The World Video Game Hall of Fame has announced its class of 2024, and it features five of the biggest games ever released.
Being inducted this year — the 10th class of the Hall of Fame — are Resident Evil, Sim City, Ultima, Asteroids, and Myst. The five games selected were part of a 12-game list that included Guitar Hero, Metroid, and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, among others.
The World Video Game Hall of Fame is located at The Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, NY. It was established in 2015.
Details on each of the inductees can be found below, courtesy of the World Video Game Hall of Fame.
Video Game Hall Of Fame Class Of 2024 Inductees
Resident Evil
“Although it wasn’t the first horror video game, Resident Evil (or Biohazard as it was known in Japan) was the first game to popularize the “survival horror” genre.
Created by game director Shinji Mikami and released by Capcom in 1996, Resident Evil spawned a billion-dollar media franchise while it helped demonstrate that video games could offer mature entertainment for older teenagers and adults. As of 2022, films based on the Resident Evil franchise have collective grossed more than $1.2 billion.”
Sim City
“Released by Maxis in 1989, SimCity helped expand the audience for video games by offering a city building simulator that appealed to adults as much as children. Drawing from real-life principles of urban design, it allowed players to build their own city and respond to ever-changing problems.
The game generated numerous sequels and offshoots—such as 2016 World Video Game Hall of Fame inductee The Sims—and influenced the development of many city-building simulation games and even real-time strategy games, like Command & Conquer and Age of Empires.”
Myst
“Released by Broderbund in 1993,Myst welcomed players to a mesmerizing world of mysterious puzzles and haunting vistas. The gameharnessed early CD-ROM technology—which offered high storage capacity but slow loading times.
The discs paired well with the slow-paced, contemplative style of the game, though, and allowed for a level of player immersion never before experienced in computer games. Myst became the best-selling computer game in the 1990s, selling more than six million copies.”
Ultima
“Ultima: The First Age of Darkness helped define the computer role-playing genre. Designed by Richard Garriott and released in 1981, Ultima combined role-playing mechanics, a massive fictional world, and fantasy and science fiction themes.
Ultima’s innovative gameplay laid the foundation for one of the most enduring and influential gaming franchises of all time (with eight sequels). Many top game designers credit it with inspiring their later role-playing games, such as Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. “
Asteroids
“Released in 1979, Atari’s Asteroids offered players challenging gameplay, glowing graphics, and intense sound effects in an action-packed space setting. The game quickly supplanted the popular Space Invaders in many arcades and sold more than 70,000 arcade units, becoming Atari’s bestselling coin-operated game.
The home version of the game—made available on the Atari 2600—took the game’s popularity to new heights, bringing it into millions of living rooms.”
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