Pong, Pac-Man, Doom: Video Game Hall Of Fame Picks The 6 Greatest Games Of All Time

Video games have their own hall of fame. Established earlier this year, the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, announced the first inductees into the World Video Game Hall of Fame. Narrowing down from a list of 15 finalists, an international selection committee comprised of journalists and scholars selected the first six games that would make up the hall's inaugural class. The commitee made their selections based on five criteria: icon -status, longevity, geographical reach, and influence.

Here are the selections:

"Pong": Released in 1972, this simple game of hitting a ball back and worth with two paddles is widely considered to have launched the video game industry. The Strong notes that while Pong wasn't the first electronic video game, it was the first to grab widescale attention. "Pong introducced millions to the joys of playing video games," the Strong said in the press release.

"Pac Man": "Pac-Man" recently celebrates its 35th anniversary, so this nod feels rather fitting. According to The Strong, this much beloved arcade game, debuting in 1980, turned video games in to a mass cultural phenomenon, and it's lead character went on to become a cultural ambassador of the video game era. "Pac-Man" became the best-selling arcade video game ever.

"Tetris": Originating in the Soviet Union in 1984, "Tetris" was created by progarammers Alexey Pajitnov. In 1987, it debuted on PCs in North America and Europe, but didn't become an essential part of pop culture until Nintendo included in the first Game Boy handheld system in 1989.

"Super Mario Bros.": Debuting in 1985 on the Nintendo Entertainment System, "Super Mario Bros" went on to become one of the most popular video games of all time. Since its introduction, Mario has been featured in over 200 games.

"Doom": "Doom" shaped the course of gaming history," the Strong says. Released in 1993, "Doom" popularized the first-person shooter genre, debuted the concept of a game "engine," and fostered multiplayer gaming.

"World of Warcraft" : "By bringing tens of millions of people together in a compelling virtual universe, 'World of Warcraft' continues to reshape the way people think about their online lives and communities," The Strong Museum said in the press reelease. This massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) was released by Blizzard Entertainment in 2oo4 and is now largest and best selling MMORPG out there.

The other finalists were "Pokemon," "Angry Birds," "FIFA," "The Legend of Zelda," "Minecract," "The Oregon Trail," "The Sims," "Sonic the Hedgehog," and "Space Invades."