World Video Game Hall of Fame

World Video Game Hall of Fame
FormationJune 4, 2015
PurposeTo highlight the video games that have made an impact on the world
Location
Parent organization
The Strong
Websitewww.museumofplay.org/exhibits/world-video-game-hall-of-fame/
Museum interior, with displays in a large space and World Video Game Hall of Fame on a hanging sign.
In June 2023, The Strong National Museum of Play debuted ESL Digital Worlds, a 24,000-square foot gallery that houses the World Video Game Hall of Fame.

The World Video Game Hall of Fame is an international hall of fame for video games. The hall's administration is overseen by The Strong's International Center for the History of Electronic Games, and is located at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, United States.[1][2] The museum began the International Center for the History of Electronic Games in 2009, announced the formation of the hall of fame in February 2015, and opened it on June 4, 2015.[3][4][5] It is located in a dedicated part of the "ESL Digital Worlds: High Score" exhibit at the National Museum of Play; prior to an expansion of the museum in 2023, it was located in the museum's "eGameRevolution" exhibit.[6][7][8] The Strong has also run the National Toy Hall of Fame since 2002.[9]

Video games become eligible for the World Video Game Hall of Fame by meeting four criteria:[1]

  • Icon Status – is widely recognized and remembered
  • Longevity – is more than a passing fad and has enjoyed popularity over time
  • Geographical Reach – meets the above criteria across international boundaries
  • Influence – has exerted significant influence on the design and development of other games, on other forms of entertainment, or on popular culture and society in general

Initial nominations are made each year by a staff committee at The Strong, which takes into account the four criteria, with influence considered the most important. Members of the public can submit games for consideration by the committee as well. The nominees are then voted on by a panel of around 30 "scholars and journalists from around the world", with each panel member ranking their top three choices. A public poll is also included, with the results counting as equivalent to a member of the panel.[10] For the 2026 nominees, a poll of attendees of the Game Developers Conference was also included. Afterwards, the staff committee reviews the votes and makes the final selection.[11] While generally there is a clear difference in vote counts for the highest-scoring games, if there are multiple games with similar vote counts near the cutoff point, the committee decides by emphasizing a variety of game types or platforms in any given induction year. Video games that have not been inducted may be nominated in multiple years.[10] The set of final nominees is typically announced each year in March, and the inductees in May. In its first two years of operation, the hall named six inductees from fifteen finalists; since then, it has named four or five inductees each year from a set of twelve.

In the 12 years that the hall of fame has been open, 53 games have been inducted out of 92 nominated. Many of those games have been nominated multiple times. In some cases, the hall may list the first game in a series of similar titles as a proxy for the entire series, such as with The Oregon Trail series or the FIFA International Soccer/FIFA series.[12][13] Nintendo has been the developer of the most games inducted with seven, out of a total of eleven nominations of eight games. Atari has had three games inducted out of six nominations of those three games, and Blizzard Entertainment, Capcom, Konami, id Software, and Maxis have had two games inducted. Seven other developers have had more than one game nominated. Minecraft, FIFA International Soccer, and Angry Birds are tied for the most nominations at four, all of which were then inducted. Frogger, Guitar Hero, and NBA 2K are tied for the most nominations without being inducted at three. The earliest game to be nominated is Spacewar! from 1962, while the latest is The Last of Us from 2013, both of which have been inducted.

Inductees and finalists

Release years of inductees
1962Spacewar!
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971Computer Space
The Oregon Trail
1972Pong
1973
1974
1975
1976Colossal Cave Adventure
1977
1978Space Invaders
1979Asteroids
1980Pac-Man
1981Centipede
Defender
Donkey Kong
Ultima
1982Microsoft Flight Simulator
Ms. Pac-Man
1983
1984King's Quest
1985Super Mario Bros.
Tetris
Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?
1986Dragon Quest
The Legend of Zelda
1987
1988
1989SimCity
1990John Madden Football
Solitaire
1991Sid Meier's Civilization
Sonic the Hedgehog
Street Fighter II
1992Mortal Kombat
Super Mario Kart
1993Doom
FIFA International Soccer
Myst
1994
1995
1996Barbie Fashion Designer
Pokémon Red and Green
Quake
Resident Evil
Tamagotchi
Tomb Raider
1997Final Fantasy VII
GoldenEye 007
1998Dance Dance Revolution
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
StarCraft
1999Silent Hill
2000The Sims
2001Animal Crossing
Bejeweled
Grand Theft Auto III
Halo: Combat Evolved
2002
2003
2004World of Warcraft
2005
2006Wii Sports
2007
2008
2009Angry Birds
2010
2011Minecraft
2012
2013The Last of Us

