A Critical History of Videogames
[Outdated. This no longer reflects my perspective of the history of videogames as art. I am now writing a new history of videogames. But this may be interesting reference material, so I will let it remain unedited.]
This is an extremely brief history of significant computer and video games. Criticism and formatting are in the historian's style of Piero Scaruffi, so innovation and creativity are more valued than production value, industry impact, or broad appeal, and games are rated out of 10. I have also affectionately copied many of Scaruffi's writing style conventions. The term videogame is used to describe any game that uses a video screen and user control interface.
The Greatest Videogames of All Times
Early Shooters Platformers FPS RTS Puzzle Driving Fighters Sim Action Strategy Sports Adventure RPG MMO Other A New Era
Preface
For millennia, fine arts developed independently. By 1600, music was the most abstract and therefore "purest" art, led by the opera, which had the grandest potential of all arts by combining so many of them (music, literature, poetry, dance, staging, fashion, and sometimes architecture) in a cohesive work. By the 1920s, film had matured to overtake opera by combining all previous arts and giving additional controls to the artist. By adding gameplay to the arts collected in film, the videogame is now the art of grandest artistic potential.
Unfortunately, videogames are rarely understood as art. Some dismiss them as children's toys. Others point out that videogames lack authorial control, ignoring that all art is a dialogue between artist and audience (critic). Moreover, one may compare videogames to jazz music or John Cage's indeterminate music, where the performer is encouraged to improvise within a specific structure, just as a game player is encouraged to improvise within the rules and boundaries of a videogame. An even clearer parallel may be made to early compositions by Christian Wolff and other rule-based music that is gameplay-as-art, wherein the action of one musician determines the action of another, dependent on specific rules regarding when and how specific events occur. Consider also the "Forum Theater" of Augusto Boal, wherein an oppressed protagonist must improvise a solution to his character's dramatized problems, and the anyone in the audience can take the protagonist's role and improvisationally act out a new solution to their oppression by other characters. These forms have been recognized as serious art for decades, and videogames are deplorably denied similar status despite overwhelmingly similar characteristics. Perhaps videogames are a fulfillment of Barthes' Death of the Author.
Because videogames are rarely understood as art by the audience, and because most videogame criticism is really consumer advice, there remain no videogames to compare to the masterpieces of Beethoven, Kafka, or Tarkovsky. After 45 years, every videogame has been primarily an experience of entertainment, secondarily of art. There have been many interactive video art works, but they cannot be considered to be gameplay. Those that approach this crossover are poor in aesthetic art and in interactivity (for example, Healing by Brian Knep, or the work of Zachary Booth Simpson), or they are merely technology demos (for example, Videoplace by Myron Krueger).
When considering videogames as art, it is tempting to focus on the elements with which we are familiar from other arts, such as music, imagery, narrative, and frame composition. As in film, these are all important to videogames, but the driving element of a videogame's aesthetic is gameplay.
Qualifications
There are several histories of videogames. There is the history of hits and gaming platforms, which is a history of the gaming industry. There is the history of the people that made gaming happen, from Ralph Baer to Nolan Bushnell to Shigeru Miyamoto. There are individual histories of one's own exposure to videogames. There are regional histories.
The history of videogames I am writing has been for the most part heretofore missing. It is the history of videogames themselves: their innovations, derivations, elaborations, and development of style and form and control, regardless of platform, developer, popularity, region.
There are many obstacles to my writing this document. First, videogames exist for thousands of hardware platforms, and aquiring most of them is impossible. Second, videogames are not as well preserved as, say, rock music. Hundreds of important games have not survived in any form today, less than 3 decades later. Third, I have lived in the USA my entire life and have limited exposure to foreign videogames, especially videogames unavailable in English. Fourth, and most important, I am not a hardcore gamer, videogame buff, or historian, and I have not the time to become any of these. This history should not be respected as authoritative, complete, or professional. But I do think my distance from videogaming may give me a clearer perspective of them. I'm not a biased fanboy.
This history is also extremely brief. To quickly survey each genre, I rarely expound the innovations or significance of a particular game. That is left to you and Google. Also see my selected bibliography. And finally, I cannot possibly keep up with the pace of videogame production since about 1995. For thoughtful criticism, I recommend The Escapist, Grand Text Auto, Ludology.org, Games Are Art, and Game Studies.
