ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — The 12 finalists for this year's World Video Game Hall of Fame span four decades, from Atari Asteroids played on arcade coin-op consoles to Guitar Hero for living room lockers. Selected from the game. Compete with plastic guitars.
Asteroids, which debuted in 1979, and Guitar Hero, which debuted in 2005, were nominated along with Elite, Metroid, SimCity, and Ultima from the 1980s, and Myst, Neopets, Resident Evil, and Tokimeki from the 1990s. Memorial, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and You were nominated. Jack doesn't know.
Fans can vote online until March 21st.
The Hall of Fame recognizes a game's longevity, geographic spread, and influence on video game design and pop culture.
There is no shortage of candidates, said John 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. Thousands of nominations are received each year for all types of electronic games, including arcade, console, computer, handheld and mobile.
“Asteroids is an arcade icon of the late '70s. Myst showed the potential of CD-ROM technology in the '90s. In the 2000s, Neopets became a staple of browser-based free-to-play games. And , Guitar Hero has been around for less than 20 years, but it has already proven its staying power,” Dyson said in a news release revealing the finalists.
The three games that receive the most public votes will become the “Player's Choice” ballots, which will be counted along with other ballots submitted by members of a panel of journalists and academics with video game expertise. The top vote-getters will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on May 9th.
Here's 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 is now available for his Atari 2600.
— Developed in the UK, Elite pioneered innovative 3D graphics and the idea of open-world gaming by allowing players to control ships sailing through the galaxy.
— Guitar Hero, with licensed music and social gameplay, has sold more than 25 million copies and earned more than $2 billion. Launched by Harmonix and acquired by Activision.
— With its protagonist Samus, Nintendo's Metroid gave the gaming industry its first playable human female character in a mainstream video game. This franchise has sold over 20 million copies of her worldwide.
— Myst, released by Broderbund, became the best-selling computer game of the 1990s, selling over 6 million copies. His early CD-ROM technology had large storage capacities but slow loading times, making it suitable for a slow-paced, meditative style of gaming.
— Browser-based free-to-play Neopets offered a social component where players could chat with each other and form guilds. It had 25 million active users at its peak in 2005 and served as a testing ground for cyber safety mechanisms and immersive advertising.
— Resident Evil, known as Resident Evil in Japan, was the first game to popularize the “survival horror” genre. The game Resident Evil, created by director Shinji Mikami and released by Capcom, inspired a film series that grossed over $1.2 billion at the box office.
— SimCity, released by Maxis, helped expand the video game audience by offering a city design simulator that appealed to both children and adults.
— Konami's Tokimeki Memorial elevated the dating simulator genre, offering a consistent narrative, colorful graphics, and engaging gameplay.
— Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, released by Neversoft/Activision in 1999, spawned sequels and generated sales of approximately $1.4 billion. Hawk, a real-life skateboarder, said the game “both sparked and overshadowed my career.”
— Designed by Richard Garriott, Ultima is credited with helping define and inspire the computer role-playing genre.
— You Don't Know Jack reimagined the television game show for the home video game market. Multiplayer streaming versions of his games increased during the coronavirus lockdown.
