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2004 Video Game Walk of Fame Inductees

Posted by Zonk on from the these-people-get-shines! dept.

The Metreon's Walk of Game, discussed previously, has chosen the first inductees. From the article: "Lifetime Achievement category - Shigeru Miyamoto, Nolan Bushnell. Favorite Game/Character - Halo, Link, Mario, Sonic The Hedgehog" Congratulations to every man and hedgehog who won the honor.

34 comments

  1. who votes for these things? by fireduck · · Score: 4, Insightful

    i've never understood these "hall of fame" type things and why a game that's just a few years old, like Halo, makes the list over something like Pac-Man, or if we're sticking to the revolutionary FPS category, Half-Life or Goldeneye (and even those are arguable, but at least have been around long enough to be more than a popularity contest).

    It's like MTV's video awards. If anyone serious were judging these categories, best video would go to a band like Tool, who makes these amazing pieces of work. Instead we get a popularity contest and best video really goes to most overproduced pop drivel song with dancing on the screen.

    1. Re:who votes for these things? by TotalFusionOne · · Score: 1

      We're dealing with an industry that's only 20 to 30 years old, depending on how you look at things. It's not like the Oscars, or the Tonys with a media that has been around for forever and a day. Of course the new and hot items are going to get top billing, top voting.

    2. Re:who votes for these things? by samsmithnz · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I agree, they should vote for games that are at least 10 years old and have stood up to the test of time...

    3. Re:who votes for these things? by clu76 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Agreed. If any FPS deserves to be up there it's Doom. There are at least a couple of dozen or so games that would have been better. Not because I think Halo is a terrible game, but Halo has yet to stand up to the test of time. My vote is for Tetris or Pac-Man.

      --
      the cosmos in 20 words or less: thumbuki.com
    4. Re:who votes for these things? by LWATCDR · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I have to admit that not including Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Battlezone, Frogger, Spacewars, Adventure, Planetfall, Kingsquest, Zork and a few hundred other games seems to be very odd. Halo but not Doom or Quake?
      BTW comparing a hall of fame to the video music awards is just wrong. The VMA are supposed to be a snap shot in time of what is popular at the moment. Hall of Fame is different. These are people or things that have stood the test of time. Mario was the one that I thought fit that category and maybe Link.

      --
      See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
    5. Re:who votes for these things? by fireduck · · Score: 2, Insightful

      BTW comparing a hall of fame to the video music awards is just wrong.

      I agree. However, I was comparing them in the sense that Halo's inclusion was more due to its current popularity, rather than it being something that fits the category (standing the test of time), in much the same way that most popular award shows give awards based on popularity.

      As for the actual list of potential inductees, it can be found here. The other 2 FPSs on the list were Doom and Half-life. Popularity-wise, sure Halo deserves to be nominated. For essentially starting the FPS phenomena, Doom would have to get the nod. Half-life for both introducing the concept of a real storyline driven FPS as well as well as establishing fan created mods as legitimate (yes, they existed before, but one can't deny that HL took that to an all new level).

      How Halo has had more of an impact on the entertainment industry than the above 2 FPSs or even Tetris, I'll never really comprehend...

    6. Re:who votes for these things? by SteveCh!snall · · Score: 1

      I agree that Halo should not be up there, but remember the FPS that PCGamer called the Doom Killer: Parallax Software and InterPlay's Descent. Now THAT game deserves a spot on this hall of fame. It may not have been quite as popular as Doom, or Quake, but it was much more developed. It's still the only first person shooter to allow for maneuvering in six degrees of freedom, each degree completely independent from the others. Even today, Descent is one of the most complete first person shooters. I agree that Mario and Sonic should be on there. I'm surprised too that PacMan and Tetris didn't make the list, but then again, one could go even farther and say why aren't Columns, BreakOut, or Pong on the list either? But Sonic the Hedgehog is by far one of the greatest success stories in the video game industry's history. Sonic's had games on (counts on his fingers: Sega MasterSystem/GameGear: 1 Sega Genesis: 2 Sega CD: 3 Sega 32X: 4 (Knuckles' Chaotix) Sega Saturn: 5 Sega DreamCast: 6 Nintendo GameCube: 7 Nintendo GBA: 8 Sony PlayStation 2: 9 PC-based DeskTop computer: 10 XBox: 11 Nokia N-Gage: 12 Tiger Electronics Game.com: 13 stopping at a baker's dozen consoles) I'd be willing to bet that breaks some sort of record! And, of course, what list of video game pioneers would be complete without Shigeru Miyamoto. Not only did he devise Donkey Kong, and Mario, but he later developed the concept for StarFox, and Pikmin. The only name I think is missing from this list are the brothers Rand and Robyn Miller, co-founders of Cyan Productions (now called Cyan Worlds). Cyan was responsible for the CD-ROM format's first smash hit, MYST.

