The games in the inaugural class of The Strong’s World Video Game Hall of Fame span multiple decades, countries of origin, and gaming platforms, but all have significantly affected the video game industry, popular culture, and society in general. Pong, Pac-Man, Tetris, Super Mario Bros., DOOM, and World of Warcraft have been selected from a field of 15 finalists that also included Angry Birds, FIFA, The Legend of Zelda, Minecraft, The Oregon Trail, Pokémon, The Sims, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Space Invaders.
The World Video Game Hall of Fame at The Strong was established this year to recognize individual electronic games of all types—arcade, console, computer, handheld, and mobile—that have enjoyed popularity over a sustained period and have exerted influence on the video game industry or on popular culture and society in general. Inductees are on permanent view in the museum’s eGameRevolution exhibit. Anyone may nominate a game to the World Video Game Hall of Fame. Nominations for the class of 2016 will be accepted through March 31 next year. Final selections will be made on the advice of journalists, scholars, and other individuals familiar with the history of video games and their role in society.