  *   Inductees

  **   Finalists that were inducted in a later year

       Other finalists

Winners and nominees
Year Game Developer Year released Ref
2015 Doom*id Software1993 [14]
Pac-Man*Namco1980 [14]
Pong*Atari1972 [14]
Super Mario Bros.*Nintendo1985 [14]
Tetris*Alexey Pajitnov1985 [14]
World of Warcraft*Blizzard Entertainment2004 [14]
Angry Birds**Rovio Entertainment2009 [15]
FIFA International Soccer**EA Canada1993 [15]
The Legend of Zelda**Nintendo1986 [15]
Minecraft**Mojang Studios2011 [15]
The Oregon Trail**Don Rawitsch, Bill Heinemann, and Paul Dillenberger1971 [15]
Pokémon Red and Green**Game Freak1996 [15]
The Sims**Maxis2000 [15]
Sonic the Hedgehog**Sonic Team1991 [15]
Space Invaders**Taito1978 [15]
2016 Grand Theft Auto III*DMA Design2001 [6]
The Legend of Zelda*Nintendo1986 [6]
The Oregon Trail*Don Rawitsch, Bill Heinemann, and Paul Dillenberger1971 [6]
The Sims*Maxis2000 [6]
Sonic the Hedgehog*Sonic Team1991 [6]
Space Invaders*Taito1978 [6]
EliteDavid Braben, Ian Bell1984 [16]
Final FantasySquare1987 [16]
John Madden Football**Park Place Productions1990 [16]
Minecraft**Mojang Studios2011 [16]
NürburgringReiner Foerst1976 [16]
Pokémon Red and Green**Game Freak1996 [16]
Sid Meier's Civilization**MicroProse1991 [16]
Street Fighter II**Capcom1991 [16]
Tomb Raider**Core Design1996 [16]
2017 Donkey Kong*Nintendo1981 [17]
Halo: Combat Evolved*Bungie2001 [17]
Pokémon Red and Green*Game Freak1996 [17]
Street Fighter II*Capcom1991 [17]
Final Fantasy VII**Square1997 [18]
Solitaire**Wes Cherry (Microsoft)1990 [18]
Mortal Kombat**Midway Games1992 [18]
Myst**Cyan1993 [18]
PortalValve Corporation2007 [18]
Resident Evil**Capcom1996 [18]
Tomb Raider**Core Design1996 [18]
Wii Sports**Nintendo2006 [18]
2018 Final Fantasy VII*Square1997 [19]
John Madden Football*Park Place Productions1990 [19]
Spacewar!*Steve Russell and others1962 [19]
Tomb Raider*Core Design1996 [19]
Asteroids**Atari1979 [20]
Call of DutyInfinity Ward2003 [20]
Dance Dance Revolution**Konami1998 [20]
Half-LifeValve Corporation1998 [20]
King's Quest**Sierra On-Line1984 [20]
MetroidNintendo1986 [20]
Minecraft**Mojang Studios2011 [20]
Ms. Pac-Man**General Computer Corporation1982 [20]
2019 Colossal Cave Adventure*William Crowther, Don Woods1976 [21]
Solitaire*Wes Cherry (Microsoft)1990 [21]
Mortal Kombat*Midway Games1992 [21]
Super Mario Kart*Nintendo1992 [21]
Candy Crush SagaKing2012 [22]
Centipede**Atari1981 [22]
Dance Dance Revolution**Konami1998 [22]
Half-LifeValve Corporation1998 [22]
Myst**Cyan1993 [22]
NBA 2KVisual Concepts1999 [22]
Sid Meier's Civilization**MicroProse1991 [22]
Super Smash Bros. MeleeHAL Laboratory2001 [22]
2020 Bejeweled*PopCap Games2001 [23]
Centipede*Atari1981 [23]
King's Quest*Sierra On-Line1984 [23]
Minecraft*Mojang Studios2011 [23]
FroggerKonami1981 [24]
GoldenEye 007**Rare1997 [24]
Guitar HeroHarmonix2005 [24]
