What is the most important game (to the gaming industry) ever made? (Poll)

dungeons and dragons

Space Invaders, for many reasons, including:

-It was listed by the Arcade Museum and Guiness World Records as the most important and/or influential video game of all time.

-Released by Taito in 1978, it was the first ever blockbuster video game, and the first arcade game to appear in mainstream locations such as supermarkets, restaurants and retail stores.

-The gaming industry crash of 1977, which was caused by a deluge of Pong clones flooding the market, was ended by the success of Space Invaders, saving the early video game industry from extinction.

-It was responsible for beginning the golden age of arcade games, a period in the early 80s when arcade games became mainstream and surpassed the revenues of both Hollywood films and pop music combined (the first and only time the gaming industry would achieve such a feat).

-Within three years, it generated a revenue of $1 billion (from 4 billion quarters), equivalent to $2.5 billion with inflation, one of the highest ever for an entertainment product, rivalled only by Pac-Man (game) and Avatar (film).

-It caused a shortage of 100-yen coins in Japan, forcing the country to multiply its production of 100-yen coins.

-It was the first shoot 'em up, and the first video game to pit a single character against multiple enemies, a formula that has been imitated by nearly every action game since (besides one-on-one combat games).

-It popularized action games, shifting the market away from sports games (or rather, Pong clones) towards action games, which would remain the dominant genre to the present day.

-It introduced the concepts of destructible environments and taking cover from enemy fire (though it was actually the second after Gun Fight, an earlier Taito game by the same designer Tomohiro Nishikado).

-It was the first video game to feature a continuous background soundtrack, and its arcade cabinet was the first game system to use a dedicated sound chip.

-It was the first video game to feature the high score concept, and the first to save game data (i.e. the high score).

-It was the first video game to feature intermissions between gameplay, giving rise to the concept of cut scenes, and the first arcade game with a fantastical plot (whatever little there was).

-Its console port was the first "killer app" in the gaming industry, responsible for quadrupling the sales of the Atari 2600 (which intially had a slow start), establishing Atari as the home console market leader in its time, and reviving the home video game market (until the 1983 crash).

-It was the game that inspired Shigeru Miyamoto to enter the gaming industry, who would be responsible for creating the Mario and Zelda games, establishing Nintendo as the home market leader, and saving the home video game industry after the 1983 crash.

All of this wouldn't have been possible without Space Invaders, which is why I would consider it to be the most important video game of all time.

Pong, Space Invaders and Donkey Kong.

Pong, being the first at-home game ushered in popularity for gaming not in an arcade.

Space Invaders, because of everything Jag85 said.

Donkey Kong because it was the first game to actually have cut scenes unfolding the story before the player, immersing him/her into the game. Also the use of graphics in DK's face and Pauline's frantic cries for help showed how a game could be used to show emotion and technical savvy at the same time.

Halo C.E. - Proved FPS could be done well on consoles and started the whole FPS on console trend

Everquest - First MMORPG that really took off and is still being copied by games today (Wow copied a crazy amount from EQ)

SpideR_CentS

Goldeneye proved FPS could be done well on consoles and started the whole FPS on console trend 4 years before Halo.

Ultima Online and Runescape were MMORPGs that pre-dated EQ, and a lot of mechanics from Ultima were an inspiration for EQ.

1. Super Mario Bros Any other choice is just flat out wrong.hiphops_savior

Yup. Super Mario Bros was the game that transcended the boundaries that separated "gamers" from "non gamers". EVERYONE played it (I remember when it came out, and I mean everyone, it was a phenomenon at the time. Like Zelda and GTA III did, but Mario did it first. I don't think anything else can come close to it. Possibly Tetris.

[QUOTE="hiphops_savior"]1. Super Mario Bros Any other choice is just flat out wrong.Rekunta

Yup. Super Mario Bros was the game that transcended the boundaries that separated "gamers" from "non gamers". EVERYONE played it (I remember when it came out, and I mean everyone, it was a phenomenon at the time. Like Zelda and GTA III did, but Mario did it first. I don't think anything else can come close to it. Possibly Tetris.

