Defining Game

[BreakABone]

I saw this on another forum for a game that has defined this generation, but seeing how this generation isn't done, its a dumb contest, but got me thinking, what game did you feel defined the prior generation?

Off the top of my head, the 3 biggest ones,

http://www.vgmuseum.com/scans/psx2/gta3_front.JPG
The best selling game of the last generation. The game that put open world/sandbox games on the map.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZRH8Ebh057U/SZ_q9pqeGcI/AAAAAAAAA0o/QhMCRHXpt5Q/s320/Portable+Halo+Combat+Evolved.jpg
I may not be its biggest supporter, but it redefined what people expected from a FPS on console, and helped put Xbox on the map.

http://metroid.neoseeker.com/w/i/metroid/b/ba/MetroidPrimebox.jpg

This may be a tougher sell, and I could be completely wrong here, but its the game that showed First Person wasn't limited to shooters, and it was the first game that rewarded exploration with optional story bits (this part confused about, but stuff like BioShock, Arkham Asylum and Borderlands all featured logs, audio tapes, interviews that you don't need to get to complete the game but add to the atmosphere)

So what's your pick?

[Typhoid]

In my mind Halo ruined FPS games. It made the point to developers that FPS games don't have to be long, or generally good - just online.

[Vampyr]

In my mind Halo ruined FPS games. It made the point to developers that FPS games don't have to be long, or generally good - just online.

First Halo wasn't online.

[Fox 6]

In my mind Halo ruined FPS games. It made the point to developers that FPS games don't have to be long, or generally good - just online.

Halo: Combat evolved was a pretty long game, and it was a pretty good FPS.

[Combine 017]

In my mind Halo ruined FPS games. It made the point to developers that FPS games don't have to be long, or generally good - just online.

And it had a good story, a story thats still being explained with the newer Halo games.

[Angrist]

Defining game:

http://www.techtalkforfamilies.com/files/u1/nintendogs7760.jpg

Taught the industry that games don't need to have a story, action, fmv... or an ending.
It spawned a lotsa buncha 'girl-games', mostly on DS. (Not that I'm happy with that.)

[Vampyr]

Taught the industry that games don't need to have a story, action, fmv... or an ending.
It spawned a lotsa buncha 'girl-games', mostly on DS. (Not that I'm happy with that.)

What exactly are "girl games"? My girlfriends favorite games are Mass Effect and Dragon Age. If that's what you're referring to, I'm pretty happy with it!

[Combine 017]

I think he meant pre-teen kind of girl games.
Games that only a child could possibly think are fun.

[Typhoid]

First Halo wasn't online.

I was referring to the franchise.

[TheSlyMoogle]

Defining game:

http://www.techtalkforfamilies.com/files/u1/nintendogs7760.jpg

Taught the industry that games don't need to have a story, action, fmv... or an ending.
It spawned a lotsa buncha 'girl-games', mostly on DS. (Not that I'm happy with that.)

Sorry they're just expanding on tamagatchi/digi pet things. Same concept a bit more complex.

Girl Games(These only apply to the average female):

1. The things you have to do to please the complex and mostly confused mind of a female to procreate. Ex. "Oh hey I bought you these flowers that will die in a few days, cost 40 dollars, and smell kinda funky... I do get some action tonight right? Otherwise I'm gonna be real upset I didn't spend this money on a case of beer and some amazing porn."

2. A boring set of professional sports that no one really cares about because girls are physically inferior to men. Ex. "Oh hey did you guys watch that WNBA game the other day?" ... "Lol no man, women's sports are a joke." See also: Women's basketball (Boring).

3. Things that women do to extract as much money out of your wallet as possible without you realizing they're actually spending it on worthless junk. Ex. "Hey honey, since you've been so busy all week how about you stay here and rest and I'll just do all the grocery shopping this week" ... You: "Guess the groceries cost 300 dollars this week?" See also: Sucker.

4. Any sport that is only appealing when women do it, beauty pageants, oil/mud/jello wrestling, bikini/wet-t-shirt contests and gymnastics. These things were invented by intelligent men who needed to appease the simple beast that is the competitive female individual. See Also: Cook-offs.