    7. Re:who votes for these things? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You have thirteen fingers?

    8. Re:who votes for these things? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No but he's counting in binary.

    9. Re:who votes for these things? by The-Bus · · Score: 1

      Tool / APC actually hires good directors. I know Maynard used David Fincher for APC's first single. Also I believe 'Sober' was directed by Svankmajer, or a very good copy-cat (those two brothers that did Institut Benjamenta?). I would check, but I'm lazy.

      --

      Small potatoes make the steak look bigger.

  2. Halo? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Halo is a character?

    1. Re:Halo? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They're referring to John Halo, the main character in Halo.

    2. Re:Halo? by bigman2003 · · Score: 1

      It is 'Game / Character' not 'Game Character'.

      But after playing Halo 2, I think that the Arbiter is more fun than the Master Chief.

      Arbiter fights Covenant- Master Chief is stuck with the damn flood again.

      --
      No reason to lie.
    3. Re:Halo? by centauri · · Score: 1

      Halo is a character?

      Hey, can we get a spoiler warning please?

      --
      Don't blame me, I voted for Durga.
    4. Re:Halo? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's Jim Halo. John Halo was the lead programmer on Marathon, which was created by Bungie before Bungie was acquired by Microsoft.

    5. Re:Halo? by bynary · · Score: 1

      Why Doom? WHy is that the one game people remember? If I'm not mistaken, Castle Wolfenstein was released prior to Doom (please, correct me if I'm wrong). Maybe it's just me, but I would vote for CW way ahead of Doom. Also, Halo definitely does not deserve to be in the same category as Mario or Sonic. And where's Tetris?

      --
      http://www.bynarystudio.com
    6. Re:Halo? by Gen.+Rasputin+X · · Score: 1

      Heh. Try Marathon. Same time frame, superior experience.

    7. Re:Halo? by arose · · Score: 1

      Dynamic lights, non-block walls, different heights... and let's not forget the best characters, staring in any FPS since: the Shotgun and the RPG.

      --
      Analogies don't equal equalities, they are merely somewhat analogous.
  3. I'm Sorry, But.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Halo should not be on this list. Before you flame me or accuse me of trolling, I want to say that I really like Halo and Halo 2.

    I just think that any franchise or character that only spans 2 games should not be eligible for a spot in any kind of hall of fame. It's like putting someone in a sports hall of fame who's only played for 2 seasons.

    To summarize: Mario - yes. Sonic - yes. Halo - not yet.

    1. Re:I'm Sorry, But.... by chrismcdirty · · Score: 1

      While I agree that Halo should not have been in the hall of fame, I don't agree with your reasoning. A great game can be great and influential, no matter how many games have appeared in the series (or lackthereof). An athlete can be inducted into the hall of fame playing one season, so long as what he did was extremely great. It is just more likely to put him in the hall of fame after seeing time go by and realizing what he did truly was extraordinary.

      --
      It's like sex, except I'm having it!
    2. Re:I'm Sorry, But.... by chrismcdirty · · Score: 1

      In response to my own post, ask just about any fan of Kid Icarus if they think it deserves to be in a hall of fame of some sort. I can almost guarantee the answer to be 'yes', even though there was only ever one Kid Icarus.

      --
      It's like sex, except I'm having it!
    3. Re:I'm Sorry, But.... by Firehawke · · Score: 1

      Your point is valid, but there were TWO Kid Icarus titles. The second was on the monochrome GB back in 1991, released about the same time frame as Metroid 2.