Donkey Kong and Space Invaders did it, too. I remember when those first came to our arcade. I also remember the first quarter I spent on both games. Those, along with Mario Bros. were pivotal to games and gamers.

Super Mario Bros literally saved the video game industry, it's really the only answer in the grand scheme of things.

Super Mario Bros literally saved the video game industry, it's really the only answer in the grand scheme of things.

WreckEm711

In the grand scheme of things, there would be no Super Mario Bros. if Miyamoto hadn't created Donkey Kong.

Doom lead to Quake, and proved that pc was up to notch just like consoles. Super Mario Bros turned into a cult icon.Robbazking

Quake lead to Doom, you mean.

[QUOTE="WreckEm711"]

Super Mario Bros literally saved the video game industry, it's really the only answer in the grand scheme of things.

emphaticleech

In the grand scheme of things, there would be no Super Mario Bros. if Miyamoto hadn't created Donkey Kong.

Yes, but at the time of their creation, Mario was infinitely more important to the industry. You can tie anything great happening to something needing to happen before it for it to be actualized, it doesn't make that act before "the great act", though it was important to the realization of Mario Brothers.

Tetris

I'm serious.

[QUOTE="Robbazking"]Doom lead to Quake, and proved that pc was up to notch just like consoles. Super Mario Bros turned into a cult icon.emphaticleech

Quake lead to Doom, you mean.

No.

Pong. Easily.

Super Mario Bros.. Couldn't imagine saying anything else, except maybe Pong.

SFII, Doom, COD4, and Wii Sports have been important to the industry as well.

[QUOTE="emphaticleech"]

[QUOTE="WreckEm711"]

Super Mario Bros literally saved the video game industry, it's really the only answer in the grand scheme of things.

WreckEm711

In the grand scheme of things, there would be no Super Mario Bros. if Miyamoto hadn't created Donkey Kong.

Yes, but at the time of their creation, Mario was infinitely more important to the industry. You can tie anything great happening to something needing to happen before it for it to be actualized, it doesn't make that act before "the great act", though it was important to the realization of Mario Brothers.

You'd do well to use your own logic. If the gaming industry wasn't about to collapse and die, yet Mario Bros. was still released... would it still have been as detrimental? By your logic.. no, because you can't tie anything great happening (release of Super Mario Bros.) to something needing to happen before it for it to be actualized (gaming and the industry rapidly declining).

Tetris

I'm serious.

[QUOTE="emphaticleech"]

[QUOTE="Robbazking"]Doom lead to Quake, and proved that pc was up to notch just like consoles. Super Mario Bros turned into a cult icon.Filthybastrd

Quake lead to Doom, you mean.

No.

Good man.

[QUOTE="WreckEm711"]

[QUOTE="emphaticleech"]

In the grand scheme of things, there would be no Super Mario Bros. if Miyamoto hadn't created Donkey Kong.

emphaticleech

Yes, but at the time of their creation, Mario was infinitely more important to the industry. You can tie anything great happening to something needing to happen before it for it to be actualized, it doesn't make that act before "the great act", though it was important to the realization of Mario Brothers.

You'd do well to use your own logic. If the gaming industry wasn't about to collapse and die, yet Mario Bros. was still released... would it still have been as detrimental? By your logic.. no, because you can't tie anything great happening (release of Super Mario Bros.) to something needing to happen before it for it to be actualized (gaming and the industry rapidly declining).

.......The thread is ABOUT the most important game to the gaming industry, so yes, everything I said holds up, because regardless of anything else, SUPER MARIO BROS is what saved the game industry. This isnt "What led up to the most important game", its "What is the most important game ever made"

You also took what I said out of context :P

[QUOTE="emphaticleech"]

[QUOTE="WreckEm711"]

Yes, but at the time of their creation, Mario was infinitely more important to the industry. You can tie anything great happening to something needing to happen before it for it to be actualized, it doesn't make that act before "the great act", though it was important to the realization of Mario Brothers.

