Video Game Hall of Game first class (Photo : YouTube)
The new Video Game Hall of Fame (HOF) chose the first inductees on Thursday. They include the classic video games Pong, Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros., Doom, World of Warcraft, and the original version of the Facebook hit game Tetris Battle.
A special exhibit in the Strong National Museum of Play, the gaming HOF is located in Rochester, New York. The Strong is a not-for-profit institution that includes thousands of historical items related to play.
Candidate inductions were based mainly on four factors including longevity, geographical reach, influence, and icon status. An international committee made recommendations based on public nominations, but finalists for the gaming hall of game were chosen by a selection committee of The Strong.
Chris Grant is an editor of the online gaming publication Polygon. One of the 23 video game experts who made the selection committee, Grant said that the grand opening of the Video Game Hall of Game was past due.
Grant explained to CS Monitor that old video games never received the "museum-level recognition" they deserved. However, classic video games were featured in a Smithsonian Museum exhibit, and the Library of Congress's Game Cannon.
Video games are popular today. However, Grant noted that the gaming community fails to discuss previous games or a video game's "cultural significance."
Grant argues that the 1993 video game Doom is the most important one ever designed, according to CS Monitor. It was a key first-person shooter game and allowed for self-made game levels.
However, some vocal critics of violent video games opposed the inclusion of Doom in the gaming HOF. They included activist Jack Thompson.
Thompson argued that the most violent video games often become Hall of Fame inductees due to their being the most successful. He believes Halo and Grand Theft Auto could follow Doom.
However, Grant stated that the goal of the video game hall of fame is to "shine a light" on some classic titles. He hopes that today's players will revisit the old games.
Various popular video gaming HOF finalists did not make the cut. They included "Space Invaders," "The Legend of Zelda," "FIFA," "Angry Birds, and "Minecraft," according to International Business Times.
