Sonic the Hedgehog, Space Invaders among 15 in line for Video Game Hall of Fame
Is your favourite game up for induction to hall of fame in May? Shortlist based on thousands of nominations from over 100 countries also includes John Madden Football, GTA3, Minecraft, and Tomb Raider
Sonic the Hedgehog, Space Invaders and John Madden Football are among 15 games named this week as finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame. The winners will be inducted on May 5.
The other contenders are Elite, Final Fantasy, Grand Theft Auto III, The Legend of Zelda, Minecraft, Nurburgring, The Oregon Trail, Pokemon Red and Green, Sid Meier’s Civilization, The Sims, Street Fighter II and Tomb Raider.
The finalists “span decades, gaming platforms and countries of origin, but what they all have in common is their undeniable impact on the world of gaming and popular culture”, says Jon-Paul Dyson, director of The Strong’s International Centre for the History of Electronic Games.
The list was culled from thousands of nominations from more than 100 countries, hall officials say. An international advisory committee of journalists, scholars and others will guide the final selection.
“Whether it’s an iconic game like The Legend of Zelda, a pioneering educational title like The Oregon Trail, or an innovator like Elite, which forever changed the design and development of other games, they’re among the most influential games of all time,” says Dyson.
Nominations for the hall can come from anyone and be from any platform – arcade, console, computer, handheld or mobile – but must be widely recognised and have influenced the design and development of other games or other forms of entertainment. They also must have been popular over time and in different countries.
The inaugural inductees last year included Pong, the game that introduced millions to electronic play, and Doom, which triggered a debate over the role of games and violence in society. Also inducted were Super Mario Bros., Pac-Man, Tetris and World of Warcraft.
