World Video Game Hall of Fame facts for kids

The World Video Game Hall of Fame is an international hall of fame that opened on June 4, 2015. It is located in The National Museum of Play's eGameRevolution exhibit; the hall's administration is overseen by The Strong and the International Center for the History of Electronic Games. The World Video Game Hall of Fame's creator is Jon-Paul C. Dyson, who is The Strong's Vice President for Exhibit Research and Development and the Director of the International Center for the History of Electronic Games.

Video games become eligible for the World Video Game Hall of Fame by meeting four basic criteria:

• Icon Status - is widely recognized and remembered
• Longevity - is more than a passing fad and has enjoyed popularity over time
• Geographical Reach - meets the above criteria across international boundaries
• Influence - 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.

Class of 2015

Nominations from the general public were accepted from February 17, 2015 through March 31, 2015. The finalists were chosen by an internal committee, while an international selection committee made up of journalists, scholars, and other individuals choose the inaugural inductees to the hall of fame. The finalists were (inaugural inductees in bold):

• New finalists for 2015:
  • Doom (1993)
  • Pac-Man (1980)
  • Pong (1972)
  • Super Mario Bros. (1985)
  • Tetris (1984)
  • World of Warcraft (2004)
  • Angry Birds (2009)
  • FIFA International Soccer (1993)
  • The Legend of Zelda (1986)
  • Minecraft (2011)
  • The Oregon Trail (1971)
  • Pokémon Red and Blue (1996)
  • The Sims (2000)
  • Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
  • Space Invaders (1978)

Class of 2016

Nominations were again accepted from the public. The finalists were announced on March 19, 2016, and the inductees were announced on May 5, 2016. The finalists were (with inductees in bold):

• Hold-over finalists from 2015:
  • The Legend of Zelda (1986)
  • The Oregon Trail (1971)
  • The Sims (2000)
  • Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
  • Space Invaders (1978)
  • Minecraft (2011)
  • Pokémon Red and Green (or Blue) (1996)
• New finalists for 2016:
  • Grand Theft Auto III (2001)
  • Elite (1984)
  • Final Fantasy (1987)
  • John Madden Football (1988)
  • Nürburgring (1975)
  • Sid Meier's Civilization (1991)
  • Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (1991)
  • Tomb Raider (1996)

Class of 2017

Nominations were again accepted online from the public. The finalists were announced on March 16, 2017, and the inductees were announced on May 4, 2017. The finalists were (with inductees in bold):

• Hold-over finalist from 2015:
  • Pokémon Red and Green (or Blue) (1996)
• Hold-over finalists from 2016:
  • Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (1991)
  • Tomb Raider (1996)
• New finalists for 2017:
  • Donkey Kong (1981)
  • Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
  • Final Fantasy VII (1997)
  • Microsoft Solitaire (1990)
  • Mortal Kombat (1992)
  • Myst (1993)
  • Portal (2007)
  • Resident Evil (1996)
  • Wii Sports (2006)

Class of 2018

Nominations were once again accepted online from the public. The finalists were announced on March 27, 2018. The finalists are:

• Hold-over finalist from 2015:
  • Minecraft (2011)
• Hold-over finalists from 2016:
  • John Madden Football (1988)
  • Tomb Raider (1996)
• Hold-over finalist from 2017:
  • Final Fantasy VII (1997)
• New finalists for 2018:
  • Spacewar! (1962)
  • Asteroids (1979)
  • Call of Duty (2003)
  • Dance Dance Revolution (1998)
  • Half-Life (1998)
  • King's Quest (1984)
  • Metroid (1986)
  • Ms. Pac-Man (1981)

Class of 2019

The inductees in 2019 are marked in bold below.

• Hold-over finalist from 2016:
  • Sid Meier's Civilization (1991)
• Hold-over finalists from 2017:
  • Microsoft Solitaire (1990)
  • Mortal Kombat (1992)
  • Myst (1993)
• Hold-over finalists from 2018:
  • Dance Dance Revolution (1998)
  • Half-Life (1998)
• New finalists for 2019:
  • Candy Crush (2012)
  • Centipede (1981)
  • Colossal Cave Adventure (1976)
  • NBA 2K (1999)
  • Super Mario Kart (1992)
  • Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001)

Class of 2020

Finalists for consideration were announced on March 19, 2020. On June 18, 2020, the 2020 inductees were announced. The finalists were (inductees marked in bold):

• Hold-over finalist from 2015:
  • Minecraft (2011)
• Hold-over finalist from 2018:
  • King's Quest (1984)
• Hold-over finalists from 2019:
  • Centipede (1981)
  • Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001)
• New finalists for 2020:
  • Bejeweled (2001)
  • Frogger (1981)
  • GoldenEye 007 (1997)
  • Guitar Hero (2005)
  • NBA Jam (1993)
  • Nokia Snake (1997)
  • Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009)
  • Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (1985)

See also

In Spanish: Salón de la Fama del Videojuego para niños