Five games inducted into World Video Game Hall of Fame at Strong Museum

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Five games have officially reached icon status, being inducted into the 10th class of the World Video Game Hall of Fame at the Strong National Museum of Play.

Asteroids, Myst, Resident Evil, SimCity, and Ultima were inducted on Thursday morning. They were selected out of 12 finalists based on votes from scholars and journalists who study video games and votes from the public.

The Hall of Fame seeks to recognize video games that have impacted pop culture through their longevity, influence, and worldwide reach. The Atari classic Asteroids, released in 1979, made an impact with its glowing graphics, intense sound effects, and action-packed space setting. Meanwhile, Resident Evil popularized the survival horror genre and started a billion-dollar franchise that includes films.

SimCity inspired creativity through its city building simulator for both adults and children, drawing from real-life principles of urban design. For Myst, it welcomed players to a mesmerizing world of mysterious puzzles and became the best-selling computer game in the 1990s. The game Ultima helped define the computer role-playing genre, with its massive fictional world along with fantasy and science fiction themes

The finalists that didn’t get inducted are Elite, Guitar Hero, Metroid, Neopets, Tokimeki Memorial, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and You Don’t Know Jack. 

Strong Museum is welcoming visitors to a video game inspired “The Happiest Hour” on Friday starting at 5:30 p.m., open to people 21 and up. For tickets, click here.