Summary
The Strong National Museum of Play has announced its annual inductees into the World Video Game Hall of Fame, inducting iconic titles likeResident Evil,Myst,SimCity,Asteroids, andUltima. This year’s inductees were selected on a range of criteria that judged their influence, geographical reach, longevity, and icon status, of whichResident Evilcertainly could not be denied.
The originalResident Evilbecame the blueprint for survival horror across the industry when it released for the PlayStation in 1996. TitledBiohazardin Japan, its English language counterpart was plagued with stilted dialogue and monotonous voice acting, which nonetheless lent the game acertain B-movie charmand didn’t detract from the tense gameplay or unsettling atmosphere.
A Twitter post on The Strong Museum account unveiled 2024’s five inductees —Resident Evil,Myst,Asteroids,SimCity, andUltima— all of which beat out entries likeMetroidandGuitar Hero. Richard Garriott, creator of theUltimaseries, celebrated the news by posting a photo of his Hall of Fame award with the caption “Go Ultima!”
Resident Evil, SimCity, Ultimaand More Awarded for Their Legacy
Garriott, inspired byThe Lord of the RingsandDungeons & Dragons, began work on his CRPG magnum opus,Ultima, which released in 1981 and sold 20,000 copies in its first year. Blending the science fiction and fantasy genres, players can explore a vast land and inhabit a variety of roles. So inspirational was theUltimaseries thatBethesda’s Todd Howardhas cited the game as a huge influence on the development of its own titles.
Maxis’ 1989 city builder,SimCity, also made the cut. A game about urban development in which players create the most optimal living spaces possible to the delight or displeasure of its inhabitants, the success ofSimCityspawned dozens of spin-offs and spiritual successors –The Simsseries most notable among them.
Asteroidswas a massively successful arcade cabinet turned Atari game that sold 3.8 million copies; the fast-paced saucer shooter made an estimated $500 million in quarters. Meanwhile, thethought-provoking puzzle gameMystused the leap in graphics technologies enabled by the proliferation of the CD-ROM to create lush, mystical environments that encouraged thorough exploration – it sold more than 6 million copies and was the best-selling PC game from 1997 to 2001.
Though each game has had its own definitive impact on the industry, no single series on this list has lasted longer thanResident Evil, which has seen eight mainline titles, several spin-offs, and a range of movies, TV shows, and comic books published over its lifetime. With aResident Evil 5remakeand a ninth entry in the series purportedly in development, it seems thatResident Evil’s legacy is far from fading.
