The Smithsonian American Art Museum is putting up an exhibit about the art of video games through different eras, that will run from March-September of 2012. Here's a link to the site. For now, you can vote for which games will be featured.

You have to register to view and vote for the games of your choice, but that only involved giving the Smithsonian your email address.

Some interesting choices, but I'm afraid they leaned more towards games that were popular or influenced the industry over those that had aesthetic merit (not that the two are mutually exclusive).

What would you vote for? Any games stand out as artistic accomplishments over the years?

Any lucasarts adventure game, especially Full Throttle, The Dig, and Loom.

They left out Super Metroid...

Blasphemy!

I definitely hope to hit up this exhibit when it opens!

EDIT: Also, I'm surprised how many I hadn't heard of, much less played. I feel slightly ashamed.

For the most part I think the selection is mediocre. Now, the topic is the Art of Video Games so they are legitimate in the the demonstration of how the games have looked over the years but I thought of it more as Video Games as Art and very few games jump to my mind at all in that regard. To me it takes more than great graphics or an unconventional style to elevate a game to the level of "Art". Of course this is a society that appreciates a crucifix in urine as art so maybe I'm a bit behind the times. Anyway, I was pleased to see that the two primary games that came to my mind were featured. Limbo and Shadow of the Colossus. Sadly, one I would have very sarcastically and only jokingly suggested was also featured. The most infamous video game of all time, ET for the Atari 2600. I also noticed that they often selected a multi-platform game on the weakest possible platform to play it on. Red Alert on the Sony PS1? Come on now.

Half-Life 1 what?

Dangit, they're making me chose between Half-Life 2 and Portal!

Also, I love how every star wars game is "rights pending."

Also... Minecraft? Wtf?

They spelled "Steel Batallion" as "Street Batallion."

I guess. But I can think of some indie games that I would've much rather seen on the ballot. Not to knock minecraft too much, it's a fun game and I've definitely gotten my money's worth out of it... but still!

Unfortuantely, I didn't read the intent of this exhibit in full detail before voting, so I probably voted for some things for a different intent.

For instance, I think E.T. for the Atari 2600 definitely belongs in a museum exhibit, but as a piece to highlight a cultural downside (dependance on movie licensing/emulation, failing to highlight solid gameplay, the downfall of the videogame era via other factors such as market saturation with little means of critical evaluation available).

From an innovation level, I'd have probably selected Adventure, since it helped push exploration and puzzle solving with a primitive storyline to a console market.

However, with a "focus on striking visual effects, the creative use of new technologies, and the most influential artists and designers" I may have had to consider Pitfall as well.

While visuals are certainly an integral factor in evaluating the artistic value of a video game, I would also have to evaluate the rules, play, and culture the game tackles with as well. I would also have to consider whether the exhibit should try to focus on artistic value alone (an impact for the better, even if that impact went generally unnoticed) or if it should cover games that have had an impact for better AND worse.

Even if this exhibit turns out to be terrible -- only showing mediocre games in any regard or for the wrong reasons -- I will still try to see the exhibit in hopes that my attendance will show a desire for games to be examined in new ways.