Smithsonian To Feature Video Game History

Smithsonian Museums have featured everything pop culture from Dorothy's ruby red slippers to Seinfeld's puffy shirt. Now it will exhibit a history of video games.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum said that an exhibit called the The Art of Video Games, will open to the public in Washington, D.C. on March 16, 2012. The exhibit will explore the 40-year evolution of video games as an artistic medium, with a focus on striking visual effects and the creative use of new technologies.

While the opening date is more than a year away, the Smithsonian's preparations are already in full swing. It has invited the public to help select what video games will be featured in the exhibit. People can vote for 80 possible games from a pool of 240 at online at www.artofvideogames.org. The games will be divided by era, genre and platform.

Playing video games involves many personal choices, so, in keeping with the spirit of the exhibition's content, we want to involve the public in helping us select games for the exhibition, Elizabeth Broun, a director at the Smithsonian American Art Museum,said in a statement.

Heading up the exhibit will be Chris Melissinos, founder of Past Pixels and collector of video games and gaming systems. I want this exhibition to include the collective voice of the video game world, which is not limited to the developers, designers and artists but also the game players, Melissinos said in a statement.

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