as gameplay and commentary in short videos but they did convey a significant aspect of the evolution of gaming. There were only 5 games playable but these were from different eras so it was cool to see them all in one room on pretty big screens. I should also make clear that the console kiosks did in fact include the hardware. Most of you have seen these I'm sure but it is cool to be able to compare them all the way from Atari 2600 to PS3 at once.

Yeah it isn't the kind of big gaming festival that alone I could recommend a road trip to or anything but if you are in the DC area I definitely think it is worth seeing.