Established | July 2010 |
---|---|
Location | Ottumwa, Iowa |
Coordinates | 41°03′04″N92°24′32″W / 41.0511°N 92.4090°W |
Website | www |
The International Video Game Hall of Fame (IVGHoF) is a planned museum to be operated in Ottumwa, Iowa, United States.
Ottumwa considers itself as the "Video Game Capital of the World" as the city was home to the Twin Galaxies arcade which became the epicenter for numerous competitions in arcade games. [1] The museum's organization is operated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit by Ottumwa business leaders and other residents, designed to recognize "the champions, industries, and professionals" of the video game industry. [2] The museum has not been constructed, and the IVGHoF last inducted new members into its Hall of Fame in 2022.
The idea of the museum was conceived around 2009. [1] The city laid claim that they were the Video Game Capital of the World in 1982, following the recognition that Twin Galaxies had received for being the authoritative source for high scores in arcade games, a point that had not been challenged since. Around 2009, community leaders started speculating on the possibility of a museum, recognizing that previous efforts to establish a United States video game museum had all failed and that this was potentially a way to capitalize on the city's claim to fame. Leaders recognized that since 1982, the video game industry had significantly changed, with arcade games having waned in favor of consoles and computers, but felt they could still be a proper home to this museum due to the town's history as Cooperstown, New York serves for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. [1] The city leaders also saw the opportunity to help the financially struggling city to bring in more revenues from tourism to the primarily farming community. [3]
The city's council and chamber of commerce authorized a steering committee to organize and plan out the museum. [4] The museum's organizers aimed to collect donations to build a modern facility, estimated to cost between $30 million and $50 million, with interactive displays to celebrate its inductees, and to acquire at least one working version of each of the estimated 100,000 coin-operated and home video game systems that have been produced to date. [5] [4] Their initial goal was to start construction within five years from its onset. [3]
The museum inducted its first class during its multiday "Big Bang 2010" event on August 7, 2010. Inducted into the Hall of Fame during this initial ceremony included Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto, Namco's Masaya Nakamura, home video game system pioneers Ralph H. Baer and Nolan Bushnell, game designer Steve Ritchie, members of the original Xbox design team including Seamus Blackley, and several arcade game high-score champions including Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell. [6] The event also honored Pac-Man on the 30th anniversary of the arcade game's release through induction into the Hall of Fame. [7] The initial events drew in at least 3,500 visitors to the town. [4] In subsequent years, due to low donations, the IVGHoF has scaled back these events, still holding ceremonies for honoring inductees, as to be able to better met their target goals. [8]
In 2016, the IVGHoF and the town established the "Video Game Walk of Fame" along the town's main street, believed to be the first of its kind. While the IVGHoF itself focuses more on the people and organizations of the video game industry, the Video Game Walk of Fame was designed to commemorate key video games. In its inaugural year, the IVGHoF selected Pac-Man for the first "star" on this, and put into display on August 7, 2016, alongside the events to induct new members into the Hall of Fame. [9]
The IVGHoF selects inductees from both the industry and from players, as well as select video games. Selections are made first through an open nomination process, public input to narrow down the electees, and then voting among a set of video game journalists, executives, and gamers for final inductees. [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]
Year | Name | Description |
---|---|---|
2010 | Kevin Bachus | Member of the Xbox design team |
2010 | Ralph H. Baer | "Father of Video Games", inventor of the first home video game console |
2010 | Otto Berkes | Member of the Xbox design team |
2010 | Seamus Blackley | Member of the Xbox design team |
2010 | Nolan Bushnell | Founder of Atari |
2021 | John Carmack | Co-founder of id Software |
2020 | Mark Cerny | American video game designer, programmer, producer and entertainment executive |
2019 | Brian Colin | Developer of Rampage and Arch Rivals |
2017 | Warren Davis | Developer of Q*bert |
2019 | Richard Garriott | "Lord British", and developer of the Ultima series |
2010 | Ted Hase | Member of the Xbox design team |
2016 | Satoru Iwata | Former president of Nintendo |
2015 | Eugene Jarvis | Developer of Defender and Robotron: 2084 |
