Since when did Pac-Man and Tetris become high art? After a ground-breaking Smithsonian exhibition, the MOMA in New York is now showcasing video games and giving them a spot in their permanent collection.

After a ground-breaking Smithsonian exhibition, the MOMA in New York is now showcasing video games and giving them a spot in their permanent collection.

They were relegated to the attic years ago, but now Pac-Man, Tetris and 12 other classic video games are getting an extra life as art. Hailed as objects of design, they're part of the permanent collection at New York's Museum of Modern Art.

Paul Galloway, Director of Museum of Modern Art in New York, said, "There's plenty of examples of people who make things that we as a culture want to celebrate, who didn't set out thinking of themselves as an artist. And part of our job here is to tell all of these designers, all of these programmers that what you're doing is important."

The games were chosen not just for the way they look, but also for the way they make the players feel. Tetris, the game of stacking falling blocks, came out in 1984 and is just as addictive in black-and-white.

Paul Galloway, said, "It's incredibly frustrating. It's a maddening game. And in particular we have the Soviet version where there's no levels and the blocks just keep coming at you."

Visitors are encouraged to try their hand at the games, and see them as something more than just a hobby.

One visitor said, "It was fun as a child, but it's interesting that something you just thought as a pastime is in a museum now."

The exhibit also invites people to look behind the screen: the source code for Pacman is on display, and soon it will be joined by the codes for Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros. Within a few months, the museum plans to grow its collection of video games to 40 masterpieces.

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