Press Release

For Immediate Release
Contact: Shane Rhinewald, srhinewald@museumoplay.org, 585-4106365

ROCHESTER, New York—Which video games will make it into the World Video Game Hall of Fame this May? Is NBA 2K a slam dunk? Can The Last of Us outlast the rest? Will Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare fight through the competition? Can Wizardry cast a spell for victory?

The Strong’s World Video Game Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York, today announced the 12 finalists for induction: Age of Empires, Angry Birds, Barbie Fashion Designer, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Computer Space, FIFA International Soccer, GoldenEye 007, The Last of Us, NBA 2K, Quake, Wii Sports, and Wizardry.

“It’s always difficult to narrow the World Video Game Hall of Fame nominations down to just 12 finalists because there are so many games that have had an enormous influence on popular culture or the video game industry itself. This year’s finalists are some heavy-hitters,” says Jon-Paul C. Dyson, director of The Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games. “Angry Birds turned millions of smartphone users into gamers. FIFA International Soccer is a worldwide best-seller with every yearly update. Computer Space was the very first arcade machine—so it’s importance in history can’t be overstated. And then there’s a brilliant game like The Last of Us, which has become a smash hit TV show for HBO.”

The World Video Game Hall of Fame received thousands of nominations for consideration for the 2023 class. Fans may vote for their favorite finalists from March 15 to March 22 as part of a “Player’s Choice” ballot at worldvideogamehalloffame.org. The three games that receive the most public votes will form one ballot and will join the other ballots submitted by members of the International Selection Advisory Committee, which is made up of journalists and scholars familiar with the history of video games and their role in society. (The public, collectively, will have the weight of one judge.) The final inductees will be announced in a virtual ceremony by The Strong museum on Thursday, May 4, at 10:30 a.m.

The World Video Game Hall of Fame recognizes electronic games that 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; and 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.

Anyone can nominate a game to the World Video Game Hall of Fame and view past inductees at worldvideogamehallofame.org.

 

About the World Video Game Hall of Fame

Established in 2015, the World Video Game Hall of Fame at The Strong recognizes individual electronic games of all types—arcade, console, computer, handheld, and mobile—that have enjoyed popularity over a sustained period and have exerted influence on the video game industry or on popular culture and society in general.

 

About The Strong^®
The Strong is a highly interactive, collections-based museum devoted to the history and exploration of play. It is one of the largest history museums in the United States and one of the leading museums serving families. The Strong houses the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of historical materials related to play generally and video games in particular and is home to the International Center for the History of Electronic Games, the National Toy Hall of Fame, the World Video Game Hall of Fame, the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play, the National Archives of Game Show History, the Woodbury School, and the American Journal of Play. Together, these enable a multifaceted array of research, exhibition, and other interpretive and educational activities that serve a diverse audience of adults, families, children, students, teachers, scholars, collectors, and others around the globe.