The International Center for the History of Electronic Games, which is part of The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, NY, will continue its efforts to curate and chronicle gaming’s rich history with the creation of the World Video Game Hall of Fame.
So what games will be the Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Matthewson, and Walter Johnson of the World Video Game Hall of Fame? The Strong is currently seeking nominations at the Hall’s website and will continue to accept ballots until March 31. Nominations can come from any branch of video games (arcade, console, computer, handheld, or mobile) and should meet the following criteria:
- Icon Status: The game is widely recognized and remembered.
- Longevity: The game is more than a passing fad and has enjoyed popularity over time.
- Geographical Reach: The game meets the above criteria across international boundaries.
- Influence: The game has exerted significant influence on the design and development of other games, on other forms of entertainment, or on popular culture and society in general. A game may be inducted on the basis of this criterion without necessarily having met all of the first three.
“There is no other video game award and recognition program such as this, which focuses solely on individual game titles across platforms and their impact over time and across international borders,” said G. Rollie Adams, President and CEO of The Strong.
An initial shortlist of nominees will be chosen by an internal advisory committee and the Hall’s inaugural class will be selected by an international selection committee made up of journalists, scholars, and other individuals familiar with the history of video games and their role in society. The Class of 2015, which will likely include four-to-six titles, will be announced this June.
“Through The Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games (ICHEG), the museum preserves and interprets a growing collection of more than 55,000 video games and related artifacts, plus an extensive array of personal papers and corporate records that document the history of video games,” said Jon-Paul Dyson, the Director of ICHEG. “These unparalleled resources uniquely qualify The Strong to create a World Video Game Hall of Fame that identifies and celebrates the most important games of all time.”
