‘Barbie’, ‘Wii Sports’, & ‘The Last Of Us’ Enter The Video Game Hall Of Fame
The World Video Game Hall of Fame has added four new entries to its roster: Barbie Fashion Designer, The Last of Us, Wii Sports, and Computer Space.
The Hall of Fame first opened in 2015 in The Strong Museum and, over the years, has been steadily growing a collection of some of the most quintessential titles in the industry. This year’s winners stood out against other contenders such as Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, FIFA International Soccer, NBA 2K, Goldeneye 007, and Angry Birds.
The most recent of the four, The Last of Us, was produced by Naughty Dog and Sony. What may seem like an action zombie shooter game on the surface ran far deeper, and its emotional storytelling and complex characters gripped tightly onto players. The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic America overrun by the “infected” (the story’s version of zombies), militia groups, and rogue bands of criminals.
It follows the story of Joel Miller, whose hardened exterior, intuition, and grief have kept him afloat in this new savage world. But as the story progresses, he meets and comes to care for a young child named Ellie. Over time, the player begins to sympathize with Joel’s violence as he does all he can to protect Ellie while they make their way through the wasteland that is now America.
The title has been a mainstay in the industry for the last ten years, and according to the Associated Press, more than 200 publications named it game of the year when it was released in 2013. Now, it looks to take over the small screen after its recent transition into a TV series by HBO saw it become one of the highest-rated shows to debut.
Introducing the 2023 World Video Game Hall of Fame inductees! Congratulations to Computer Space, Barbie Fashion Designer, Wii Sports, and The Last of Us. https://t.co/yMP8gRGijk #WVGHoF pic.twitter.com/8Cdhq1WagZ
— The Strong Museum (@museumofplay) May 4, 2023
On a lighter note, we have Wii Sports, the star of many dinner parties and get-togethers in the mid-2000s. The motion-based game brought sports like tennis, golf, and bowling straight into many living rooms. It was not only good at bringing out the more competitive nature in players, but it was also touted for encouraging more social behavior. In the same report, old folks’ homes used Wii Sports to have elders get in their exercise while having fun with their friends.
The Strong noted that it sold more than 82 million copies and was one of the best-selling titles of its time. However, it was best known for putting a controller into the hands of those who had never even played a video game before.
On the other hand, Barbie Fashion Designer was the first of its kind to be marketed to young girls. It centered around letting the player live as a fashion designer for their Barbie dolls. Over 500,000 copies were sold within two months after its release in 1996.
What might have sealed its fate as a Hall of Fame inductee is that it sparked new conversations about gender stereotypes in the gaming world. “Should there even be games for girls? What are the implications of these games? What are the consequences of gendering games?” asked the collections manager for the museum, Kristy Hisert.
Lastly, we have Computer Space, a title that first appeared in 1971 and was inspired by fellow inductee Spacewar. It was the first commercial video game and proved that playing on a computer was not just limited to science labs. It was also the first arcade console, and it centered around combat in space. While it might not have been a best-seller then, its creators eventually went on to establish Atari Inc.
[via Associated Press and Polygon, cover image via The Strong Museum]