Though preceded by Cathode-Ray Tube Amusement Device [1947] by Thomas Goldsmith and Estle Ray Mann, Bouncing Ball [1951] for the Whirlwind Computer, Noughts and Crosses [1952] (Tic-Tac-Toe) by A.S. Douglas, and Tennis for Two [1958] by William Higinbotham for an oscilloscope, the greatest videogame of all times was Spacewar! [1961, 8.5], by Stephen Russel. The first truly interactive videogame, Spacewar! was a multiplayer game involving complicated controls, projectiles, physics, limited "life" resources (fuel), a powerup (hyperspace), customizable game settings, and moving background maps, all printed to a CRT instead of paper. It remained the most creative and complicated videogame for more than a decade.
Some early videogames imitated Spacewar!: Galaxy Game [1971, 5.5], Computer Space [1971, 6.0], Asteroid [1973, 5.5], Missile Radar [1973, 5.5], Space Wars [1978, 6.5], Asteroids [1978, 6.0], etc. Others merely ported existing games, sports, and activities to interactive video format: Pong [1972, 6.0] and Breakout [1976, 6.0], Fox and Hounds [1966, 5.5] (tag), Gran Trak 10 [1974, 6.5], Gun Fight [1975, 6.0], Destruction Derby [1975, 6.0], Auto Test [1975, 6.0], Baseball [1971, 6.5] and Futsball [1970, 5.0] and Football [1978, 6.0] and Sprint 2 [1977, 5.5] and Heavyweight Champ [1976, 5.0], TV PinGame [1973, 5.5] (pinball), and many others.
Games like Star Trek [1971, 6.0], Collossal Cave Adventure [1972, 5.5], Tale-Spin [1974, 6.0] and Hunt the Wumpus [1972, 5.5] translated interactive fiction to videogame format, a genre later popularized by Zork (1977, 6.0). Watergate Caper [1973, 6.0] was a code-breaking game. Dungeon [1975, 5.5], dnd [1975, 5.5] and Rogue [1980, 6.0] were "Dungeons and Dragons" ports. Fire Truck [1978, 6.0] featured cooperative play. Stratovox [1980, 5.5] synthesized speech. When the titular character in Q*Bert [1982, 5.5] died, he muttered randomized, angry-sounding syllables.
Other significant early videogames include Sega's Periscope [1968, 6.0], Ralph Baer's Shooting Gallery [1967, 6.5] (the first light gun game), Barricade [1976, 5.5], Maze War [1974, 7.0] and Spasim [1974, 7.5] (the first multiplayer 3D first-person shooters), Quak! [1974, 5.5] (which uses a light pen), Star Fire [1978, 6.5] (first cockpit game with environmental kiosk and first to track high scores), Battlezone [1980, 7.5], Berzerk [1980, 6.0], Star Wars [1983, 6.5], Star Raiders [1979, 6.5], Blockade [1976, 5.5] (the first "snakes" game), Warlords [1980, 6.0], Missile Command [1980, 5.5], Centipede [1980, 6.0], Tank [1974, 6.5], Maneater [1975, 5.5], BiPlane [1976, 6.0], Tempest [1980, 7.0], Lunar Lander (1973, 6.0), Death Race [1976, 5.5], Frogger [1981, 6.0], Star Castle [1980, 5.5], Rip Off [1980, 6.0], Robotron: 2084 [1982, 5.5], and Sea Wolf [1976, 5.5].
Pac-Man [1980, 6.0] inspired dozens of maze games, including Targ [1980, 5.5] and Ms. Pac Man [1981, 6.0]. The innovative Qix [1981, 6.0] is best explained by mentioning its popular Windows successor, Jezzball [1992, 5.0]. Journey [1983, 5.0] introduced digitized graphics.
Space Invaders [1978, 6.0] created the popular vertical shooter format, to be followed by Ozma Wars [1979, 6.5], the RGB-color Galaxian [1979, 6.0], Sasuke Vs. Commander [1980, 5.5], Rally-X [1980, 6.0], and Phoenix [1980, 6.0], which used "boss" enemies, multi-part enemies, and shields. The sidways Defender [1980, 8.0] featured a scrolling game world in which significant events happened offscreen, shown on a radar. With its super-powerful secondary weapon, many controls and enemies, and high level of difficulty, it was the first "player's game."
