ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — This year’s 12 finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame draw from four decades of games, from Atari Asteroids played on coin-operated consoles in arcades to Guitar Hero, for living room rockers who i compete on a plastic guitar.
Asteroids, which debuted in 1979, and Guitar Hero, which arrived in 2005, are nominated alongside Elite, Metroid, SimCity and Ultima, which launched in 1980, and since 1990: Myst, Neopets, Resident Evil , Tokimeki Memorial, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and You Don’t Know Jack.
Fans are invited to vote online until March 21.
The Hall of Fame recognizes games for their longevity, geographic reach, and influence on video game design and pop culture.
There’s no shortage of contenders, according to John-Paul Dyson, director of the International Center for Video Game History at The Strong Museum in Rochester, home of the Hall of Fame. Thousands of nominations come in every year for electronic games of all kinds – arcade, console, PC, portable and mobile.
“Asteroids have been an arcade icon since the late 70s. Myst showed the potential of CD-ROM technology in the 1990s. Neopets became a staple of browser-based, free-to-play games as we entered the 2000s. And Guitar Hero, which is less than 20 years old, 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 form the Player’s Choice ballot, which will be counted with other ballots submitted by a committee of journalists and academics with experience in video games. The top votes will be entered on May 9.
More on the finalists, according to The Strong:
— Asteroids sold more than 70,000 arcade units, becoming Atari’s best-selling coin-op game. A home version became available on the Atari 2600.
— British-developed Elite pioneered innovative 3D graphics and the idea of open-world gaming, allowing players to control ships that roam the galaxy.
— Guitar Hero, with its licensed music and social game, has sold more than 25 million units, earning more than $2 billion. It was released by Harmonix and acquired by Activision.
— Nintendo’s Metroid with its protagonist, Samus, gave the gaming industry its first playable human female character in mainstream video games. The franchise has sold more than 20 million units worldwide.
— Myst, published by Broderbund, became the best-selling PC game of the 1990s, selling over 6 million copies. Early CD-ROM technology offered large storage capacity but slow loading times that suited the slow, contemplative style of the game.
— The browser-based, free-to-play Neopets offered a social component that allowed players to chat with each other and form guilds. With 25 million active users at its peak in 2005, it serves as a testing ground for cybersecurity mechanisms and compelling advertising.
— Resident Evil, known as Biohazard in Japan, was the first game to popularize the survival horror genre. Created by game director Shinji Mikami and published by Capcom, Resident Evil inspired a franchise of films that have grossed over $1.2 billion.
— SimCity, published 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 cohesive narrative, colorful graphics, and engaging gameplay.
— Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, launched by Neversoft/Activision in 1999, spawned sequels that generated an estimated $1.4 billion in sales. Hawke, a real-life skateboarder, said the game “simultaneously ignited my career and overshadowed it.”
— Ultima, designed by Richard Garriott, is credited with helping to define and inspire the PC RPG genre.
— You Don’t Know Jack reimagined the TV show for the home video game market. Streaming versions of the multiplayer game saw a boost during the COVID-19 lockdown.
