June 04, 2015
In a move that will further validate the rise of video games as a source of everything from recreation and competition to advanced computing and storytelling, the brand new World Video Game Hall of Fame announced Thursday its first class of inductees.
According to The Associated Press, the new hall is based out of the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, which also houses the National Toy Hall of Fame and has been collecting games and artifacts for years through its International Center for the History of Electronic Gaming.
The six names enshrined as the hall's first inductees won't come as a surprise to anyone familiar with the early and recent history of video games, from puzzle and platform games to MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game).
"Pong" (1972), "Pac-Man" (1980), "Tetris" (1984), "Super Mario Bros." (1985), "Doom" (1993) and "World of Warcraft" (2004) were selected from among 15 nominated finalists, including "The Legend of Zelda," "Sonic the Hedgehog," and "The Oregon Trail."
According to the Entertainment Software Association, more than 50 million Americans play video games, 42 percent of them for at least three hours per week. The industry sold more than 135 million games and generated more than $22 billion in revenue in 2014.
Nominations for the 2016 hall of fame class are open through the end of next March.
Below is an interview with Ralph Baer, who is considered the Father of Video Games for creating the first home console, the Magnavox Odyssey.
