The World Video Game Hall of Fame nominees were announced for the year. The collection is a partner of The Strong educational institution located in Rochester, New York. The Strong focuses on how, what, and why people play. From toys to video games, the institution houses historical records and artifacts for research and preservation. The World Video Game Hall of Fame opened in 2015, and since then, it has inducted game series such as The Sims, The Legend of Zelda, Halo, Tomb Raider, and more.
To be considered for the hall of fame, games must influence future games and design, other mediums, and popular culture and society as well as be played across cultures and iconic. This year’s nominee of games included Animal Crossing, Call of Duty, FarmVille, FIFA International Soccer, Guitar Hero, Mattel Football, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Pole Position, Portal, StarCraft, Tron, and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
In the past, around four to six games are inducted each year. Most of these games at one point or another have had a large fan base and had sequels or spin-offs across multiple platforms, but some such as Guitar Hero, FarmVille, and especially Mattel Football have not had a lot of activity even in the last decade. Guitar Hero did make over $2 billion dollars and change the way rhythm games are played forever. Meanwhile, both Call of Duty continues to be the top-selling game almost yearly, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons is one of the fastest-selling games. It was the top-selling Switch game last year. For decades, both franchises have maintained their popularity too. Portal is also being considered due to its unique style and technical achievements.
For more information, check out the World Video Game Hall of Fame website. The finalists will be announced on May 6, 2021, at 10:30 am EST.