Quake and GoldenEye Among 2025 World Video Game Hall of Fame Inductees

Okay, so here’s the deal. The Strong National Museum of Play — that’s a mouthful, right? — just added four more games to their big Hall of Fame. Picture this: Defender from Williams Electronics (was never good at it), the iconic GoldenEye 007 by Rare (who didn’t sneak-play this in their basement?), Quake from id Software — like, the second one from them after Doom, so go figure, and Tamagotchi from Bandai. Yep, that little digital pet we all took way too seriously.

I’m trying to remember the whole list they chose from this year. It’s like a countdown, right? Some real heavyweights were in the running: Age of Empires, Angry Birds (still can’t believe how addictive that was), Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (the nostalgia!), Frogger, Golden Tee (not sure I’ve even played that one), Harvest Moon, Mattel Football, and NBA 2K. The suspense must have been through the roof. Okay, maybe not, but it’s a big deal if you’re into games — trust me.

So, here’s why these four got the nod. Basically, they rocked the world in their own ways, left an undeniable mark on gaming culture — you know, that kind of stuff “significant influence” and all. They decide based on icon status, how long they’ve stayed relevant, where folks have played them, and how many other games they’ve inspired. And Quake making it? Means id Software is on a roll. Doom was inducted way back in 2015, and hey, that has to count for something, right?

Anyway, the judges or curators — whatever they’re called — got into why these picks matter. Fast forward to now, and since this Hall of Fame started up in 2015, they’ve added 49 games. Last year? They brought in Asteroids, Myst, Resident Evil, Ultima, and SimCity. I could go on, but you get it. Each one’s got its story, and honestly, who doesn’t love a bit of gaming history? Just me overthinking? Probably.