The National Toy Hall of Fame has turned its attention to video games, including the title that made Irvine-based Blizzard Entertainment Inc. famous.
“World of Warcraft,” which is played online by about 7 million gamers, is among a nostalgic roster of six timeless hits getting the nod in the inaugural class at the Strong National Museum of Play’s Video Hall of Fame in Rochester, N.Y. Fellow inductees include “Pong,” “Pac-Man,” “Tetris,” “Super Mario Brothers,” and “Doom.”
“World of Warcraft” has been a mainstay as Blizzard’s largest source of annual revenue, which topped $531 million last year. Gamers throughout the world pay about $40 for the fantasy role-playing game and a $15 monthly subscription to play it online.
“World of Warcraft” is the most played “massively multiplayer role-playing game” in the world.
Blizzard helped usher in the genre with predecessor games that led to “World of Warcraft’s” release in 2004.
Its characters are featured in two of Blizzard’s newer free-to-play titles: the collectible card game “Hearthstone” and the online brawler “Heroes of the Storm.”
