Gaming has become a part of everyday life. By 2021, the gaming industry is expected to have more than 2.7 billion players. Over the years, there have been numerous successes and failures, but these nine video game designs helped influence and shape the industry as we know it today.
1. Minecraft
Minecraft was one of the most iconic games of the 2010s, and it helped pave the way for the success of the sandbox genre. It’s the quintessential “everything” game. Some players fuss about in creative mode, spending hours building imaginary worlds. Others treat it as a survival game.
The game is a blank canvas of sorts, and its user-centric focus has influenced other industries and areas of development, like the enterprise software development from Redwerk, for example.
The freedom that Minecraft offers spawned a new generation of content creators and streamers.
2. Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Amnesia turned the horror genre on its head and reinvigorated survival horror. With early horror titles, like Resident Evil, players stood their ground and confronted their worst nightmares with heavy-duty weapons, like rocket launchers.
But Amnesia took the power away from players. Armed with nothing more than a lantern, players had no methods of attack and no way to hide. Hiding in the dark only caused you to lose your sanity. An endless assault of terrifying nightmares made the horror genre feel, well, terrifying.
3. Skyrim
Bethesda’s Skyrim defined what it means to be a role-playing adventure game. The fifth Elder Scrolls game is still played and loved by people all over the world, and its success largely rests on the fact that players are in almost complete control of their character and their story.
Skyrim also helped launch the explosion of community modding.
4. Dark Souls
Arguably one of the most frustrating games on the planet, Dark Souls helped spawn the “Souls-like” genre that punishes gamers for failing.
The game received critical acclaim, and many consider it one of the greatest video games of all time. An in-depth combat system and intricate level design create an immersive experience, but the unforgiving difficulty level and brutal punishment for failure turned some players off.
5. Candy Crush Saga
One of the most iconic casual games in history. Candy Crush Saga helped launch the “freemium” gaming model in the mobile gaming market and the explosion of Facebook games that were inescapable in the 2010s.
But it also influenced mobile gaming in a negative way, mainly with the “pay to win” model that has become so pervasive in the industry.
6. Destiny
Bungie’s Destiny is a prime example of how community feedback can shape a game’s success. After a disastrous launch, developers listened to players and the community to reshape and rebuild their game.
Today, Destiny 2 is free and still has a thriving, active community of players. In fact, the title won The Game Award for best community support in 2019.
7. Pokémon Go
When it comes to mobile gaming, it’s hard to ignore the success of Pokémon Go. The game’s use of augmented reality (AR) was fresh and exciting. The hype over this game was unbelievable, with more than 540 million downloads to this day.
But the hype died down almost as quickly as it came, and developers learned an important lesson: AR really isn’t relevant in mobile gaming.
8. The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt
The massive open world of The Witcher 3 set a new standard for the genre, and its immersive storytelling has influenced the designs of many subsequent hit games, like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.
The developers at CD Projekt Red drew inspiration from a wide range of role-playing games, including Skyrim. As the monster-killing main character Geralt makes his way through a medieval-inspired land, the player’s choices ultimately shape the world around them.
9. Fortnite
Fortnite put the battle royale genre on the map, with a little help from PlayerUnknown’s Battleground. Although the game itself is free, Fortnite was successfully monetized through its battle pass system.
Battle pass kept players coming back to subscribe through a transparent loot system and low-cost commitment. Global events, which received millions of views on platforms like Twitch, kept the hype alive.
These nine games influenced and transformed the video game industry and the way players engage with games. Many of these games still have a thriving player base and continue to influence the industry.
