Video games recognised for their cultural and artistic importance can be found in the World Video Game Hall of Fame at The Strong National Museum of Play. Arcade classics are well represented there, with Defender joining the hall in the 2025 update. However, many important arcade games, developers and industry contributors remain outside that collection.
The gap is particularly noticeable for games released after the 1980s. Following the US arcade market crash, it is easy to overlook the fact that arcades continued to produce influential work. Industry organisations including RePlay Magazine and AAMA have their own halls of fame, but these often concentrate on business leaders, sales figures and industry operations rather than the games, creators, venues and operators that made arcade culture possible.
That led to the creation of a new virtual Arcade Hall of Fame: an evolving reference point dedicated to the people and games that helped shape the coin-operated industry. It is intended to complement existing recognition programmes rather than replace them.
How the virtual hall works
The first version is presented through online slideshows. The planned collection is large enough that game entries will eventually be separated into periods such as the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. A physical installation would be an ideal future home, but the digital format allows the project to begin while that possibility remains open.
The project also draws on research for an arcade history book that is being developed gradually, including current research into Konami during the 1980s. That work has highlighted lesser-known contributors such as Dave Nutting and Howell Ivy, whose technical and creative contributions helped produce major arcade hits.
Nutting, for example, advocated the use of CPUs in arcade machines. The approach was first applied to Taito’s imported version of Gun Fight, an important step in the development of arcade hardware.
Howell Ivy is not included in the current slides, but he is planned for the next batch of additions.
Creators and games in the first phase
The opening focus is split between creators and games. Creator entries cover people who devised well-known games, made significant technical contributions or led development teams as producers and managers.
Game selections are based on influence and notable firsts. Establishing a definitive first can be difficult, so entries are described as accurately as the available research allows. Where a first claim is uncertain but a game’s influence is clear, the entry may instead recognise the title for popularising a particular feature or direction.
The initial selection includes 30 games from a wider arcade history of more than 14,000 titles. That is only a starting point, and further additions are planned. Work continued intermittently throughout the year, with the first release aimed at arriving before 2026.
A growing record of arcade history
Future updates may expand the collection beyond creators and games to include significant locations. Feedback is also welcome, particularly suggestions for additions and corrections to historical details.
For readers exploring the wider subject, the RETROCADE arcade blog covers arcade news and gaming history, while the arcade machine buying guide explains the practical considerations behind owning a cabinet. Those interested in the hardware that made these games possible can also browse arcade parts and components or learn about arcade repairs and restoration.
The online hall is now operating with its initial slideshows, with more entries expected as research continues. It offers another way to examine the people, machines and games that kept arcades moving through every era.
Leave a Reply