Rochester, New York (AP) – More than 40 years after paving the way for female video game characters, Ms. Pac-Man was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame on Thursday, along with Dance Dance Revolution, The Legend of Zelda : Ocarina of Sid Meyer’s Time and Civilization.
The Hall of Fame examines electronic games of all kinds every year – arcade, console, computer, handheld and mobile. Admissions are recognized for their popularity and influence on the video game industry or pop culture over time.
The arcade game Ms. Pac-Man was released in 1981 as a sequel to Pac-Man’s Midway, which entered the hall as part of the first class in 2015. The sequel to Pac-Man rethought the protagonist to recognize the woman of the original game fans, according to the hall. After selling 125,000 cabinets in the first five years, it has become one of the best-selling arcade games of all time.
There was nothing gender-specific in the early video games, said Julia Novakovic, a senior archivist in the hall. But “by proposing the first widely acclaimed female video game hero,” she said, “Mrs. Pac-Man represents a turning point in the cultural conversation about the place of women in the arcade, as well as in society as a whole. ”
The 2022 class was selected from the field of finalists, which also included Assassin’s Creed, Candy Crush Saga, Minesweeper, NBA Jam, PaRappa the Rapper, Resident Evil, Rogue and Words with Friends. This is the eighth grade to be introduced since the World Video Game Hall of Fame was established at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York.
Konami’s Dance Dance Revolution, first seen in arcades in Japan in 1998, has been recognized for helping pave the way for other music-oriented games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band. The fast-paced game puts players on the dance floor with a screen in front to direct their movements.
“Music has been an integral part of human life since prehistoric times, so it’s no surprise that the GDR has enjoyed a unique popularity that spans ages, genders and regions,” said video game curator Lindsay Curano.
A home version of the game followed the 1999 Sony PlayStation.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, also released for the first time in 1998, came out for the Nintendo 64 game console and determined what a 3D action video game could be, said Hall of Fame officials. The award-winning game has sold more than 7.6 million copies worldwide and continues to be recognized by some players and critics as one of the best video games ever made.
“Even today, developers around the world recognize that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time influences the way they create games,” said digital game curator Andrew Bormann. “The vast 3D world of the game, a smooth battle, complex puzzles and a time-changing story combined to amaze players that they have never forgotten.”
Sid Meier’s Civilization, released in 1991, was recognized as an influential simulation and strategy game. The game, which invites players to develop their own empires, launches a series of follow-up games, including the latest Civilization: Beyond Earth and Civilization VI.
The addictive nature of the game, which creator Sid Mayer himself called “quality is another twist”, and its almost unlimited choice to prevent repetitive gameplay, won Civilization’s recognition by Computer Gaming World as the best video game of all time in 1996. said John-Paul Dyson, director of The Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games. “Overall – and given the extremely long gameplay that the game offers – players have committed to the Civilization series for more than a billion hours.”
Anyone can nominate a game for the World Video Game Hall of Fame. The final selection is made on the advice of journalists, scientists and others with knowledge of the history of video games and their role in society.
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