WreckEm711

You'd do well to use your own logic. If the gaming industry wasn't about to collapse and die, yet Mario Bros. was still released... would it still have been as detrimental? By your logic.. no, because you can't tie anything great happening (release of Super Mario Bros.) to something needing to happen before it for it to be actualized (gaming and the industry rapidly declining).

.......The thread is ABOUT the most important game to the gaming industry, so yes, everything I said holds up, because regardless of anything else, SUPER MARIO BROS is what saved the game industry. This isnt "What led up to the most important game", its "What is the most important game ever made"

But you cannot discredit Donkey Kong. It can be said that it was the most important game ever made because it brought Nintendo the funds and validity it needed to become what it is now. Adversely, you can say Super Mario Bros. because of how it saved the industry. They're both correct answers. I was just simply stating there would be no Mario without Donkey Kong "in the grand scheme of things".

mix of

zelda

super mario

quake

Grand Theft Auto 3.

[QUOTE="Filthybastrd"]

Tetris

I'm serious.

[QUOTE="emphaticleech"]

Quake lead to Doom, you mean.

emphaticleech

No.

Good man.

I loved Quake ;)

[QUOTE="WreckEm711"]

[QUOTE="emphaticleech"]

You'd do well to use your own logic. If the gaming industry wasn't about to collapse and die, yet Mario Bros. was still released... would it still have been as detrimental? By your logic.. no, because you can't tie anything great happening (release of Super Mario Bros.) to something needing to happen before it for it to be actualized (gaming and the industry rapidly declining).

emphaticleech

.......The thread is ABOUT the most important game to the gaming industry, so yes, everything I said holds up, because regardless of anything else, SUPER MARIO BROS is what saved the game industry. This isnt "What led up to the most important game", its "What is the most important game ever made"

But you cannot discredit Donkey Kong. It can be said that it was the most important game ever made because it brought Nintendo the funds and validity it needed to become what it is now. Adversely, you can say Super Mario Bros. because of how it saved the industry. They're both correct answers. I was just simply stating there would be no Mario without Donkey Kong "in the grand scheme of things".

I'm not trying to discredit Donkey Kong and I acknowledged it's importance in leading to the creation of Super Mario Bros, but EVERY important event has events leading up to it that without them the important event would never have happened. Because many factors went into Super Mario Bros coming into existence, you can't really single any one of them individually as the most important to the industry. Super Mario Bros on the other hand single handedly saved the game industry. Thus why IMO and many others, it is the most important game ever made.

[QUOTE="emphaticleech"]

[QUOTE="WreckEm711"]

.......The thread is ABOUT the most important game to the gaming industry, so yes, everything I said holds up, because regardless of anything else, SUPER MARIO BROS is what saved the game industry. This isnt "What led up to the most important game", its "What is the most important game ever made"

WreckEm711

But you cannot discredit Donkey Kong. It can be said that it was the most important game ever made because it brought Nintendo the funds and validity it needed to become what it is now. Adversely, you can say Super Mario Bros. because of how it saved the industry. They're both correct answers. I was just simply stating there would be no Mario without Donkey Kong "in the grand scheme of things".

I'm not trying to discredit Donkey Kong and I acknowledged it's importance in leading to the creation of Super Mario Bros, but EVERY important event has events leading up to it that without them the important event would never have happened. Because many factors went into Super Mario Bros coming into existence, you can't really single any one of them individually as the most important to the industry. Super Mario Bros on the other hand single handedly saved the game industry. Thus why IMO and many others, it is the most important game ever made.

And once again, we come full circle. You're telling me I can't base my opinion off an important event, like the creation of Nintendo BECAUSE of a game... yet you can base your opinion off an important even, like saving the game industry BECAUSE of a game. Put yourself in 1984. E.T. just came out for Atari and has ruined everyone's view of video games. But, rewind a couple years. Universal Studios won their lawsuit against Miyamoto and Donkey Kong was nixed and fallen into obscurity thereby making it so Nintendo would never have been able to become a company. The game industry would have fallen. Adversly, this did not happen. And because Donkey Kong created Nintendo.. it too, can be attributed to saving the video game industry in...wait for it...directly quoting you... "in the grand scheme of things". You opened that can of worms, not me. If you had said, "Super Mario Bros., because it saved the game industry" then fine. But you said "Super Mario Bros literally saved the video game industry, it's really the only answer in the grand scheme of things.".

