The Art of Video Games

Author: Chris Melissinos
Co-Publisher: Welcome Books
Publication Date: 2012
Museum: SAAM
Pages: 260 pp.
ISBN: 978-1-59962-110-4
Hardcover

In the forty-year history of the video game industry, the medium has undergone staggering development, fueled not only by advances in technology but also by an insatiable quest for richer play and more meaningful experiences. As a testament to the game industry’s stunning evolution, and to its cultural impact worldwide, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and curator Chris Melissinos conceived the 2012 exhibition "The Art of Video Games." The exhibition offered a revealing look into the history of the game industry, from early days of Pac-Man and Space Invaders to the vastly more complicated contemporary epics such as BioShock and Uncharted. The Art of Video Games makes a compelling case for games to be viewed not just as mere play, but as richly textured, compelling experiences that have crossed the boundary into culture and art.