    4. Re:I'm Sorry, But.... by Gen.+Rasputin+X · · Score: 1

      Eh, just count Marathon as being the precusor to Halo, which they clearly are, and Halo becomes 5 games, which should be enough.

  4. I Hate Tool by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why don't you refer to a band that is actually good, or refrain from referencing a band altogether?

    I agree with the rest of your post, however.

  5. Halo? by th1ckasabr1ck · · Score: 1

    If you're going to put a FPS in there it MUST be Doom. There is no question about it.

  6. That a strange list... by Zangief · · Score: 1

    Halo was a character?

    I remember he appeared in a game called "Master Chief".
    --
    Wiki de Ciencia Ficcion y Fantasia

    1. Re:That a strange list... by OAB_X · · Score: 1

      You know it says Favorite Game/Character not Favourite Character.

      I don't see any Monkey Island characters on that list. They are much more deserving then Halo/MasterChief.

    2. Re:That a strange list... by Zangief · · Score: 1

      You know it says Favorite Game/Character not Favourite Character.

      No I didn't. :)

      Those lists are always biased by the latest tendences, so it is normal to a character appearing in two popular games. to make into it.

    3. Re:That a strange list... by arose · · Score: 1

      You just bitter that you didn't get in.

      --
      Analogies don't equal equalities, they are merely somewhat analogous.
    4. Re:That a strange list... by Zangief · · Score: 1

      My days of glory are already past...

  7. One of these things is not like the others by Pluvius · · Score: 1

    "Lifetime Achievement category - Shigeru Miyamoto, Nolan Bushnell. Favorite Game/Character - Halo, Link, Mario, Sonic The Hedgehog"

    One of these things just doesn't belong...

    Rob

  8. from the article no one read... by curtlewis · · Score: 1

    "the top two Lifetime Achievers and top four Games/Characters."

    That's why it's listed as Halo and not Master Chief.

    And for those that think it doesn't deserve to be in a Hall of Fame...

    It singlehandedly MADE the xbox a viable platform and has been one of the most successful games of all time. It's also been out for over 4 years. And lastly, it's sequel did $100 million on day one. I'd say that's worthy of Hall of Fame recognition.

    I'm not a huge Halo fan because I can't stand console controllers for FPS games, but Halo's popularity comes from it's multiplayer component. Screw the story line, screw the solo game. Who cares? You can SPNK your friends! It's weaponry and maps are well done for Multiplayer and Bungie has a history of doing pretty well in that area. As a long time Marathon fan, it came as no surprise to me that Marathon 4 (uh.. Halo) became a huge hit in a new market.

    1. Re:from the article no one read... by jokell82 · · Score: 1
      It singlehandedly MADE the xbox a viable platform and has been one of the most successful games of all time


      No it's not. In fact, it's not even close. With the amount of XBox's sold it's not even possible for Halo to sell 1/2 of what the Sims or Myst did. The most popular Playstation and PS2 games dwarf the sales of Halo.

      In the past 20 years over 160 million Mario games have been sold. At the top of the list, more than 40 million copies of Super Mario Brothers were sold on the NES and 20.6 million copies of Super Mario World on SNES. If Halo 2 did indeed get $100 million on it's first day (I'm not sure, never looked it up), that's only 2 million copies sold, assuming the average price was $50 per game (which isn't true, because many people bought the collector's edition - which means it's under 2 million). Sure that's a great one day total, but it'd have to sustain some great sales for a while to pass the all time best sellers. I'd be very interested to see what happens after this Christmas season.

      I will give you the fact that it basically saved the XBox. However this is because it was the only halfway decent game when it launched. The rest of the launch games were all poop on a stick so it was very easy for Halo to rise to the top. If there had been any other games out for the XBox worth playing we might not be talking about Halo right now.
      --
      I dunno who it is
      but it prolly is fhqwhgads.
    2. Re:from the article no one read... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I sure hope you're not employed in any form of statistical analysis...

      It's absurd to compare PC games with console games and it's absurd to compare a franchise to one game.