Super Mario Bros., Doom among the six inaugural inductees into the World Video Game Hall of Fame

Shawn Knight

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doom super mario bros gaming world of warcraft video games pong tetris hall of fame video game hall of fame strong national museum of play pac-man

The Strong National Museum of Play on Thursday revealed the six inaugural inductees into its World Video Game Hall of Fame. The chosen titles span multiple decades, countries of origin and gaming platforms yet all have had a significant impact on the video game industry, pop culture and society in general.

Doom, Pac-Man, Pong, Super Mario Bros., Tetris and World of Warcraft were selected from a collection 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.

doom super mario bros gaming world of warcraft video games pong tetris hall of fame video game hall of fame strong national museum of play pac-man

Some titles obviously carry more consideration than others and I suspect at least a few, like The Legend of Zelda, The Oregon Trail and Sonic the Hedgehog, will make it on to next year’s ballot. In time, games like Minecraft and The Sims may also find a home in the hall of fame once their true impact is realized.

Either way, it’s hard to argue with the first six picks as all are legends at this point.

doom super mario bros gaming world of warcraft video games pong tetris hall of fame video game hall of fame strong national museum of play pac-man

The World Video Game Hall of Fame was established earlier this year to recognize games that have sustained popularity over the years and as mentioned earlier, have also had an impact on pop culture and society. All of the inductees are on permanent display in the museum’s eGameRevolution exhibit in Rochester, New York.

Do you think the museum got it right with its first six inductees? Which games would you nominate for next year’s round? Let us know in the comments section below!

All images courtesy Museum of Play

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Sonic, Mario, Tetris, Doom and Zelda, Pac Man and Pong (original titles) should already be in this 'Hall Of Fame'.
 
Pong - the game that started it all, and freed us from just watching TV!
PacMan - the game that ate all our quarters.
Mario Bros - popularized consoles globally, again (nod to Atari), starting the transition from arcades.
Tetris - probably the most sought after handheld GameBoy title of it's time.
Doom - an iconic transition to PC gaming, popularizing shareware titles.
World of Warcraft - 11 years of entertainment and still counting.
 
Pong - the game that started it all, and freed us from just watching TV!
PacMan - the game that ate all our quarters.
Mario Bros - popularized consoles globally, again (nod to Atari), starting the transition from arcades.
Tetris - probably the most sought after handheld GameBoy title of it's time.
Doom - an iconic transition to PC gaming, popularizing shareware titles.
World of Warcraft - 11 years of entertainment and still counting.
Meridian 59 (First 3D MMORPG), Ultima Online (18 years and still going), EverQuest (First to use a 3D game engine which is now standard, 16 years and running) should be there before WoW since it would not exist without them. Hell, Rogue should definitely be there since it inspired MANY games including games like Diablo and other MMOs.
 
You're never going to get a list that satisfies everyone - even if you put every game up there. This is a good slice of iconic games that really stand out for people old enough to remember the excitement when they came out. Saying this or that is missing from the list won't change anything and I'm just happy that video games are no longer "taboo" like they used to be. When I was young video games were illegal in the country I was living in - but my mother snuck me into these restaurants that would provide tabletop gaming experiences after you ate or she would take me on base where the president had no say about whether they could have video games or not. Also, when I was younger and you were really into video games you were kind of marked with that "nerd" or "geek" moniker and many people who didn't know any better went along with that line of thinking.
 
Meridian 59 (First 3D MMORPG), Ultima Online (18 years and still going), EverQuest (First to use a 3D game engine which is now standard, 16 years and running) should be there before WoW since it would not exist without them. Hell, Rogue should definitely be there since it inspired MANY games including games like Diablo and other MMOs.
Being going the longest or being first was likely not the reason it got inducted over the rest in which you've mentioned. The game's number of active subscribers, number of accounts created, and gross earnings probably put it there, as well as it's cultural impact as well.

Final Fantasy 7 deserves a spot in that museum.
Just.... no. I may like the game (it's not my favorite) and it may have been the first 3D final fantasy (and other firsts for the franchise), but blind fandom should not be a reason lol.
 
Half Life should have been on this list, hell, I might even be interested in donating my original copy still in box with manuals and certificates if it's worth it.
I mean come on now, it paved the road and revolutionized what FPS PC games are today!
 
Half Life should have been on this list, hell, I might even be interested in donating my original copy still in box with manuals and certificates if it's worth it.
I mean come on now, it paved the road and revolutionized what FPS PC games are today!

Half Life might be an awesome FPS... but DOOM is the game that made FPS what it is today... hence the HOF award...

Don't worry, entries get watered down over time... they always do, since there is pressure to induct every year - so instead of a few inductees for 40+ years of gaming, we'll get the leftovers...

Lots of worthy entries I'm sure... surprised noone's mentioned Grand Theft Auto... think it's a no-brainer eventually....

I'm holding out for Spy Hunter - think I spent weeks on that back in the 80s!!
 
Half Life might be an awesome FPS... but DOOM is the game that made FPS what it is today... hence the HOF award...

Don't worry, entries get watered down over time... they always do, since there is pressure to induct every year - so instead of a few inductees for 40+ years of gaming, we'll get the leftovers...

Lots of worthy entries I'm sure... surprised noone's mentioned Grand Theft Auto... think it's a no-brainer eventually....

I'm holding out for Spy Hunter - think I spent weeks on that back in the 80s!!
Oh man, I remember when Spy Hunter hit the arcades with a steering wheel and gas pedal, now I want to download the ROM file. :p
 
Quake, Half Life, Counter Strike are just some of the games that have redefined the boundaries (not so much Counter Strike, however it has a great history).

For the most part, I agree with the limited list.
 
They do. Two, in fact: The BAFTA Awards and the SXSW Awards.
Thanx for the heads up. I've heard of BAFTA Awards but never knew what it was about, it's nothing I'd ever take any interest in.
Well maybe these old classic games will be inducted into the Smithsonian then. ;)
 
Thanx for the heads up. I've heard of BAFTA Awards but never knew what it was about, it's nothing I'd ever take any interest in.
Well maybe these old classic games will be inducted into the Smithsonian then. ;)

...I was gonna post something, but I'm on to you!!
 
Being going the longest or being first was likely not the reason it got inducted over the rest in which you've mentioned. The game's number of active subscribers, number of accounts created, and gross earnings probably put it there, as well as it's cultural impact as well.
Being the first or the one to set up what other games followed should be a reason to add it since the rest would not exist without it. A game can't be a hall of famer if the originators did not show up first to show them the way.
 
Unreal Tournament 1999. I know the list can't please us all.

I think they wanted a range of genres and formats, otherwise, Space Invaders should have made it in before WoW and maybe, Pac-Man. Also: Asteroids, Missile Command, Wolfenstein 3D, ...these are first round titles.
 
Great list. I am staring to feel old. Just took me down memory lane. I packed bags at super market so that I could have enough quarters to play some of these as a kid. Space Invaders, Galaxian, Galaga, Donkey Kong, Centipede, Defender, Asteroids.
 
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