The Smithsonian American Art Museum will be celebrating video games as art from March 16th to September 30th in 2012. They have polls open now so people can vote for the games they feel represent each category the most. Voting right now has been closed for technical difficulty and has been a total pain all day. However I hope you guys will do your part and vote.
Voting ends on April 7th so do your civic duty and vote for Sega! Hit the jump to see a list of all the Sega stuff.
ERA 1 70s-80s: ColecoVision
Target Genre: Carnival, Zaxxon, Buck Rogers: Planet Of Zoom
ERA 2 – 1980-89: SEGA Master System
Action – Shinobi, Mickey Mouse in the Land of Illusion, Marble Madness
Adventure – Phantasy Star, Heroes Of The Lance, Ultima IV: Quest For The Avatar
Target – Fantasy Zone, After Burner, Missile Defence 3D
Combat/Strategy – Gain Ground, Spy Vs Spy, Rampart
ERA 3 – 1989-1994: SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis
Action – Earthwork Jim, Sonic CD, Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker
Adventure – Phantasy Star IV, Flashback: The Quest For Identity, Shining Force 2
Target – Gunstar Heroes, Viewpoint, Ranger X
Combat/Strategy: Herzog Zwei, Dune II: Battle For Arrakis, Nobunaga’s Ambition
ERA 4: 1995-2002 – SEGA Dreamcast
Action – Jet Grind/Set Radio, Sonic Adventure, Crazy Taxi
Adventure – Shenmue, Phantasy Star Online, Skies Of Arcadia
Target – Toy Commander, Typing Of The Dead, Rez
Combat/Strategy: Chu Chu Rocket, Panzer Front, Rhapsody Of Zephyr
SEGA Saturn
Action – NiGHTS into Dreams…, Tomb Raider, Clockwork Night
Adventure – Blazing Dragons, Dark Savior, Panzer Dragoon Saga
Target – Panzer Dragoon Zwei, Black Fire, Wing Arms
Combat/Strategy: Sim City 2000, Blazing Heroes, Command & Conquer
ERA 5: 2003-Present
XBox [Action] – Jet Set Radio Future
XBox [Adventure] – Shenmue II
XBox [Target] – Panzer Dragoon Orta
[Source: Art of Video Games]
Call me a fanboy but if there is a game that should be adressed as art; if that was only one videogame that could earn such a label, with all due respect for such great titles as ICO or Flower I would say Shenmue should be the one.
The level of detail, all the realism, all the art, all the mysticism, all the philosophy and the poetry contained within it, within it’s concept, it’s presentation and the way the player interactes with it… It’s just amazing and unique.
The level of immersion and the emotional connection the player can establish with it make it transcendent: you don’t play Shenmue, you ‘live’ Ryo’s journey in a level of depth and credibility no videogame has come to challenge. And at the same time, from start to finish, it’s a very good game, one that doesn’t looses itself in the midst of it’s ambition.
Jut beautifull.
For different reasons, Virtua Fighter and Jet Set Radio are up there if such a list is to be made.
Virtua Fighter is violent yet elegant poetry in motion, it’s gameplay unparalled in the genre and close to perfection.
Jet Set is the definition of cool, and an obvious work of modern, urban art that defined the cell shadding style.
Also, Nights; it’s magical all around, and it portrays in a singular way the eternal dream man has of flying.