The Strong Museum of Play, Rochester, New York has revealed the games that it inducted this year to its World Video Game Hall of Fame. The games, which include titles like The Last of Us (2013) and Barbie Fashion Designer, were announced on May 4. Here’s all you need to know about these new entries to the Strong Museum’s World Video Game Hall of Fame.
Strong Museum’s World Video Game Hall of Fame
As per the official blog post for the announcement, the World Video Game Hall of Fame of the Strong Museum was first established in 2015. It aimed at recognizing “electronic games,” including those for 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.”
Games are nominated every year by the general audience, from which four games are inducted into the Hall of Fame each year. The final selection is done by the recommendation of a jury consisting of “journalists, scholars, and other individuals familiar with the history of video games and their role in society.”
2023’s final selections include The Last of Us (2013), Barbie Fashion Designer, Computer Space, and Wii Sports.
The Last of Us (2013)
About The Last of Us (2013) entering the World Video Game Hall of Fame, video game curator Lindsey Kurano said, “Despite debuting in 2013, The Last of Us remains popular because of its quality of gameplay and strength of story. The 2023 HBO adaptation has expanded the game’s reach and popularity. Created with Naughty Dog’s involvement, the show has garnered support from both critics and fans as one of the best video game adaptations ever made.”
Surely, The Last of Us (2013) needs no introduction to gamers, as to why it is a game that has gone down in history. This Sony PlayStation game was reportedly named Game of the Year in 2013, by over 200 publications. It went on to kickstart one of the most iconic video game franchises, including a just as iconic sequel, and now an HBO adaptation, as well as PC ports introducing the game to a wider audience, keeping the hype up.
Barbie Fashion Designer
Barbie Fashion Designer has been specially mentioned for how it “became a jumping-off point for the girls’ games movement”, as put by collections manager Kristy Hisert. Published in 1996, by Digital Domain and Mattel Media, it sold more than 500,000 copies in two months. All of this, by targeting the female audience, which was somewhat an exception at the time.
Computer Space
Computer Space (1971) was the first commercial video game. Its legacy boasts of being the first video game to have reached out to the public of the ’70s, outside of the “computer labs.” While the game didn’t exactly catch on with the public, it went on to technically be the first game of the makers of Atari Inc., Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney.
Assistant vice president for interpretation and electronic games, Jeremy Saucier said, “Ultimately, Computer Space didn’t bring video games to the masses, but by showing that video games could reach paying audiences outside of computer labs, it laid the foundations for the game industry.”
Wii Sports
This 2006 game was the launch title of the Nintendo Wii. It’s simple motion-sensing sports designs “made gamers out of millions of people around the world who’d never thought about playing one before,” said Aryol Prater, research specialist for Black play and culture. Its diverse audience, which bought the game its ticket to the Hall of Fame, even went on to include senior citizens.
Some of the other games to be featured in the World Video Game Hall of Fame of the Strong Museum include The Legend of Zelda, The Sims, Sonic the Hedgehog, Halo: Combat Evolved, Street Fighter II, & Minecraft to name a few. Check out the complete list on their official website.
For all the latest Games News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