The only answer. As if it's fact. I was simply stating IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS that without Donkey Kong there would be no Super Mario Bros. Which is a fact. I never said Super Mario Bros. WASN'T something important to happen to gaming. It's my opinion, though... that there are games more detrimental to the game industry, which is what my first post explained. See what I'm driving at?

[QUOTE="emphaticleech"]

[QUOTE="Filthybastrd"]

No.

Filthybastrd

Good man.

I loved Quake ;)

:D

I remember the good ol' days of bunnyhopping and fragging.

[QUOTE="WreckEm711"]

[QUOTE="emphaticleech"]

But you cannot discredit Donkey Kong. It can be said that it was the most important game ever made because it brought Nintendo the funds and validity it needed to become what it is now. Adversely, you can say Super Mario Bros. because of how it saved the industry. They're both correct answers. I was just simply stating there would be no Mario without Donkey Kong "in the grand scheme of things".

emphaticleech

I'm not trying to discredit Donkey Kong and I acknowledged it's importance in leading to the creation of Super Mario Bros, but EVERY important event has events leading up to it that without them the important event would never have happened. Because many factors went into Super Mario Bros coming into existence, you can't really single any one of them individually as the most important to the industry. Super Mario Bros on the other hand single handedly saved the game industry. Thus why IMO and many others, it is the most important game ever made.

And once again, we come full circle. You're telling me I can't base my opinion off an important event, like the creation of Nintendo BECAUSE of a game... yet you can base your opinion off an important even, like saving the game industry BECAUSE of a game. Put yourself in 1984. E.T. just came out for Atari and has ruined everyone's view of video games. But, rewind a couple years. Universal Studios won their lawsuit against Miyamoto and Donkey Kong was nixed and fallen into obscurity thereby making it so Nintendo would never have been able to become a company. The game industry would have fallen. Adversly, this did not happen. And because Donkey Kong created Nintendo.. it too, can be attributed to saving the video game industry in...wait for it...directly quoting you... "in the grand scheme of things". You opened that can of worms, not me. If you had said, "Super Mario Bros., because it saved the game industry" then fine. But you said "Super Mario Bros literally saved the video game industry, it's really the only answer in the grand scheme of things.".

The only answer. As if it's fact. I was simply stating IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS that without Donkey Kong there would be no Super Mario Bros. Which is a fact. I never said Super Mario Bros. WASN'T something important to happen to gaming. It's my opinion, though... that there are games more detrimental to the game industry, which is what my first post explained. See what I'm driving at?

I see that you obviously need to take a chill pill as I didn't tell you you can't do anything :P There is no can of worms, you're getting way too worked up over it :P I said blatantly that I'm not discrediting Donkey Kong and that I acknowledge it's importance, and said thats why IMO it is the most important, many agree.

The Legend of Zelda.

SMB may have been the pack in game that drove people to buy an NES, but TLoZ was the game that cemented the console's place in history.

Later on, OoT would drive the very concept of action games forward, as its predecessor once did.

Pug-Nasty

This guy speaks teh truth!! :)

Good memories.

A staggering amount of people never heard of Pong.

:(

Final Fantasy VII

Pokemon Blue

Call of Duty 4

Halo CE

Regarding Super Mario Bros, the popular choice in this thread, here is an interesting interview with Mario's creator Shigeru Miyamoto where he tells us what he regards to be the most important game of all time:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1645158,00.html

"What one game has revolutionized the industry?

Space Invaders. Before I saw it, I was never particularly interested in video games and certainly never thought I would make video games."

