2017 World Video Game Hall of Fame Finalists Announced

As was the case last year, The Strong is planning on inducting new games into their growing “World Video Game Hall of Fame,” a collection of the most influential games ever produced by our medium, games that represent benchmarks not only in our industry but in the world at large. Right now, Pong, Pac-Man, Tetris, Super Mario Bros., DOOM, World of Warcraft, Grand Theft Auto III, The Legend of Zelda, The Oregon Trail, The Sims, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Space Invaders are currently enjoying their spots in the museum, but before long, some new additions will be added to their ranks.

And right now, The Strong has announced the finalists. And soon, on May 4th, we’ll figure out exactly which of these following games will be considered one of the greatest of all time: Donkey Kong, Final Fantasy VII, Halo: Combat Evolved, Microsoft Windows Solitaire, Mortal Kombat, Myst, Pokemon Red and Green, Portal, Resident Evil, Street Fighter II, Tomb Raider, or Wii Sports.

Of these games, Tomb Raider, Pokémon, and Street Fighter 2 were up for nomination last year, and have returned to claim the prize they feel they deserve. The rest are new: who among them will bubble up to be considered the cream of the crop?

Journalists and critics around the industry have been called to make the final decision, and they’ll be doing so based on the following, pre-existing 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
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.

So place your bets, ladies and gentlemen: who’ll make the cut? Find out, next week!