After a submission and expert voting process, the New York-based Strong National Museum of Play this week announced the finalists for the first wave of inductees to its World Video Game Hall of Fame.

Games were evaluated by experts based on “icon-status, longevity, geographical reach, and the influence it has had on the design of other games, entertainment, popular culture, and society in general.”

You can see the full list of criteria here.

The fifteen finalists are as follows:

• Angry Birds (2009)
• Doom (1993)
• FIFA (1993)
• The Legend of Zelda (1986)
• Minecraft (2009)
• The Oregon Trail (1971)
• Pac-Man (1980)
• Pokemon (1996)
• Pong (1972)
• The Sims (2000)
• Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
• Space Invaders (1978)
• Super Mario Bros. (1990)
• Tetris (1984)
• World of Warcraft (2004)

Inductees will be announced during a presentation at The Strong Museum in Rochester, NY on Thursday, June 4, at 10:30 AM. They will then be put on display at the museum’s eGameRevolution exhibit.

“The 15 finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame span decades, gaming platforms, and geographies–but what they all have in common is their undeniable impact on popular culture and society in general,” The Strong Museum’s Jon-Paul Dyson said in a statement. “Whether it’s the groundbreaking game Pong or a more recent viral sensation like Minecraft, all of these games have helped shape the way that people across the globe play and relate to one another.”

Do you agree with The Strong’s finalists? Let us know in the comments below!

Back in February, GameSpot editors revealed their own picks for games that should be included in the Hall of Fame. My selection, GoldenEye 007, didn’t make the cut.