2022 | Tom Kalinske | Former president and CEO of Sega of America |
2016 | Hideo Kojima | Developer of the Metal Gear series |
2022 | Sid Meier | Programmer, designer, and producer of Civilization |
2010 | Shigeru Miyamoto | Developer of Donkey Kong |
2010 | Masaya Nakamura | Founder of Namco |
2017 | Howard Phillips | Spokesperson for Nintendo of America |
2010 | Steve Ritchie | Pinball game designer |
2019 | Bonnie Ross | Head of 343 Industries, the studio managing the Halo franchise |
2015 | Gary Stern | President of Stern Electronics and Stern Pinball |
2021 | Tommy Tallarico | Video game composer and founder of Tommy Tallarico Studios |
2020 | Will Wright | Original designer for The Sims |
Year | Name | Description |
---|---|---|
2015 | Thor Aackerland | Competitive Gamer |
2010 | Eric Akeson | Competitive Gamer |
2017 | Chris Ayra | 90's eSports Competitor |
2015 | Tim Balderramos | Competitive Gamer |
2010 | Rob Barrett | Competitive Gamer |
2021 | Phil Britt | Golden Age Gamer |
2010 | Dennis Fong | Competitive Gamer |
2022 | Jack Gale | Golden Age Gamer |
2015 | Eric Ginner | Competitive Gamer |
2015 | Katherine "Mystik" Gunn | Competitive Gamer |
2010 | Ike Hall | Competitive Gamer |
2015 | Steve Harris | Competitive Gamer |
2019 | Ryan Hart | 1990's Gamer |
2019 | Donald Hayes | 2000's Gamer |
2019 | Pete Hahn | 2000's Gamer |
2016 | Isaiah "TriForce" Johnson | 2000's eSports Competitor |
2015 | Josh Jones | Competitive Gamer |
2017 | Michael Klug | Golden Age Gamer |
2010 | Andrew Laidlaw | Competitive Gamer |
2010 | John McAllister | Competitive Gamer |
2016 | Lonnie McDonald | Competitive Gamer |
2015 | Tim McVey | Competitive Gamer |
2021 | Robin Mihara | 1990's Gamer |
2010 | Billy Mitchell | Competitive Gamer |
2020 | Donn Nauert | Golden Age Gamer |
2019 | David Palmer | Golden Age Gamer |
2019 | Jeff Peters | Golden Age Gamer |
2010 | Perry Rodgers | Competitive Gamer |
2010 | Todd Rogers | Competitive Gamer |
2010 | Scott Safran | Competitive Gamer |
2020 | Tomo Ohira | 90's Gamer |
2016 | Chris Tang | 90's eSports Competitor |
2020 | Hajime “Tokido” Taniguchi | 2000's Gamer |
2021 | Daigo "The Beast" Umehara | 2000's Gamer |
2010 | Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel | Competitive Gamer |
2022 | Robert Whiteman | 1990's Gamer |
2010 | Steve Wiebe | Competitive Gamer |
2022 | Lim "BoxeR" Yo-hwan | 2000's Gamer |
2010 | Phil Younger | Competitive Gamer |
Year | Name | Description |
---|---|---|
2019 | Assassin's Creed series | 2000's Era Game |
2022 | Centipede | Golden Age Game |
2019 | Computer Space | Golden Age Game |
2015 | Defender | Legendary Arcade Game |
2019 | Doom | 90's Era Game |
2017 | Donkey Kong | Golden Arcade Game |
2019 | Fortnite | 2000's Era Game |
2019 | Galaga | Golden Age Game |
2017 | Halo | 2000's Era Game |
2021 | Joust | Golden Age Game |
2022 | League of Legends | 2000's Era Game |
2016 | The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past | 90's Era Game |
2017 | The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | Modern Age Game |
2016 | Minecraft | Current Era Game |
2021 | Mortal Kombat | 1990's Era Game |
2020 | Warcraft | 90's Era Game |
2019 | Ms. Pac-Man | Golden Age Game |
2010 | Pac-Man | Legendary Arcade Game |
2017 | Sonic the Hedgehog | 90's Era Game |
2020 | Pong | Golden Age Game |
2020 | Final Fantasy franchise | 90's Era Game |
2020 | Half-Life 2 | 2000's Era Game |
2020 | Guitar Hero | 2000's Era Game |
2022 | StarCraft | 1990's Era Game |
2019 | Street Fighter series | 90's Era Game |
2019 | Super Mario 64 | 90's Era Game |
2016 | Super Mario Bros. | Golden Age Game |
2019 | Super Smash Bros. Melee | 2000's Era Game |
2019 | Tetris | Golden Age Game |
2021 | Wii Sports | 2000's Era Game |
2016 | World of Warcraft | 2000's Era Game |
Year | Name | Description |
---|---|---|
2016 | Patrick O'Malley | Community Action Award |
2017 | Extra Life | Fundraising organization |
2019 | Doc Mack | Founder of Galloping Ghost, arcade game collection |
2019 | Video Game Palooza | Video game STEM-based charity |
2020 | Keisha Howard | Founder of Sugar Gamers |
Year | Name | Description |
---|---|---|
2015 | David Bishop | Programmer and vice-president of Namco America |
2017 | David Crane | Programmer and co-founder of Activision |
2019 | Reggie Fils-Aimé | President of Nintendo of America |
2022 | Jerry Lawson | Known for his work in designing the Fairchild Channel F and the ROM cartridge |
2020 | Gabe Newell | Co-founder of the video game developer Valve |
2021 | Gary Stern | Co-founder, chairman and owner of Stern Electronics |
2016 | Steve Wozniak | Co-founder of Apple Inc. |
Pac-Man, originally called Puck Man in Japan, is a 1980 maze video game developed and released by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. The player controls Pac-Man, who must eat all the dots inside an enclosed maze while avoiding four colored ghosts. Eating large flashing dots called "Power Pellets" causes the ghosts to temporarily turn blue, allowing Pac-Man to eat them for bonus points.
