Angry Birds, Quake and Tamagotchi: The Strong museum has announced the 2025 contenders for induction into the Video Game Hall of Fame
New York's The Strong Museum has announced the 2025 contenders for induction into the Video Game Hall of Fame.
Here's What We Know
Games are chosen based on a variety of criteria, including cultural impact, significance to the industry, fame and popularity. Most importantly, games must be iconic, recognisable, recognised by millions of gamers and critics, and influential to the video game industry and popular culture.
A strict jury selects the most deserving interactive entertainment from thousands of applicants. Don't be surprised that the list of annual nominees does not include modern blockbusters, as it is extremely difficult to assess their impact on the industry at the moment.
The following games are nominees for placement in the Hall of Fame in 2025:
Age of Empires (1997) - the iconic real-time strategy game became Microsoft's best-selling game and launched a popular franchise;
Angry Birds (2009) - showed that mobile games can also be immensely popular. The game has been downloaded more than 2 billion times!
Defender (1981) - proved that arcade fans are also interested in complex and challenging games. Defender combined intense gameplay and high-tech at the time control scheme;
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007) - Activision's game changed the quality standards of modern shooters;
Frogger (1981) - a game from Konami that was another factor in the rapid popularisation of arcade machines, and later the cute Toad made his way into music, television, games and other media projects;
GoldenEye 007 (1997) - spy shooter remembered not only for its interesting plot and exciting gameplay, but also for its innovative approach to multiplayer elements;
Golden Tee (1989) - a cult golf simulator that not only received a huge number of sequels, spin-offs and updated versions, but was also a pioneer in the world of cybersports;
Harvest Moon (1996) - became the founder of the fashion for cosy and leisurely farming simulators, where the focus is not only on growing fruits and vegetables, but also on communicating with the character and building relationships with them. It was after Harvest Moon that Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, Farmville and other spiritual successors followed;
Mattel Football (1977) - was the first football handheld electronic game. Its popularity spawned an entire segment of electronic toys and games and paved the way for handheld systems such as Nintendo's Game Boy and modern mobile devices. In 2010, Time magazine named it one of the "100 Gadgets of All Time";
NBA 2K (1999) - one of the best sports simulators, setting the trend for realism;
Quake (1996), a 3D first-person shooter that revolutionised the video game industry without exaggeration. The game was characterised by its innovative code, which remains relevant more than 25 years later. Quake contributed to the popularisation and development of cyber sports;
Tamagotchi (1996) - combined toys and video games. The portable electronic game provided a digital pet that the owner had to care for, feed and nurture from the animal's birth to adulthood. Tamagotchi's colossal popularity led to popular pet simulators such as Neopets, Nintendogs and many other games.
Everyone can take part in the online voting and gamers' opinions will be taken into account in determining the winners, who will be announced by a strict jury on 8 May.
Source: The Strong
