Angry Birds, Frogger Among 12 Finalists For World Video Game Hall Of Fame

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — This year’s finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame include trailblazers in esports, electronic pets and portable gaming, as well as the arcade favorite brought to life in a 1998 episode of “Seinfeld.” The Hall of Fame revealed the 12 finalists up for induction on Thursday and opened a week of public voting. The nominees also include two arcade games released in 1981: Defender, by Williams Electronics, which the Hall of Fame said proved players would embrace more complex and challenging games; and Frogger, developed by Konami. Farming game Harvest Moon, released in 1996, offered a peaceful alternative to the combat and action games that dominated the industry — and would be central to fellow nominees Goldeneye 007, released by Rare and Nintendo in 1997; and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the 2007 installment of Activision’s hit franchise. The World Video Game Hall of Fame gets thousands of nominations online each year for arcade, console, computer and handheld games.