Smithsonian Art Video Games Winners Announced

You probably remember that the Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington, DC) announced in February that they would be launching the Art of Video Games exhibit, and they asked for the public to help them decide what games would be featured. The public answered, with 119,000 people from around the world providing over 3.7 million votes, and the votes have now been tallied.

The list of featured titles numbers 80 (from an initial 240 nominees), and while there are a few potential surprises and some major games that didn't make the list, hopefully even the most jaded gamer can bear in mind that it would be nearly impossible to satisfy everyone with 40 years of games development to choose from.

It should be no surprise that titles like Pitfall!, Donkey Kong, and a couple of Mario titles made the list, but perhaps lesser-known or surprising titles that fans felt deserved a nod include Attack of the Mutant Camels (winner, Commodore 64), Super Smash TV (nominee, Super NES), and Tomb Raider (nominee, Sega Saturn).

With games as industry-shaping as those nominating, it quickly becomes clear that it would be nearly impossible for a museum-goer to easily grasp just how massive the medium of video games has become.

Five particularly influential and undeniably classic titles will be playable at the exhibit, including Pac-Man, Super Mario Brothers, The Secret of Monkey Island, Myst, and World of Warcraft. Along with play sessions, attendess will be able to take in interviews with artists, composers, and designers to gain insights into one of the most misunderstood art forms.

The Art of Video Games exhibition will be featured at the Smithsonian from March 16 to September 30, 2012. If you don't make it to Washington during this time (and if you live in the US) you can take advantage of the Smithsonian's Traveling Exhibition Program to bring the show to your local non-profit organization that collects and exhibits works of art.

You can head over to the exhibit's site to see the complete list of winning titles, along with an explanation for their choices. Did your favorites make the cut? Do you disagree with any of the choices made? Let us know in the comments.

-

Source: Art of Video Games