The Strong’s World Video Game Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York, has named 15 finalists for induction. This year’s induction class includes Elite, Final Fantasy, Grand Theft Auto III, John Madden Football, The Legend of Zelda, Minecraft, Nurburgring, The Oregon Trail, Pokemon Red and Green, Sid Meier’s Civilization, The Sims, Sonic the Hedgehog, Space Invaders, Street Fighter II, and Tomb Raider.
The World Video Game Hall of Fame received thousands of nominations from more than 100 countries for consideration. The final inductees will be chosen with guidance from an international selection advisory committee made up of journalists, scholars, and other individuals familiar with the history of video games and their role in society. They will be announced during a special ceremony at The Strong museum on May 5.
The World Video Game Hall of Fame recognizes electronic games that meet the following criteria: icon-status, that the game is widely recognized and remembered; longevity, more than a passing fad and has enjoyed popularity over time; geographical reach, meeting the above criteria across international boundaries; and influence, that the game 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. A game also may be inducted on the basis of the last criterion without necessarily having met all of the first three.
Inductees to the first class of the World Video Game Hall of Fame—DOOM, Pong, Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros., Tetris, and World of Warcraft—are displayed on permanent view at The Strong in Rochester, New York.
