Technologies

GoldenEye 007, Tamagotchi, Quake Blast Into Video Game Hall of Fame For 2025

One revolutionized first-person shooters on consoles, another taught us how to care for a virtual pet, but they all deserve a spot in history.

If you grew up blasting aliens at the arcade, there’s a good chance that you’re familiar with at least one of this year’s Video Game Hall of Fame inductees. The World Video Game Hall of Fame announced its 2025 class this week, celebrating four games that helped define an era: GoldenEye 007, Tamagotchi, Quake and Defender. These titles were selected for their cultural influence, staying power and contributions to the evolution of gaming.

From a pioneering multiplayer shooter (GoldenEye 007) to the game that sparked the virtual pet craze (Tamagotchi), these titles have an influence that reaches beyond the gaming industry. The Hall of Fame, which is housed at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, recognizes games that shaped the gaming industry and permeated pop culture.

This year’s inductees join a roster of classics, including Tetris, Pac-Man, Minecraft and The Legend of Zelda, cementing their place in gaming history.

«This quartet of games represent leaps in technology and how people played when they arrived in the 1980s and 1990s,» CNET senior reporter and video games expert David Lumb says. «With respect to the other nominees, these four earned their spots in the Hall of Fame, each being so popular that they were practically inescapable in their day. First-person shooters, side-scrollers, couch co-op shooters and digital pocket pals — all of these are iconic entries in video gaming history.»

GoldenEye 007 (1997)

GoldenEye 007 revolutionized first-person shooters on consoles, which were largely seen as a PC genre, dominated by games
like Doom and Quake. Its use of four-player split-screen multiplayer mode was legendary, cementing local multiplayer as a staple of console gaming. The video game, based on the James Bond film, became the third best-selling title for the Nintendo 64, trailing only Super Mario 64 and Mario.

Tamagotchi (1996)

Tamagotchi introduced the world to virtual pet care, blurring the line between gaming and real life. The keychain-sized device let players feed, clean and care for a digital pet, turning everyday moments into interactive gameplay. It became a global craze, especially among girls and younger kids, a demographic often overlooked by game developers in the ’90s.

Defender (1981)

Defender challenged players with its intense gameplay and complex controls, setting a new standard for arcade difficulty. It pioneered the side-scrolling shooter while introducing complex, multi-button controls, including thrust, reverse, fire, smart bomb and hyperspace, making it one of the most demanding and skill-based arcade games of its era. It really helped separate casual players from hardcore gamers.

Quake (1996)

Quake raised the bar for 3D gaming with its fully real-time 3D graphics and gritty, atmospheric design. It didn’t just change how games looked, it changed how we played, thanks to its groundbreaking online multiplayer. On top of that, its modding tools helped kickstart a vibrant community, letting players create everything from new levels to entirely new games.

These four titles were selected from a list of 12 finalists, which included notable games like Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Frogger and NBA 2K. Since its inception in 2015, the Hall of Fame has recognized nearly half 50 games that have shaped the gaming landscape.

Technologies

Live-Action ‘Call of Duty’ Movie Reportedly Being Co-Written by Taylor Sheridan

The Yellowstone co-creator will reportedly team up with Peter Berg on the Paramount film.

Yellowstone, Landman and, now, Call of Duty. Taylor Sheridan, co-creator of the aforementioned hit shows, will co-write Paramount and Activision’s upcoming live-action video game adaptation, according to a report from Variety on Thursday.

Peter Berg will also co-write and direct the movie, which was announced last month. Berg previously directed films including 2018’s Mile 22, 2012’s Battleship and 2013’s Lone Survivor, while Sheridan’s movie credits include 2016’s Hell or High Water and 2017’s Wind River. Berg, Sheridan and David Glasser will produce the Call of Duty film.

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Call of Duty is a first-person shooter military video game series that debuted in 2003. CNET senior writer David Lumb calls it «arguably the biggest shooter franchise in gaming, with millions of players picking up every year’s new entry to the series.»

Lumb said the franchise is known for its bombastic single-player campaigns, which feature globe-spanning plots that rival those of the Mission Impossible films. «A Call of Duty movie has a lot of material to draw from,» Lumb said.

He also noted that Berg’s direction of Lone Survivor would fit the grim military heroism of Call of Duty, while Taylor Sheridan’s spate of neo-Western films and shows could lend a frontier adventurism to the film.

«Their collective works seemingly harmonize with the jingoistic pro-military tune of Activision’s shooter franchise — which is probably a good thing for Call of Duty fans,» Lumb concluded.

A release announcing Paramount and Activision’s film deal teased that it’ll be «designed to thrill its massive global fan base by delivering on the hallmarks of what fans love about the iconic series, while boldly expanding the franchise to entirely new audiences.» It didn’t include cast or plot information.

The update follows recent news that Sheridan is leaving Paramount for NBCUniversal. Paramount did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Technologies

US Government Urges Total Ban of Our Most Popular Wi-Fi Router

Technologies

Animal Crossing Update Adds Lego Furniture, With a Switch 2 Version Arriving the Same Day

Fans of Animal Crossing will have a reason to go back to their island.

Animal Crossing fans just received a big surprise, and it’s not just a new content update. A Switch 2 version is on its way.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons will receive its first big update in three years, according to a post from Nintendo on Thursday. The update, labeled 3.0, will roll out on Jan. 15, the same day the Switch 2 version of the game will be available for purchase.

Released for the original Switch back in 2020, New Horizons was the first Animal Crossing game to come to a Nintendo console since 2008’s Animal Crossing: City Folk for the Nintendo Wii.

Nintendo regularly updated New Horizons for two years after its release, but stopped at update 2.0.6 released in November 2022. Two updates were added earlier in the year to prepare the game for playability on the Switch 2.

Animal Crossing 3.0 Update

In the 3.0 update coming on Jan. 15, a new hotel is opening. Players can help bring in guests to stay at the hotel by decorating guest rooms and dressing up mannequins to sell resort clothing.

For those who haven’t touched New Horizons in years, a Reset Service will be available. Players can have their island cleaned up, and items can be stored away or trashed for those who want a clean slate.

Players with a Nintendo Switch Online membership will have access to up to three islands, where they can explore and do as they please. These new areas are available on Slumber Island. It’s up to the player to decide how the island will look, what items or plants are on it and even which characters will be found on the island. Players can also invite friends to build it together.

New Horizons will feature special collaborations and Nintendo retro gear. Lego items will be available in the update for players to decorate their homes with or clothing to dress up their villagers with. Retro Nintendo consoles, such as the NES and Game Boy, can also be used as decorative items.

If the player has a Switch Online subscription, some classic titles such as Ice Climbers and Dr. Mario can be played via these in-game devices. There are also special items based on The Legend of Zelda and Splatoon series when players tap their amiibo from those games onto the Switch while playing.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Switch 2

Switch 2 owners can get in on the digital life game with Animal Crossing: New Horizons — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Not only will this new version come with updated graphics, including 4K resolution in TV mode, but it will also add special features that can only be done on the newest console.

One of the features is mouse controls for the Joy-Con 2. Players will be able to use the controller as a mouse to decorate indoors, create custom designs and write handwritten messages for the bulletin board.

Residents in the game can now be found by saying their name into the Switch 2’s built-in microphone while using the megaphone in the game. Multiplayer has also improved dramatically, with 12-player sessions available for those playing on the new edition, and CameraPlay is supported to allow players to see one another.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the Nintendo Switch 2 will be available for purchase on Jan. 15 for $65. Owners of the original Switch version of New Horizons can upgrade to the Switch 2 version for $5.