'Super Mario Bros.' Video Game Joins 'Pong,' 'Pac-Man' And Others For The First Class Of The Strong Museum's World Video Game Hall of Fame!

On Thursday, June 4, The Strong National Museum of Play announced the 2015 World Video Game Hall of Fame Inductees selected from a list of fifteen finalists.

"Super Mario Bros" along with "Pong" and "Doom" were the first inductees into the new World Video Game Hall of Fame.

While Pong introduced many to electronic play, Doom stirred conversations over the impact of games and violence in real life. "Super Mario Bros." on the other hand centered on its mustachioed hero who has migrated to everything from food, snack to sneakers.

The six inductees are: "Pong," "Pac-Man," "Tetris," "Super Mario Bros.," "Doom," and "World of Warcraft."

Other notable games that missed the cut include "Minecraft," "Sonic the Hedgehog" and "The Legend of Zelda," IGN noted.

Inductees were chosen based on their icon-status, longevity, geographical reach as well as influence. The Strong museum, located in Rochester, New York noted that "Super Mario Bros." features characters like Mario and Bowser that add to the game's strong icon status.

In terms of geographical reach, the popular title has sold over 40 million copies worldwide.

The recently created World Video Game Hall of Fame honors an industry that is now as big as Hollywood in the entertainment business. The Strong, that houses the National Toy Hall of Fame and calls itself as the national museum of play, has not only been conserving but also collecting games and artifacts for a long time, according to reports on Washington Post.

Ace video game along with a panel of journalists and scholars recommended the first hall of fame class. The inductees were chosen from a list of 15 finalists.

Talking about the criteria for getting in this hall of fame, John-Paul Dyson, the director of the museum's International Center for the History of Electronic Games wrote, "Games become eligible for the World Video Game Hall of Fame by meeting four basic criteria."

Dyson added, "They're iconic, have longevity, reach across international boundaries, and exert influence on the design and development of other games, on other forms of entertainment, or on popular culture and society."

According to the Entertainment Software Association over 150 million American play video games, and 42 percent play for somewhat three hours a week.