The Art of Video Games Exhibition launches on a 10-city nationwide tour this month of October and ending in January, 2013. The exhibition is one of the most comprehensive video gaming shows ever created, featuring 40 years of the evolution of video games as an artistic medium. The show, which started at the Smithsonian in D.C., was hugely popular, making it one of the most-visited exhibitions in the history of the museum.
Within the exhibition are 5 videos that represent themes of Beginnings, Inspiration, Narrative, Experience, and The Future featuring excerpts from interviews with 20 influential figures in the gaming world, including Nolan Bushnell, creator of Atari, David Cage, Don Daglow, Henry Jenkins, Ken Levine, RJ Mical, Jane Pinckard, Kellee Santiago, among others.
For those that aren’t necessarily into gaming, the exhibition should be considered for its creative and artistic value, story-telling in a modern age, and trend forecasting for where things are heading, not only for entertainment, but as a platform for marketing, advertising, and mobile communication with a new generation of gamers. Check out the trailer and interview with Curator Chris Melissinos.
Mobile Phones and Gaming
New factoids from the ESA report that 30% of gamers now play on their smartphones. At Label Networks, our Fall Youth Culture Study 2012 goes into greater detail on the changes in the demographics of 13-25-year-olds in terms of top gaming platform preferences, changing interests in games as they pertain to youth lifestyles, and more.
Sweatshop—The Game to Change Attitudes and Fashion
At the 9th Annual Games for Change Festival, one of the most interesting subjects was the rise in games intended to make a social difference. One of our favorites is called Sweatshop. This is an online game commissioned by the British broadcaster Channel 4 that encourages young people to think about the origin of the clothes they buy.
Other top games that won the 2012 Games for Change Awards included: SPENT, which challenges players to survive on $1,000 for one month; Unmanned, which teaches players about the internal conflicts soldiers face after they return home from deployments; and the Game of the Year, WAY, which challenges strangers to communicate their unique perspective of the world to help overcome the differences that separate them.
The Guild Season 6
Finally, cewebrity Felicia Day and her team of gamers are back with the highly successful web series called “The Guild.” Season 6 launches today, October 2, 2012 and will surely spark another round of creative energy regarding the growing importance of DIY online entertainment and its impact on mega industries like television.
If you haven’t watched The Guild before, it’s worth taking a few minutes to check it out. Not only are the episodes hilarious (even if you’re not into gaming), but they’re short, ranging between 3 minutes to 12 at the max. The Guild also provides excellent insight on what’s trending in a hyper-geeked world of gaming, conventions, Steampunk, MMORPG, and interactive online entertainment.
