The Art of Video Games at the EMP
Photo courtesy of EMP staff.

Gaming consoles have evolved by leaps and bounds from what they were a decade ago. Today’s consoles not only act as a platform to play games, but also allow users to watch HD & Blu-ray disks, store & listen to music, and connect to the Internet. By connecting to the Internet, users are able to play video games with people around the word, and access more content. Game console owners can now access YouTube, Hulu, and Netflix and stream content in a matter of minutes.

The way we consume media is rapidly shifting. Statistics show that more and more individuals are watching TV through unconventional means. The emergence of new technologies, specifically the advances in gaming consoles, is changing they way we access media. According to a report released by the Nielsen Company, in 2010 around 39% of viewers accessed online video through one of three gaming consoles. Those numbers rose over the next year, reaching 62% by 2011. As more and more gaming consoles are equipped with the ability to stream video and online content via the Internet, the content creators will gain increased access to their audience.

Interested in taking a look at the evolution of video games? Seattle’s EMP opens a new exhibit, The Art of Video Games, tomorrow. Explore 40 years of visual effects, creative storytelling, and technological innovation in video games through hands-on gaming consoles and interviews with the artists, producers, and designers that defined the genre and brought new electric meaning to the word “game.”