NBA JamMidway Games1993 [24]
Nokia SnakeNokia1997 [24]
Super Smash Bros. MeleeHAL Laboratory2001 [24]
Uncharted 2: Among ThievesNaughty Dog2009 [24]
Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?**Broderbund1985 [24]
2021 Animal Crossing*Nintendo2001 [25]
Microsoft Flight Simulator*Sublogic1982 [25]
StarCraft*Blizzard Entertainment1998 [25]
Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?*Broderbund1985 [25]
Call of DutyInfinity Ward2003 [26]
FarmVilleZynga2009 [26]
FIFA International Soccer**EA Canada1993 [26]
Guitar HeroHarmonix2005 [26]
Mattel FootballMattel1977 [26]
Pole PositionNamco1982 [26]
PortalValve Corporation2007 [26]
TronBally Midway1982 [26]
2022 Dance Dance Revolution*Konami1998 [27]
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time*Nintendo1998 [27]
Ms. Pac-Man*General Computer Corporation1982 [27]
Sid Meier's Civilization*MicroProse1991 [27]
Assassin's CreedUbisoft Montreal2007 [28]
Candy Crush SagaKing2012 [28]
MinesweeperCurt Johnson (Microsoft)1990 [28]
NBA JamMidway Games1993 [28]
PaRappa the RapperNanaOn-Sha1996 [28]
Resident Evil**Capcom1996 [28]
RogueA.I. Design1980 [28]
Words with FriendsZynga2009 [28]
2023 Barbie Fashion Designer*Digital Domain1996 [29]
Computer Space*Syzygy Engineering1971 [29]
The Last of Us*Naughty Dog2013 [29]
Wii Sports*Nintendo2006 [29]
Age of EmpiresEnsemble Studios1997 [30]
Angry Birds**Rovio Entertainment2009 [30]
Call of Duty 4: Modern WarfareInfinity Ward2007 [30]
FIFA International Soccer**EA Canada1993 [30]
GoldenEye 007**Rare1997 [30]
NBA 2KVisual Concepts1999 [30]
Quake**id Software1996 [30]
WizardrySir-Tech1981 [30]
2024 Asteroids*Atari1979 [31]
Myst*Cyan1993 [31]
Resident Evil*Capcom1996 [31]
SimCity*Maxis1989 [31]
Ultima*Richard Garriott, Origin Systems1981 [31]
EliteDavid Braben, Ian Bell1984 [32]
Guitar HeroHarmonix2005 [32]
MetroidNintendo1986 [32]
NeopetsAdam Powell, Donna Powell1999 [32]
Tokimeki MemorialKonami1994 [32]
Tony Hawk's Pro SkaterNeversoft1999 [32]
You Don't Know JackJellyvision1995 [32]
2025 Defender*Williams Electronics1981 [33]
GoldenEye 007*Rare1997 [33]
Quake*id Software1996 [33]
Tamagotchi*Bandai1996 [33]
Age of EmpiresEnsemble Studios1997 [34]
Angry Birds**Rovio Entertainment2009 [34]
Call of Duty 4: Modern WarfareInfinity Ward2007 [34]
FroggerKonami1981 [34]
Golden Tee GolfIncredible Technologies1989 [34]
Harvest MoonAmccus1996 [34]
Mattel FootballMattel1977 [34]
NBA 2KVisual Concepts1999 [34]
2026 Angry Birds*Rovio Entertainment2009 [35]
Dragon Quest*Chunsoft1986 [35]
FIFA International Soccer*EA Canada1993 [35]
Silent Hill*Konami1999 [35]
FroggerKonami1981 [11]
GalagaNamco1981 [11]
League of LegendsRiot Games2009 [11]
Mega ManCapcom1987 [11]
PaRappa the RapperNanaOn-Sha1996 [11]
RuneScapeJagex2001 [11]
The Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimBethesda Game Studios2011 [11]
Tokimeki MemorialKonami1994 [11]

