For entertainment industries, the Hall of Fame is the be all and the end all. For Video Games, it just started last year.
With supposedly prominent figureheads who ‘know the industry well’ leading the selection of who gets in and who doesn’t, the National Museum of Play decided to ask for help from the fans.
Using a form found on their website, you can fill out a form for a suggestion of a game you have. The board will then meet and decide, based on picks, who to consider for the Hall of Fame. The criteria consists of 4 different categories, each with their own explanation.
- 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.
- 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. A game may be inducted on the basis of this criterion without necessarily having met all of the first three.
2015’s picks for introductions into the Hall of Fame were games that are considered relevant today, and ground breaking when the first came out. Angry Birds, FIFA, The Legend of Zelda, Minecraft, The Oregon Trail, Pokemon, The Sims, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Space Invaders were the titles added.
It’ll be interesting to see this years winners, if they continue on the trend of introducing classics, and whether or not they are willing to consider ‘doubles’. With games like Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, A Link to the Past, and Skyward Sword being considered some of the best Zelda games – can they be included, or is The Legend of Zelda generic enough?