In other words, even Miyamoto himself regards Taito's Space Invaders to be the game that revolutionized the industry, more so than even his own Super Mario Bros. And it makes sense. Long before the 1983 industry crash (which was limited to the home console market) that Mario saved, there was an earlier 1977 crash that affected video games as a whole (including both home and arcade markets, caused by a flood of Pong clones), and it was Space Invaders that saved the gaming industry from extinction, both its original arcade version and its Atari 2600 console port. The original arcade version of Space Invaders launched the golden age of arcade games, the first time video games became mainstream and the only time the gaming industry had surpassed the revenues of both the Hollywood and music industries combined, while the console port of Space Invaders was responsible for the Atari 2600 becoming a success and reviving the home video game market. In addition, Miyamoto would never have become a game designer were it not for Space Invaders, which means there would never be any Mario without Space Invaders. Not to take anything away from Super Mario Bros, which I would consider to be the second most important game of all time, but it seems quite clear to me that it was Space Invaders that had the largest impact on the gaming industry as a whole, for the reasons described both here and in my previous post.

1 super mario bros

2 goldeneye who ever said doom,scoot that aside cause is the best game ever released in that cat halo is not even close

3 wii sports the first sports game i can enjoy!

4 pokemon

5 gta

6 saints row

7 donkey kong country

8 sonic the hedghog

9 halo

10 mariokart

1 super mario bros

2 goldeneye who ever said doom,scoot that aside cause is the best game ever released in that cat halo is not even close

3 wii sports the first sports game i can enjoy!

4 pokemon

5 gta

6 saints row

7 donkey kong country

8 sonic the hedghog

9 halo

10 mariokart

mariokart64fan

The topic is what games had the most impact on the games industry not what games do little kids love.

[QUOTE="cainetao11"][QUOTE="GreenGoblin2099"]

It's so good it can't be copied.

GreenGoblin2099

lol Only joking, man.

The fact that I said MGS4 should've told you that... but I never expected someone to take that seriously so I couldn't resist going for this :P

lol, in a poll with limited options why would you put doom and quake and not just choose one? You could have used that spot for Sims, Warcraft, Pong, or WiisportsGunSmith1_basic

In hind site, It may have been better to choose one or the other, but what they effected and how they effected things seem very different.

I picked Doom for what it did for the PC as a gaming machine, and for launching the FPS craze. The importance of Doom to the PC cannot be overstated enough.

I picked Quake because Quake really started online competitive multiplayer over the internet. Quake was THE game. Also, Quake technology fueled so many groundbreaking games that had huge ripple effects throughout the gaming industry. The argument can be made that without Quake, there would be no Steam.

Doom and Quake are thought of a similar games, and Quake seems to be a logical progression of Doom, but they were both huge to the gaming industry for different reasons.

Space Invaders should have been on the poll, but Pac-Man had to be there too. Just not enough space. :(

1 super mario bros

2 goldeneye who ever said doom,scoot that aside cause is the best game ever released in that cat halo is not even close

3 wii sports the first sports game i can enjoy!

4 pokemon

5 gta

6 saints row

7 donkey kong country

8 sonic the hedghog

9 halo

10 mariokart

mariokart64fan

Super Mario Bros. It not only saved the industry from the great crash, it also gave rise to the amazing gamer that is me. :D

2D - Super Mario Bros easily

3D - SM64 or OoT. No question.

Online - Doom, Counter Strike, and WoW

SP - No winner. Its purely preference. I could list a few games that more companies need to pay attention to though.

In hind site, It may have been better to choose one or the other, but what they effected and how they effected things seem very different.

I picked Doom for what it did for the PC as a gaming machine, and for launching the FPS craze. The importance of Doom to the PC cannot be overstated enough.

I picked Quake because Quake really started online competitive multiplayer over the internet. Quake was THE game. Also, Quake technology fueled so many groundbreaking games that had huge ripple effects throughout the gaming industry. The argument can be made that without Quake, there would be no Steam.

Doom and Quake are thought of a similar games, and Quake seems to be a logical progression of Doom, but they were both huge to the gaming industry for different reasons.

