Load the Game

World Video Game HoF Inaugural Finalists

• Dave Pietrangelo
• June 8th, 2015

The first ever World Video Game Hall of Fame finalists have been announced. As many may expect, it’s a class of recognizable classics. Super Mario Bros. leads the way along with five others: Pong, Pac-Man, Tetris, Doom, and World of Warcraft. Each one will have its place at the Strong’s National Museum of Play’s eGameRevolution exhibit in Rochester, New York.

To enter the Hall, any game can be voted for by anyone, as long as they follow some fairly simple criteria; status, influence, and longevity to name a few. THe finalists were then chosen from a group of journalists, scholars, and video game industry members. This group also took each one of those factors into account as they chose this inaugural class. For the most part, it’s easy to see why these six were chosen. On influence alone, games like Super Mario Bros. and WoW opened the doors to millions of gamers, non-gamers, and influenced an industry in countless ways.

There are a number of games that could continue to showcase the industry as the exhibit and museum grows. If you’re interested in voting, you can have your say at the website until March 2016 for next year’s inductees. Keep in mind, the World Video Game Hall of Fame takes submissions in all types of gaming, from mobile, to arcade, console, handheld, and PC. This group of six are just some of the many influential and keystone games in the industry, what are some of your choices? Did they get it right in this first round of inductees?