Could be the fact Pac-Man is 30 years old on top of everything else? As to your other questions, I don't have the answers, but I can try to track them down.

No. Award recipients who cannot make the trip will be receiving their trophy in the mail. Several individuals are unable to make it, like Ralph Baer, and are recording messages to be played at the event.

You do realize you have to pay people to perform? We were unable to get many bands to come and perform. Sorry.

If you think that someone is missing -- someone who absolutely deserves to be inducted into the IVGHOF, but is not on this list, you are right! This process is just beginning and we plan on bestowing the highest honors on every individual or organization who has contributed to the success or enrichment of the worldwide video game industry. Unfortunately, everybody can't be inducted in a single year, so we ask for everyone's patience as we move through this first year and work to establish the IVGHOF as the cultural crossroads of the video game age. This is the first induction ceremony of many years to come. No one will sit through 4 hours of inductions just to get 200 people inducted.

Please re-read your own comment. "FUTURE INDUCTEES would be selected by...." That doesn't mean that this current list was selected by them. This is the first year. A limit had to be put. Not everyone could be inducted this year that deserves to be inducted. Also, did you guys even note the other folks who are being inducted? It's heavy on Nintendo developed games. None of the objective experts were selected yet for the next panel of judges who will select Class of 2011. All of the current ones were selected by a lot of local Ottumwa folks, Walter included. Not everyone who deserves to be inducted is getting inducted this year. I'm right there with you on Richard Garriot and other design teams should be inducted as well...however...shit happens. We can't fit everyone in. As far as the comment on Xbox sponsoring the event, they were selected way before they became a sponsor, almost a year ago. They just came to the table to help with sponsorship this month. So get off your high horse. If we had inducted just Nintendo, or just Dreamcast, or just Playstation guys, the same thing would have happened. Everyone who deserves to be inducted will be inducted eventually, it just takes patience.

1. This is the first year of the induction ceremonies. Like every other hall of fame out there, people don't make the first year, or second year or other years. 2. Yes, we know some of the people who "should be inducted" didn't make the cut. Shit happens. 3....please read the below comments from Walter Day on how the inductees were picked: When the IVGHOF was first conceived, it immediately approved a list of inductees that included five noted competitive gamers, four legendary industry pioneers and one historic video game. Realizing that there were many, many more individuals worthy of enshrinement into the IVGHOF, the IVGHOF Board of Directors decided to make the Class of 2010 a very large one and decided to hold many ceremonies around North America to induct further honorees into the Hall of Fame for the Class of 2010. However, only one such ceremony was held – at the 2009 NW Pinball and Game Room Show – before the IVGHOF changed its plans and decided that all future inductees would be selected by a Panel of Industry Experts who would approve the selection criteria, create a ballot of nominees for each forthcoming year, and then select the Inductees from among the list of nominees. Plus, as the IVGHOF gained more knowledge from these experiences, the vision for the IVGHOF evolved and it was decided that there would be only one ceremony per year and that it would induct a smaller number of honorees designated by this objective panel of industry experts. Recognizing that the worldwide gaming industry has greatly benefited from the support of the global community of competitive gamers, it was decided to dedicate this first class to the "History of Competitive Gaming," and to focus on the contributions made to the industry by the original gamer -- the "arcade champion." In accordance with these plans to celebrate the "History of Competitive Gaming," a majority of the inductees honored in this first Class are arcade or PC gaming champions. You will find on this website a list of the current Inductees. We hope you will join us in honoring them on Saturday, August 7th, 2010 at the Bridge View Center in Ottumwa, Iowa. The current class -- the Class of 2010 -- is composed of the arcade champions Inducted at the NW Pinball and Game Room Show, as well as ten other luminaries who were approved by the IVGHOF Board of Directors in May of 2009. In total, the Class of 2010 includes 4 iconic industry visionaries, 5 game or software designers, 19 competitive gamers and one video game. And, if you think that someone is missing -- someone who absolutely deserves to be inducted into the IVGHOF, but is not on this list, you are right! This process is just beginning and we plan on bestowing the highest honors on every individual or organization who has contributed to the success or enrichment of the worldwide video game industry. Unfortunately, everybody can't be inducted in a single year, so we ask for everyone's patience as we move through this first year and work to establish the IVGHOF as the cultural crossroads of the video game age.