Minecraft Among The Newest Addition To The Video Game Hall Of Fame!

Bejewelled, Centipede, King’s Quest, and Minecraft are the latest games to be inducted into The Video Game Hall of Fame.

The extensive list of semifinalists – which also included Frogger, GoldenEye 007, Guitar Hero, NBA Jam, Nokia Snake, Super Smash Brothers Melee, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego? – was originally shared back in March 2020. But only four made it the whole distance, voted for by the International Selection Advisory Committee and a public vote, which made up one of the 30 nominations.  “These 12 World Video Game Hall of Fame finalists all significantly influenced the development of video games or popular culture,” said Jon-Paul C. Dyson, director of The Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games, when the list of semifinalists was announced.

“Together, these games help tell the story of the gaming industry and its influence on society. Nokia Snake proved that mobile devices could be gaming platforms, and Bejeweled took that idea to new heights. Centipede was a hit in the early arcade, and Frogger jumped out of the arcade to become a pop culture icon. King’s Quest changed the adventure genre of games forever, and a game like Uncharted 2 pushed the boundaries of video game storytelling and art.”

“The success of Minecraft speaks to the maturing of video games as a cultural touchstone,” said Andrew Borman, the digital games curator for the National Museum of Play. “No longer do game creators need to be obsessed about having the most realistic looking graphics.