May 11, 201114 yr You've been asking for this for a long time, finally science and news have cooperated and I'm happy to bring to you a thread combining the two Obsidianite passions: videogames as art and lists. source More than 80 video games, from "Donkey Kong" to "Metal Gear Solid," have been chosen by the public to be part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's "The Art of Video Games" exhibit in Washington, D.C., starting next spring. The exhibit will focus on the last 40 years' "evolution of video games as an artistic medium, with a focus on striking visual effects and the creative use of new technologies," the Smithsonian says. The list of games: 1943: The Battle of MidwayAdvanced Dungeons and Dragons After Burner Attack of the Mutant Camels Bioshock Boom Blox Br Edited May 11, 201114 yr by Purkake
May 11, 201114 yr I'm pretty much ok with all of those, although I wish Total Annihilation had made it in. "Alright, I've been thinking. When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade - make life take the lemons back! Get mad! I don't want your damn lemons, what am I supposed to do with these? Demand to see life's manager. Make life rue the day it thought it could give Cave Johnson lemons. Do you know who I am? I'm the man who's gonna burn your house down! With the lemons. I'm going to to get my engineers to invent a combustible lemon that burns your house down!"
May 11, 201114 yr The list of games: Attack of the Mutant CamelsFalloutJumpmanMarble MadnessPitfall!Sid Meier's Pirates!Spy vs SpyTomb RaiderZaxxon That is titles that bring back memories “He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice.” - Albert Einstein
May 11, 201114 yr Hm, thought Wing Commander would have made it. But neat anyway Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
May 11, 201114 yr The categories are more than a bit arguable, and they weren't consistent in applying them. Shoddy work if you ask me. "My hovercraft is full of eels!" - Hungarian tourist I am Dan Quayle of the Romans. I want to tattoo a map of the Netherlands on my nether lands. Heja Sverige!! Everyone should cuffawkle more. The wrench is your friend.
May 11, 201114 yr There was some controversy in that there was no DOS category pre-1995 (which would have ruled out WC). However I now see a whole bunch of late 80s/early 90s DOS games on that list so unless they all snuck in somehow through being multiplatform, colour me confused. EDIT: Remembered the reference - http://www.wcnews.com/news/update/10666 Edited May 11, 201114 yr by Humanoid L I E S T R O N GL I V E W R O N G
May 11, 201114 yr If they are going to do something like this the least they could do it's give merit to games that actually contributed to the industry. Not the top 20 fan favorites, specially considering that there is an enormous amount of bias. Amazing, even the Smithsonian treats a video game exposition as something banal. I'd say the answer to that question is kind of like the answer to "who's the sucker in this poker game?"* *If you can't tell, it's you.
May 12, 201114 yr Author If they are going to do something like this the least they could do it's give merit to games that actually contributed to the industry. Not the top 20 fan favorites, specially considering that there is an enormous amount of bias. Amazing, even the Smithsonian treats a video game exposition as something banal. Seems like a pretty good cross section to me. What do you think is missing?
May 12, 201114 yr They have Bioshock in but not Half Life or System Shock? Rain makes everything better.
May 12, 201114 yr They have Bioshock in but not Half Life or System Shock? Maybe they had no "striking visual effects"? (not familiar with those two) “He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice.” - Albert Einstein
May 12, 201114 yr each game might be getting shown for some specific reason, perhaps doom 2 has some insane map they want to show and its better than doom 1 for such purpose? marble madness ruled. Killing is kind of like playin' a basketball game. I am there. and the other player is there. and it's just the two of us. and I put the other player's body in my van. and I am the winner. - Nice Pete.
May 12, 201114 yr Author Doom II... but no Doom? What? Doom II is obviously superior, I don't see the problem here. Just having the double shotgun makes it better. plus it was in the good old days when sequels were just the previous game with refinements.
May 13, 201114 yr Seems like a pretty good cross section to me. What do you think is missing? Believability, most other mediums have shining examples of how a piece of work can influence a whole movements. Those are sort of games that we should be focusing on, the unsung hero who first used "X" feature but nobody ever played or cared to find. I don't want a popular games made by fanboys on the Smithsonian, I want games with actual value to the genre despite popularity. I'd say the answer to that question is kind of like the answer to "who's the sucker in this poker game?"* *If you can't tell, it's you.
May 13, 201114 yr It's a shame Morrowind didn't make the list, that game is artful on many levels. *edit* no Torment either Edited May 13, 201114 yr by WDeranged
May 13, 201114 yr I guess some of the more illustrious didn't make it because they couldn't free enough conventional memory to get it to run. I mean, where are you going to find a mouse driver that takes less than 10kB these days? L I E S T R O N GL I V E W R O N G
May 13, 201114 yr Author Seems like a pretty good cross section to me. What do you think is missing? Believability, most other mediums have shining examples of how a piece of work can influence a whole movements. Those are sort of games that we should be focusing on, the unsung hero who first used "X" feature but nobody ever played or cared to find. I don't want a popular games made by fanboys on the Smithsonian, I want games with actual value to the genre despite popularity. What makes you think other art hasn't been chosen for similar reasons? There were fanboys 16th century as well.
May 13, 201114 yr *edit* no Torment either It's more art in video games, not video games as art. Which is why ME2 (have you seen some of the concept art for that?!) is on the list, and torment with it's palette of 64 shades of gray isn't. You're a cheery wee bugger, Nep. Have I ever said that? Reapercussions
May 13, 201114 yr Author *edit* no Torment either It's more art in video games, not video games as art. Which is why ME2 (have you seen some of the concept art for that?!) is on the list, and torment with it's palette of 64 shades of gray isn't. Hey, Diablo 2 is on the list
May 13, 201114 yr *edit* no Torment either It's more art in video games, not video games as art. Which is why ME2 (have you seen some of the concept art for that?!) is on the list, and torment with it's palette of 64 shades of gray isn't. They pretty much said this in their announcement broadcast--that the list would have been different if their focus had been different.
May 13, 201114 yr *edit* no Torment either It's more art in video games, not video games as art. Which is why ME2 (have you seen some of the concept art for that?!) is on the list, and torment with it's palette of 64 shades of gray isn't. You trying to say that 64 shades of gray isn't art? I've seen art that was a single shade of white! "Show me a man who "plays fair" and I'll show you a very talented cheater."
May 13, 201114 yr This is the first time I've seen Torment criticized for its art direction. I'm.. rather confused.
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