ROCHESTER, New York—Which video games will make it into the World Video Game Hall of Fame this May? Will Golden Tee hit a hole-in-one? Is Mattel Football a definite touchdown? Can Defender keep out the competition? Is NBA 2K a slam dunk? Does Age of Empires have the historical legacy?
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, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Defender, Frogger, Golden Eye, Golden Tee, Harvest Moon, Mattel Football, Quake, NBA 2K, and Tamagotchi.
“This year’s finalists span the decades and range from arcade classics to one of the most popular mobile games of all time,” says Jon-Paul C. Dyson, PhD, director of The Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games. “All of these games have enormously influenced pop culture or the game industry itself. Frogger was popular in the arcades of the 1980s, but an iconic Seinfeld scene in 1998 made it unforgettable. The brilliant coding of the first-person shooter Quake enabled unforgettable multiplayer matches that have mesmerized players and influenced many games that followed. Then there’s Tamagotchi, which bridges the gap between video games and digital toys, changing the way we think about games.”
The World Video Game Hall of Fame received thousands of nominations for consideration for the 2025 class. Fans may vote for their favorite finalists from March 6 to March 13 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 from around the world who are 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 an onsite ceremony in the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s new home—part of the ESL Digital Worlds exhibits at The Strong—on Thursday, May 8, 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.