Konami announced today that historic images and video from Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty will be on display in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s new exhibition, “The Art of Video Games,” which opens March 16.
In addition, art from Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will also be part of the exhibition.
The Metal Gear franchise has been an important part of gaming for over 25 years, serving as one of the originators of the stealth-action genre. The series has been crafted through the vision of the legendary game designer and director Hideo Kojima, and has been critically and commercially recognized for its original game design combined with its convoluted, twisted, dramatic storyline.
With Metal Gear Solid and its ensuing predecessors, Kojima and his team created a digital masterpiece by joining cinematic, fully-voiced cut scenes with groundbreaking 3D gameplay to create an all-new kind of genre often referred to by the team as “Tactical Espionage Action”, adding the element of stealth to the typical action/shooter experience.
“The METAL GEAR SOLID franchise has enjoyed an amazing 25 year history of award winning content and die-hard fans,” said Tomoyuki Tsuboi, President of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. “It’s an honor to share new artwork from our classic METAL GEAR SOLID games at such a ground-breaking exhibition like ‘The Art of Video Games’.”
As part of the public events surrounding the opening of “The Art of Video Games” at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Hideo Kojima will participate in a discussion about the artistry and creativity of game design with the exhibition’s curator, Chris Melissinos. Fans can watch the panel session live on March 17th at noon.
What do you think? This is certainly a big step for the recognition of video games as an art form – being featured in the Smithsonian is certainly an honor for Kojima and his acclaimed Metal Gear Solid franchise.
