International Video Game Hall of Fame facts for kids

The International Video Game Hall of Fame (IVGHoF) is a special museum planned for Ottumwa, Iowa in the United States. It aims to celebrate the amazing people, companies, and games that have shaped the world of video games. Even though the museum building isn't ready yet, the IVGHoF still honors new members every year!

Ottumwa calls itself the "Video Game Capital of the World." This is because a famous arcade called Twin Galaxies was located there. This arcade became a hub for many video game competitions. The IVGHoF is run by local leaders and residents as a non-profit group. It was created to recognize the "champions, industries, and professionals" of the video game world.

History of the Hall of Fame

The idea for this museum started around 2009. Ottumwa claimed to be the "Video Game Capital of the World" in 1982. This was after Twin Galaxies became the official place for arcade game high scores. No one had challenged this claim since then.

Around 2009, community leaders thought about creating a museum. They knew that past attempts to build a video game museum in the U.S. had failed. They saw this as a chance to use their city's unique claim to fame. Leaders understood that the video game industry had changed a lot since 1982. Arcade games were less popular, and consoles and computers were now common. Still, they felt Ottumwa was the right place for this museum. They compared it to Cooperstown, New York, which is home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. City leaders also hoped the museum would help their city. It could bring in more money from tourists to their farming community.

The city council and chamber of commerce created a committee to plan the museum. The museum's organizers wanted to raise money to build a modern building. This building was estimated to cost between $30 million and $50 million. It would have interactive displays to honor its members. They also wanted to collect at least one working version of every video game system ever made. This included about 100,000 coin-operated and home systems. Their first goal was to start building within five years.

The museum welcomed its first members during a big event called "Big Bang 2010." This event took place on August 7, 2010. Some of the first people honored included Shigeru Miyamoto from Nintendo and Masaya Nakamura from Namco. Also inducted were pioneers of home video games like Ralph H. Baer and Nolan Bushnell. Game designer Steve Ritchie and members of the original Xbox design team, like Seamus Blackley, were also honored. Several arcade game high-score champions, such as Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell, joined them. The event also celebrated Pac-Man on its 30th anniversary. Pac-Man was also added to the Hall of Fame. These first events brought at least 3,500 visitors to the town.

In 2016, the IVGHoF and the town created the "Video Game Walk of Fame." This walk is along the town's main street and is thought to be the first of its kind. The IVGHoF focuses on people and groups in the video game industry. The Video Game Walk of Fame honors important video games. In its first year, Pac-Man received the first "star" on the walk. It was put on display on August 7, 2016, during the new Hall of Fame induction events.

Inductees

The IVGHoF chooses members from the video game industry and from players. They also select certain video games. First, people can suggest names. Then, the public helps narrow down the choices. Finally, video game journalists, leaders, and gamers vote for the final members.

Developers and industry leaders

Competitive gamers

Games

Community Action Award

Walter Day Lifetime Achievement Award

See also

In Spanish: Salón Internacional de la Fama de los Videojuegos para niños