To many of us, video games are a form of entertainment and a great way to pass the time.
But to the visionaries and curators behind a new exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum -- video games are also an art form.
"The Art of Video Games" at the Smithsonian American Art Museum is one of the first exhibitions to explore the 40-year evolution of video games as an artistic medium. Featuring 80 games and 20 video games systems, starting with the Atari VCS in 1976 and ending with today's Sony PlayStation 3, the exhibit walks through the tremendous advances in design, technology and storytelling.
Last year, the museum invited the public to help select the video games to be included in the exhibition. From a list of 240 games chosen by guest curator Chris Melissinos, who worked with the museum, game developers, designers, industry pioneers and journalists, more than 3.7 million votes were cast (by 119,000 people in 175 countries) to choose the 80 games.
Quotes
"It is has never been a question that video games would be in art museum; it was at what point would we see them," Chris Melissinos, guest curator.
Warm Up Questions
1. Do you enjoy playing video games? Why or why not?
2. What is your favorite video game?
3. Have you ever played some of the older video games like Atari or the original Nintendo? Discuss.
Discussion Questions
1. What do you think about the new video games exhibit at the Smithsonian?
2. Do you think of video games as an art form? Why or why not?
3. Do you think this exhibit would appeal to a younger generation and make younger people more excited about visiting the Smithsonian?
Additional Resources
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