From Asteroids to Guitar Hero, World Video Game Hall of Fame finalists draw from 4 decades
ROCHESTER, NY– The twelve finalists for this year’s World Video Game Hall of Fame draw from four decades of gaming, from Atari Asteroids, played on coin-op consoles in arcades, to Guitar Hero, for living room rockers who compete on a plastic guitar.
Asteroids, which debuted in 1979, and Guitar Hero, released in 2005, are nominated alongside 80s launches Elite, Metroid, SimCity and Ultima, and 90s releases Myst, Neopets, Resident Evil, Tokimeki Memorial, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and You Don’t Know Jack.
Fans can vote online until March 21.
The Hall of Fame recognizes games for their longevity, geographic reach and influence on video game design and pop culture.
There’s no shortage of contenders, according to Jon-Paul Dyson, director of the International Center for the History of Electronic Games at The Strong Museum in Rochester, where the Hall of Fame is located. Every year, thousands of nominations are received for all types of electronic games: arcade, console, computer, handheld and mobile.
βAsteroids is an icon of the late 70s arcade. Myst showed the potential of CD-ROM technology in the 1990s. Neopets became a staple of browser-based, free games as we entered the 2000s. And Guitar Hero, which is less than 20 years old, has already proven its staying power,β Dyson said in a press release unveiling the finalists.
The three games that receive the most public votes will form a “Player’s Choice” ballot, which will be counted among other ballots submitted by members of a committee of journalists and scientists with expertise in video games. The best vote getters will be installed on May 9.
More about the finalists, according to The Strong:
– Asteroids sold over 70,000 arcade units and became Atari’s best-selling coin-operated game. A home version became available on the Atari 2600.
β Developed in Britain, Elite pioneered innovative 3D graphics and the idea of ββopen-world gaming by allowing players to pilot ships that roamed the galaxy.
β Guitar Hero, with its licensed music and social gameplay, has sold more than 25 million copies and earned more than $2 billion. It was launched by Harmonix and acquired by Activision.
β Nintendo’s Metroid starring Samus gave the gaming industry the first playable human female character in mainstream video games. The franchise has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.
β Myst, published by Broderbund, became the best-selling computer game of the 1990s, selling more than six million copies. Early CD-ROM technology offered high storage capacity, but slow loading times that suited the slow, contemplative style of the game.
β The browser-based, free-to-play Neopets offered a social component that allowed players to chat with each other and form guilds. With 25 million active users at its peak in 2005, it served as a testing ground for cybersecurity mechanisms and immersive advertising.
β Resident Evil, known in Japan as Biohazard, was the first game to popularize the “survival horror” genre. Created by game director Shinji Mikami and released by Capcom, Resident Evil inspired a franchise of films that grossed more than $1.2 billion.
β SimCity, released by Maxis, helped expand the audience for video games by offering an urban planning simulator that appealed to both children and adults.
β Konami’s Tokimeki Memorial has taken the dating simulator genre to the next level, with a cohesive story, colorful graphics and engaging gameplay.
β Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, launched by Neversoft/Activision in 1999, spawned sequels that have generated approximately $1.4 billion in sales. Real-life skateboarder Hawk said the game “simultaneously launched and overshadowed my career.”
β Ultima, designed by Richard Garriott, is credited with helping define and inspire the computer role-playing game genre.
β You Don’t Know Jack has reimagined the TV game show for the home video game market. Streaming versions of the multiplayer game saw a boost during the COVID-19 lockdowns.