References

  1. 1 2 Dyson, Jon-Paul C. (2021). Wolf, Mark J. P. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Video Games: The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming (2nd ed.). ABC-Clio. pp. 1150–1151. ISBN 978-1-4408-7020-0.
  2. ↑ "International Center for the History of Electronic Games". The Strong National Museum of Play. The Strong. Archived from the original on June 4, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  3. ↑ Dyson, Jon-Paul C.; Saucier, Jeremy K. (2018). "A Note from the World Video Game Hall of Fame". In The World Video Game Hall of Fame (ed.). A History of Video Games in 64 Objects. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-283870-4.
  4. ↑ Kedmey, Dan (February 18, 2015). "This Museum Is Building a Video Game Hall of Fame". Time. Time USA. Archived from the original on August 11, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Super Mario Bros., Pong among first to enter World Video Game Hall of Fame". The Washington Post. Nash Holdings. June 4, 2015. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Brightman, James (May 5, 2016). "GTA III, The Sims among 2016 World Video Game Hall of Fame inductees". GamesIndustry.biz. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on December 26, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  7. ↑ "World Video Game Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2023 Inductees" (Press release). The Strong National Museum of Play. May 4, 2023. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  8. ↑ "ESL Digital Worlds: High Score". The Strong National Museum of Play. The Strong. Archived from the original on July 3, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  9. ↑ "National Toy Hall of Fame Fact Sheet". The Strong National Museum of Play. The Strong. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  10. 1 2 Dyson, Jon-Paul (May 5, 2022). "How Does a Game Get into the World Video Game Hall of Fame?". Global Toy News. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "World Video Game Hall of Fame Reveals 12 Finalists for 2026 Induction". The Strong National Museum of Play. The Strong. March 5, 2026. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
  12. ↑ "The Oregon Trail". The Strong National Museum of Play. The Strong. Archived from the original on May 14, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  13. ↑ "2023 World Video Game Hall of Fame Finalists Announced" (Press release). The Strong National Museum of Play. March 15, 2023. Archived from the original on June 25, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Thompson, Carolyn (June 4, 2015). "Pong, Tetris make Video Game Hall of Fame's first class". The Post and Courier. Evening Post Industries. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "2015 World Video Game Hall of Fame finalists named". MCV/Develop. Biz Media. April 29, 2015. Archived from the original on December 25, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Dalton, Andrew (May 5, 2016). "Sonic grabs top honors as World Video Game Hall of Fame inductee". Engadget. Yahoo!. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Corrigan, Hope (May 5, 2017). "2017 World Video Game Hall of Fame Inductees Include Donkey Kong, Halo, Pokemon, Street Fighter". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on September 11, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Grant, Christopher (May 4, 2017). "Here are the four 2017 World Video Game Hall of Fame inductees". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  19. 1 2 3 4 Khan, Imran (May 3, 2018). "Final Fantasy VII, Tomb Raider, And Others Inducted To World Video Game Hall Of Fame". Game Informer. GameStop. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 McWhertor, Michael (March 27, 2018). "12 games are up for Hall of Fame status at The Strong National Museum of Play". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on April 15, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  21. 1 2 3 4 Takahashi, Dean (May 2, 2019). "World Video Game Hall of Fame inducts Super Mario Kart, Mortal Kombat, Solitaire, and Colossal Cave Adventure". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on May 2, 2019. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "World Video Game Hall of Fame 2019 Finalists Announced". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. March 21, 2019. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  23. 1 2 3 4 McGlynn, Anthony (June 20, 2020). "Minecraft leads the World Video Game Hall of Fame 2020 inductees". PCGamesN. Network N. Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "World Video Game Hall of Fame announces 2020 finalists". KATV. Sinclair Broadcast Group. March 19, 2020. Archived from the original on July 3, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  25. 1 2 3 4 Fahey, Mike (May 6, 2021). "These Are Your 2021 World Video Game Hall of Fame Inductees". Kotaku. G/O Media. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Marshall, Cass (March 18, 2021). "These are the 2021 nominees for the World Video Game Hall of Fame". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on March 24, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
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  28. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Francis, Bryant (March 17, 2022). "PaRappa the Rapper, Ocarina of Time among 2022 World Video Game Hall of Fame nominees". Game Developer. Informa. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  29. 1 2 3 4 McWhertor, Michael (May 4, 2023). "The Last of Us, Barbie Fashion Designer headline Video Game Hall of Fame 2023 class". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kaser, Rachel (March 15, 2023). "The Strong announces 2023 finalists for Video Game Hall of Fame". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
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  32. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "From Asteroids to Guitar Hero, World Video Game Hall of Fame draws from 4 decades". Associated Press. March 14, 2024. Archived from the original on March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  33. 1 2 3 4 "2025 World Video Game Hall of Fame Inductees Announced". The Strong National Museum of Play. The Strong. May 8, 2025. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  34. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Angry Birds, Frogger and others are finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame". Associated Press. March 6, 2025. Archived from the original on March 6, 2025. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  35. 1 2 3 4 "2026 World Video Game Hall of Fame Inductees Revealed". The Strong National Museum of Play. The Strong. May 7, 2026. Retrieved May 7, 2026.

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