Space Invaders should have been on the poll, but Pac-Man had to be there too. Just not enough space. :(

evilross

It was Doom that popularized competitive online multiplayer, at least two years before Quake. What Quake popularized within the FPS genre was 3D polygonal graphics and the keyboard-mouse setup. There's no reason for Quake to be on the list when Doom is already there. It would have been better to replace Quake with more a important game like Space Invaders or Pong.

Radar Scope.Konxumer

Any particular reason? Does it have something to do with being Miyamoto's first game, or its third-person perspective, or being converted to Donkey Kong?

2D - Super Mario Bros easily

3D - SM64 or OoT. No question.

Online - Doom, Counter Strike, and WoW

SP - No winner. Its purely preference. I could list a few games that more companies need to pay attention to though.

ChubbyGuy40

What do you mean by SP?

[QUOTE="evilross"]

[QUOTE="GunSmith1_basic"]

In hind site, It may have been better to choose one or the other, but what they effected and how they effected things seem very different.

I picked Doom for what it did for the PC as a gaming machine, and for launching the FPS craze. The importance of Doom to the PC cannot be overstated enough.

I picked Quake because Quake really started online competitive multiplayer over the internet. Quake was THE game. Also, Quake technology fueled so many groundbreaking games that had huge ripple effects throughout the gaming industry. The argument can be made that without Quake, there would be no Steam.

Doom and Quake are thought of a similar games, and Quake seems to be a logical progression of Doom, but they were both huge to the gaming industry for different reasons.

Space Invaders should have been on the poll, but Pac-Man had to be there too. Just not enough space. :(

Jag85

2D - Super Mario Bros easily

3D - SM64 or OoT. No question.

Online - Doom, Counter Strike, and WoW

SP - No winner. Its purely preference. I could list a few games that more companies need to pay attention to though.

ChubbyGuy40

What really took single player games to a whole new level, away from the normal. Something no one ever saw before. My response to that was that there's really too many to pick a single winner.

super mario brothers without question. i know pong brought it to the masses but super mario brothers saved it from collapse.

I had to go with Super Mario Bros that was packaged with the NES in "86". The console and game alone revitalized the console gaming market. So without that combo. You wouldnt have your Xbox 360's or Playstations 3's.

super mario brothers without question. i know pong brought it to the masses but super mario brothers saved it from collapse.

lazerface216

Exactly. Plus Super Mario Bros is one of my favorite games i ever played in my life.

[QUOTE="evilross"]

In hind site, It may have been better to choose one or the other, but what they effected and how they effected things seem very different.

I picked Doom for what it did for the PC as a gaming machine, and for launching the FPS craze. The importance of Doom to the PC cannot be overstated enough.

I picked Quake because Quake really started online competitive multiplayer over the internet. Quake was THE game. Also, Quake technology fueled so many groundbreaking games that had huge ripple effects throughout the gaming industry. The argument can be made that without Quake, there would be no Steam.

Doom and Quake are thought of a similar games, and Quake seems to be a logical progression of Doom, but they were both huge to the gaming industry for different reasons.

Space Invaders should have been on the poll, but Pac-Man had to be there too. Just not enough space. :(

Jag85

It was Doom that popularized competitive online multiplayer, at least two years before Quake. What Quake popularized within the FPS genre was 3D polygonal graphics and the keyboard-mouse setup. There's no reason for Quake to be on the list when Doom is already there. It would have been better to replace Quake with more a important game like Space Invaders or Pong.

Doom was not an online game, you could only play Doom over linked PC's and closed networks. About 6 months after Doom shareware blew the roof off the BBS's, DWANGO started up and you could dial into hosted games, for a monthly fee + the phone charges (if applicable)

Quake shipped with actual internet online play. Huge difference, and Id designed Quake multiplayer for that purpose. IMO, Doom and Quake are both very huge steps, especially for the PC market. Plus the Quake engine... so much stuff was made with it, and companies like Valve were able to get started because of the way Carmack basically gave the code out to anyone that had a good idea and some tech savvy.

But I can see how it can be said that one was a direct result of the other.