The first multi-mission shooter was Gorf [1981, 5.5], followed by Scramble [1981, 6.0], Communist Mutants from Space [1982, 5.5] and Xevious [1982, 6.0]. The formulas of shooters were in place, to be elaborated in Gradius [1985, 6.0], Salamander [1986, 5.5], Slipheed [1987, 5.5], R-Type [1987, 5.5], Starquake [1988, 6.0], Raiden [1990, 5.5], Desert Strike [1992, 6.0], and Batsugun [1993, 5.5]. "Run 'n Gun" games combined shooters and platformers: Commando [1985, 6.0], the adventurous, atmospheric Metroid [1986, 7.0], Contra [1987, 5.5], Turrican [1990, 5.5], Gunstar Heroes [1993, 6.0], Metal Slug [1996, 5.5], and the multiplayer Liero [1999, 5.0]. Empire [1978, 7.0] combined run 'n gun with strategy.
Zaxxon [1982, 6.0] used a 3/4 isometric view. Tailgunner [1979, 6.0], Red Baron [1980, 6.5], Buck Rogers: Planet Of Zoom [1982, 5.5], Space Harrier [1985, 5.5], Solaris [1986, 5.5], Afterburner II [1987, 5.5], Star Fox [1993, 5.5], Panzer Dragoon [1995, 5.5], and the musical Rez [2002, 6.5] were scrolling shooters from a third- or first-person view.
Space Panic [1980, 6.0] and Donkey Kong [1981, 6.0] were early platformers; really, "climbing" games. The idea was expanded by Dig Dug [1982, 6.0], Miner 2049er [1982, 5.5], Congo Bongo [1983, 5.5], Jetpac [1983, 5.5], Lode Runner [1983, 5.5], Chuckie Egg [1983, 5.5], Mario Bros. [1983, 5.0], H.E.R.O. (1984, 5.5], and especially Pitfall! [1982, 6.5] and Jungle King [1982, 6.0]. Pac-Land [1984, 6.5] laid the formula for sidescrolling platform games.
Shigeru Miyamato, the most popular and reliable game designer of all times, took Pac-Land a step further and perfected the genre with Super Mario Bros. [1985, 8.5]. Each level was an organized map of platforms, powerups, enemies, objects, and more, which allowed for designed, creative varities of gameplay. In addition, the "easter egg" concept was taken to a new degree: there were entire secret levels. It revolutionized platform games, all genres of games, and game design.
Miyamoto continued to evolve the idea in Super Mario Bros. 2 [1986, 7.0], Super Mario Bros. 3 [1988, 6.5], and Super Mario World [1990, 6.5]. His second great masterpiece, Super Mario 64 [1996, 8.0], established the template for all 3D platform, adventure, and action games. The game made an unprecedented leap from 2D games using prerendered 3D sprites to a mature, free-roaming, fully 3D action-adventure essentially indistinguishable from its descendents a decade later. Non-Miyamoto Mario games include Yoshi's Island [1995, 6.5] and New Super Mario Bros. [2006, 6.5].
Other significant platform games include Joust [1982, 6.0], Manic Miner [1983, 5.5], Jet Set Willy [1984, 6.0], Alex Kidd in Miracle World [1986, 6.0], Castlevania [1986, 6.0], Mega Man [1987, 5.5], Wonderboy in Monsterland [1988, 6.0], Ghouls 'n Ghosts [1988, 6.0], Prince of Persia [1989, 6.0], Commander Keen [1990, 5.5], Sonic the Hedgehog [1991, 6.0], Another World [1991, 6.0], Gods [1991, 6.0], Flashback [1992, 5.5], ToeJam and Earl [1992, 6.0], Jazz Jackrabbit [1994, 5.5], Donkey Kong Country [1994, 5.5] and Vectorman [1995, 5.5], Jumping Flash! [1995, 5.5], Earthworm Jim 2 [1995, 6.0], Bug! [1995, 6.0], NiGHTS Into Dreams [1996, 6.0], Pandemonium [1996, 6.0], Castlevania: Symphony of the Night [1997, 5.5], Banjo-Kazooie [1998, 6.0], Jak and Daxter [2001, 6.5], Conker's Bad Fur Day [2001, 5.5], Tokobot [2005, 6.0], