Smithsonian gaming exhibit seeking voters

In 2009, the Strong National Museum of Play opened up one of the largest video game museums in the country, offering more than 20,000 pieces of memorabilia from the medium's 40-year history. Soon, that exhibit will have some competition, as the Smithsonian American Art Museum announced that its upcoming exhibition, "The Art of Video Games," will open in Washington, DC, on March 16, 2012.

According to the museum, the exhibit will "explore the 40-year evolution of video games as an artistic medium, with a focus on striking visual effects and the creative use of new technologies." Past Pixels founder Chris Melissinos will curate the exhibit. However, gamers will also be able to have their say on which games are included in the exhibit.

From now until April 7, gamers can vote on titles they'd like to see in the exhibit through the Art of Video Games exhibit website. From the 240-game pool, which was compiled by Melissinos and reviewed by an advisory board comprising game developers, designers, industry pioneers, and journalists, 80 games will be selected for the exhibit. The exhibit will also feature 20 gaming platforms.

Titles are broken up into eras, genres, and platforms, ranging from Combat on the Atari 2600 to Mass Effect 2 on the Xbox 360. Selected titles will be shown as screenshots and video in the exhibit. The results of the voting phase will be published online in May.