The Museum of Pop Culture is a nonprofit museum in Seattle, Washington, United States, dedicated to contemporary popular culture. It was founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 2000 as the Experience Music Project. Since then MoPOP has organized dozens of exhibits, 17 of which have toured across the U.S. and internationally.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coaches, officials, franchise owners, and front-office personnel, almost all of whom made their primary contributions to the game in the National Football League (NFL).
Ms. Pac-Man is a 1982 maze arcade video game developed by General Computer Corporation and published by Midway. It is a spin-off sequel to Pac-Man (1980) and the first entry in the series to not be made by Namco. Controlling the title character, Pac-Man's wife, the player is tasked with eating all of the pellets in an enclosed maze while avoiding four colored ghosts. Eating the larger "power pellets" lets the player eat the ghosts, who turn blue and flee.
Galaga is a 1981 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. In North America, it was released by Midway Manufacturing. It is the sequel to Galaxian (1979), Namco's first major video game hit in arcades. Controlling a starship, the player is tasked with destroying the Galaga forces in each stage while avoiding enemies and projectiles. Some enemies can capture a player's ship via a tractor beam, which can be rescued to transform the player into a "dual fighter" with additional firepower.
Twin Galaxies is a social media platform and video game database. Twin Galaxies is the official supplier of video game records to Guinness World Records.
The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when André the Giant was posthumously inducted with a video package as the sole inductee that year. The 1994 and 1995 ceremonies were held in conjunction with the annual King of the Ring pay-per-view events and the 1996 ceremony was held with the Survivor Series event. After an eight-year hiatus and after the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) had been renamed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002, the promotion relaunched the Hall of Fame in 2004 and has held the ceremonies in conjunction with WrestleMania ever since. Since 2005, portions of the induction ceremonies have aired on television and since 2014, the entire ceremonies have aired on the WWE Network, which was extended to Peacock in 2021 after the American version of the WWE Network merged under Peacock that year.
Electronic Games was the first dedicated video game magazine published in the United States and ran from October 15, 1981, to 1997 under different titles. It was co-founded by Bill Kunkel, Joyce Worley, and Arnie Katz.
Masaya Nakamura was a Japanese businessman and the founder of Namco. He was the company's president up until 2002, where he took a ceremonial role in its management. Following the formation of Bandai Namco Holdings, Nakamura would retain an honorary position in the video game division, Bandai Namco Entertainment.
William James Mitchell Jr. is an American video game player. He achieved fame throughout the 1980s and 1990s by claiming numerous records on classic video games, including a perfect score on Pac-Man. Twin Galaxies and Guinness World Records recognized Mitchell as the holder of several records earned playing classic video games, and he has appeared in several documentaries on competitive gaming and retrogaming. However, in 2017, the legitimacy of a number of his records was called into question, leading to Twin Galaxies stripping Mitchell of his records.
The Strong is an interactive, collections-based educational institution in Rochester, New York, United States, devoted to the study and exploration of play. It carries out this mission through six programmatic arms called "Play Partners":
The Pac-12 Conference Hall of Honor recognizes former athletes and coaches who have made a significant impact to the tradition and heritage of the Pac-12 Conference. Established in 2002, one honoree is selected by each member institution in the conference annually. The inductions occur during the Pac-12 Conference men's basketball tournament. The Hall of Honor was originally limited to men's basketball, until it was opened to other sports in 2018. The conference was named the Pacific-10 before it expanded in the 2011–12 season with Colorado and Utah.
The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, dedicated to the preservation and history of sports within the province. It was created in 1957 by the Alberta Amateur Athletic Union (AAAU). The museum was eventually taken over by Sport Alberta in 1973 when the AAAU ceased operations. It has been maintained by the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum Society since 1997. The first permanent display for the Hall of Fame was established in Edmonton in 1962. The museum relocated between Edmonton and Calgary on numerous occasions until settling in Red Deer in 1999.
The World Video Game Hall of Fame is an international hall of fame for video games. The hall's administration is overseen by The Strong's International Center for the History of Electronic Games, and is located at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, United States. The museum began the International Center for the History of Electronic Games in 2009, announced the formation of the hall of fame in February 2015, and opened it on June 4, 2015. It is located in a dedicated part of the "ESL Digital Worlds: High Score" exhibit at the National Museum of Play; prior to an expansion of the museum in 2023 it was located in the museum's "eGameRevolution" exhibit. The Strong has also run the National Toy Hall of Fame since 2002.
Hipster Whale is an Australian independent video game developer and publisher founded on 20 November 2014 by Andy Sum and Matt Hall, shortly before making the game Crossy Road. The company has also created the games Shooty Skies, Pac-Man 256, and Disney Crossy Road.