5. A genre of video games set to please the over-active female mind. Typically these games feature cute and cuddly creates, any lack of skill needed to play, and general lack of story beyond love/nurturing feelings. Basically designed to teach women what they should and most likely will be doing in life, shutting the fuck up, making me a pie, and pushing out my babies. Examples include: 65% of all ds games and around 35% of all wii games and rising.

Hope this helps to explain girl games.

[Professor S]

In my mind Halo ruined FPS games. It made the point to developers that FPS games don't have to be long, or generally good - just online.

Regardless of whether or not you think the game had merit, its a defining game simply because it made FPS mainstream, and console movers. They had always been a PC platform niche until Halo came around.

[Professor S]

My defining game?

http://city18.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/mass-effect1.jpg

Because it defied genre, and showed that doing so could work and work well. Also, it pushed the story of a the game as much as it pushed action and strategy.

a close second goes to:

http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/arcade/fullsize/pong.jpg

For getting it all started...

[BreakABone]

Me thinks The Professor didn't read the rules of the thread. Talking about last generation, not this (and I will put my stake in Wii Sports right now anyhow :p )

Also, I think Goldeneye was the first mass market FPS on consoles, Halo just made it the in thing.

[Professor S]

I write my own rules... :D

[KillerGremlin]

Hmmm...going by the games I spent the most time playing....

Grand Theft Auto 3
Halo

And not sure on slot #3. I'd say Pikmin/Metroid Prime/Jet Set Radio Future or perhaps one of the many excellent GBA titles or perhaps a PC game.

We are including GBA/PC right?

What year range made up the last gen btw?

A note on Halo: I have such a love/hate relationship with Halo. Halo is totally unoriginal in what it had to offer for the time. It lifted ideas from a bunch of games (Tribes being one of the big ones). On the other hand, it revolutionized expectations for console FPS (much like Goldeneye, another FPS that was unoriginal and waaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy behind the PC). Halo also packed one of the best console FPS single players games, at least on Legendary. It was challenging and had depth. And even better was Co-Op, which sucked hours of my life away. I actually recently fired up the ol' Xbox to beat Halo on Legendary, and I like the game enough that I have actually purchased Halo/Halo 2 two times over, once on Xbox and then on PC. Halo also revolutionized console mutliplayer expectations; I still remember getting 4 Xboxs together for some kick ass and totally customizable multiplayer. And yeah, Halo MP > Halo 2. 4 Xboxs were also easier to gather than 16 PCs, thus reducing the weight of a LAN party. What Halo had over some of the games on PC was good social times. Tribes 2 was severely lacking in the multiplayer support.

[Angrist]

I personally think a 'defining game' should have influenced other games. At least that's how I understood the thread.

Oh, if we can include PC:
http://www.jayscomputers.com.au/images/wow_cover.jpg

It re-invented a genre and popularized it. WoW influences can be felt in many genres (for example story/quest driven gameplay, social aspects).

I'm trying to think of another defining DS game.

But first, how could we forget Guitar Hero??
http://www.crystalxp.net/galerie/img/img-icons-a-png-guitar-hero-kjtgp1-10613.jpg

It spawned not only 5 sequels or so, but 1 other series and several competing games.

Ah, got it.
http://www.skye-fox.com/finalproject_sdh/web110/GameWorldUnleashed/Brain%20Age.jpg
Spawned a load of puzzle games and pulled in a huge user base.

[TheSlyMoogle]

Well WoW sort of set the standard for MMOs but not sure it defined a generation of gaming. Plus it wasn't even the first of its kind, or the first of the generation really.

Guitar hero popularized the music games genre, but before that DDR, Beatmania, pop'n'music and para para dancing were defining that genre and GH just added the instrument to make that shit mainstream.

As for brain age. I dunno.

[BreakABone]

Well WoW sort of set the standard for MMOs but not sure it defined a generation of gaming. Plus it wasn't even the first of its kind, or the first of the generation really.

Guitar hero popularized the music games genre, but before that DDR, Beatmania, pop'n'music and para para dancing were defining that genre and GH just added the instrument to make that shit mainstream.

As for brain age. I dunno.

Well, it doesn't have to be the first of its kind, GTA, Halo, WoW, Guitar Hero, all have their roots in other genres. Its what they did for the industry as a whole, either bringing the genre to a whole new audience, introducing new gameplay elements that continue to be copied or moving some form of the game forward.

[Angrist]

Do you hear that Smoogle? I WIN. I WIN HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!