Space Invaders, The Sims among inductees into Video Game HOF

• The Oregon Trail, released in 1971, is the oldest game among the six inducted Thursday.
• There are now 12 games residing in the Video Game Hall of Fame.

When Don Rawitsch and two other Minnesota student teachers, Bill Heinemann, and Paul Dillenberger, wrote the original computer code for The Oregon Trail video game, they programmed it on a teletype printer.

Ask video gamers or programmers today what a teletype printer is and you’re sure to get blank stares in a time when games are created on super computers that can be played on vibrant color monitors that can cover entire walls, or on mobile devices that can fit in the palm of your hand.

The Oregon Trail, designed to be a fun way for children to learn about American history, hit the market in 1971 at a time when computers were in rare supply. With more than 65 million copies sold, it has stood the test of time as technology has exploded, and Thursday morning, the game was one of six that were inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame at The Strong National Museum of Play.

Nine other games on the list of 15 finalists did not make the cut. They were: Elite, Final Fantasy, John Madden Football, Minecraft, Nürburgring, Pokemon Red and Green, Sid Meier's Civilization, Street Fighter II, and Tomb Raider.

Joining the Oregon Trail in the second induction class were Grand Theft Auto III, The Legend of Zelda, The Sims, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Space Invaders.

“The fact that this has been used in classrooms over so many years is quite gratifying to us,” said Rawitsch, who attended the induction ceremony with his son Jeff. “Even as the technology marches on, newer and newer versions are created and it’s something that’s still active.”

Established in 2015, the Video Game Hall of Fame recognizes individual electronic games of all types — arcade, console, computer, handheld, and mobile — that have enjoyed popularity over a sustained period and have exerted influence on the video game industry or on popular culture and society in general.

The first induction class announced last June included DOOM, Pong, Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros., Tetris, and World of Warcraft, and those games are on permanent view in the museum’s eGameRevolution exhibit.

“What we have with this class is proof how video games have expanded their audiences,” said Jon-Paul Dyson, the director of The Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games. “Once, computer games were available to very few people and a game like The Oregon Trail could bring it to school children all over the country. Generations of children got not only their introduction to computer games, but to computers themselves, by playing this game.

“Then there’s the console games and arcade games like Space Invaders, Legend of Zelda, Sonic, and then to computer games that could change what a game could be, a game like The Sims that was almost a toy as much as it was a game. All that led to games like Grand Theft Auto III which provided huge open worlds for players to explore.”

Dyson explained that anyone can nominate a game for induction, and the final selections are made on the advice of journalists, scholars, and other individuals familiar with the history of video games and their role in society. The massive list of nominations is pared to 15 before the inductees are announced.

Strong establishes Video Game Hall of Fame

Pac-Man, Tetris among 1st inductees in Video Game hall

The four criteria used to determine the finalists are:

• Icon-status: the game is widely recognized and remembered.

• Longevity: the game is more than a passing fad and has enjoyed popularity over time.

• Geographical reach: the game meets the above criteria across international boundaries.

• Influence: the game has had a significant influence on the design and development of other games, on other forms of entertainment, or on popular culture and society in general.

Space Invaders is the second-oldest game in this year’s class, released in 1978 in Japan by designer Tomohiro Nishikado. It was originally an arcade game that later was adapted for the home console market and became the Atari 2600’s most popular game.

Sonic the Hedgehog was Sega’s answer in 1991 to Nintendo’s Super Mario character and with more than 15 million copies sold, it is the best-selling Sega Genesis game of all-time. “The game spawned more than 20 additional games and spin-offs, as well as a television show and comic book,” said Shannon Symonds, The Strong’s Associate Curator. “Sonic was even introduced as the first video game-inspired balloon in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.”

The Sims, released in 2000, was a virtual dollhouse game which allowed players the flexibility to tell stories in an open-ended environment, more a toy than a game, which makes it unique. It has sold more than 200 million copies in 60 countries and 20 languages.

The Legend of Zelda came out in 1986. It was the first console game to include an internal battery for backing up saved data, selling more than 6.5 million copies.

And Grand Theft Auto III represents the newer age in video gaming. Released in Great Britain in 2001, it was the first 3-D open-ended “sandbox style” game to achieve massive popularity and widespread critical acclaim. The series has sold more than 220 million copies as of 2015.

MAIORANA@Gannett.com