Barbie Fashion Designer, Computer Space, The Last of Us, and Wii Sports have all been inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame, which showcases games that have significantly influenced popular culture or the video game industry. The games will be on display at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York.
The exhibit is moving to a new space in the museum this summer as part of a 90,000-square-foot expansion of The Strong.
Barbie Fashion Designer was released in 1996, when most games were marketed toward male players, and sold more than 500,000 copies in two months. Digital Domain/Mattel Media helped to expand the market for video games and in turn, started a dialogue about gender and stereotypes in gaming. The game’s innovative technology allowed players to design clothes for their Barbie dolls and print them on special fabric, bridging the gap between digital and physical and leaning toward interactive play.
Nutting Associate’s 1971 Computer Space was the first commercial video game. Inspired by the early minicomputer and previous World Video Game Hall of Fame inductee, Spacewar!, the coin-operated Computer Space proved that video games could reach an audience outside of computer labs. While not a best-seller, it was a trailblazer in the industry and inspired its creators to later establish Atari, a video game giant during the 1970s and 1980s.
Released by Naughty Dog and Sony Interactive Entertainment in 2013, The Last of Us entered an oversaturated field of post-apocalyptic zombie games and quickly stood out with its in-depth storytelling, intimate exploration of humanity, thrilling game jumps and cutscenes, and memorable characters. More than 200 publications named it the game of the year in 2013 and its story has since made the jump to Hollywood, inspiring an HBO adaptation in 2023.
Wii Sports launched the Nintendo Wii home video game system in 2006 and introduced motion-based technology to living rooms across the world. With a simple swipe of the controller, players could serve a tennis ball, hurl a bowling bowl, throw a left hook, or drive a golf ball. The simple mechanics made the game accessible to almost anyone — allowing it to be played by young children and seniors alike—and helped to redefine the idea of who is a “gamer.” Ultimately, the game helped Nintendo sell more than 100 million Wii consoles worldwide.
These games were chosen from a range of finalists including Age of Empires, Angry Birds, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, FIFA International Soccer, Goldeneye 007, NBA 2K, Quake, and Wizardry.
The new exhibit is slated to open on June 30. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit museumofplay.org.
