We see new games being released/announced daily. But very rarely do we get our hands on a game that changed things on a massive level. Here I have composed a list of ten games that did a lot for the industry and gaming in general. The list is in order of game release date, not importance.
Pong (1972)
The release of Pong pretty much started gaming as a thing. If this wasn’t successful, gaming probably would of gone very far. It was the impact this game had that started the video game industry. After this, many companies tried to copy pong. Forcing Atari to encourage it’s workers to make more innovative games. Leading to bigger success and general interest staying within the home console market. Keeping gaming alive until the next big release.
Pac-Man (1980)
Pac-Man needs to be on any list, He is the most recognisable character in gaming. 94% of the population know who Pac-Man is. Before Pac-Man came out arcade games were mostly space shooters and pong grandchildren. Pac-Man created a new genre of gaming and got many new people interested in gaming.
Tetris (1984)
While Tetris didn’t hit it’s stride until 1989 on the Nintendo Gameboy, it was released in 1984 on home PCs in Moscow. Based off the simple idea of putting building blocks of different shapes together to fill a screen, this game has reached massive success. It’s impossible to count how many versions of this game are in the world. You can now play Tetris on your pc, mobile, TV, DVD, home console and in some places, in public toilets.
Super Mario Bros. (1985)
This game saved the gaming industry after Atari went bankrupt. At the time Atari was the most important game developer, and the loss of them was taking home gaming to the bottom. Nintendo managed to win the hearts of fans via the story of an Italian plumber out to save a princess with his brother. I don’t know how that managed to keep the gaming industry afloat but it did the job. Leading the way to comic books, TV shows and even a movie.
The Legend of Zelda (1987)
The first NES title to contain an internal battery that allowed you to save the game. This was the first big title to to be so long it took multiple plays to complete. It was also the great great grandfather of role playing games. It created many gaming formula still used today. It’s now grounded itself as a well known series consisting of 14 official titles having sold over 55 million copies worldwide.
Wolfenstein 3D (1992)
PC gaming was lucky, Wolfenstein was the reason first person shooter games became big. Meaning this title was the start of the most popular gaming genre right now. Putting you in control of “B.J.”, a character desperate to escape the castle Wolfenstein and overthrow the Nazi regime. With a boss like robot Hitler, it was hard not to be a success.
Dance Dance Revolution (1999)
Having a catalog of well known songs for you to dance to while also introducing a brand new way to play games, DDR was a hit from the start. It has recieved much critical acclaim for it’s originality and spawned over a hundred simulators. Since 2006 DDR has been used in many schools across America as a fitness programme. It’s done a lot for the gaming industry.
Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
I have a lot to say about Halo, but I’ll try and cut it down into a few short sentences. It was what confirmed Microsoft a spot in the console gaming market. Halo was the first console game to get shooter right. Up until the release of Halo and it’s use of dual analog controls, PC gaming was dominant in FPS. Halo was the first console game to come close to that experience. It also encouraged console gamers to start having LAN parties, great multiplayer settings made this the must own Xbox game. It was also the first first person shooter to bring about co-op, first person shooters were no longer something you did alone. It was hanging out with your best mate.
World of Warcraft (2004)
While I would give credit to Everquest to being the start of popular MMORPGs, World of Warcraft got non gamers into the fray. It took elements from all the good MMORPGs and dared to do them better. It’s now one of the most popular games in the world and only seems to be getting stronger since it’s release.
Wii Sports (2006)
Wii Sports is why your nan is now a gamer. It gave the middle finger to all gamers and ran after everyone else as it’s market. It worked too, it got many peoples mothers to finally play a game. Sure it’s not the best of games but the Wiis success comes from games just like this now. The Xbox 360 and the PS3 can cater to the hardcore market. Now everyone else has a console to enjoy.
