The Strong National Museum of Play has announced the launch of what it is calling the "World Video Game Hall of Fame", a body dedicated to recognising influential video games from all eras.
The Strong, located in New York, already boasts the International Center for the History of Electronic Games, which seeks to preserve video games in risk of being lost.
“There is no other video game award and recognition program such as this, which focuses solely on individual game titles across platforms and their impact over time and across international borders,” G. Rollie Adams, president and CEO of The Strong, commented in a press release.
“Our experience with the museum’s National Toy Hall of Fame—which receives widespread international attention each year—provides both a proven model for such a hall of fame and evidence that it can advance understanding and appreciation of the impact of video games on culture and society. Electronic games have changed how people play, learn, and connect with each other, including across boundaries of culture and geography."
Members of the public are welcome to nominate games for the World Video Game Hall of Fame by March 31st on the organisation's website. The first honourees will be revealed in June, with the finalists being decided by a museum committee. An international panel of scholars, journalists, and other interested parties will determine the inductees being considered for the Hall of Fame.
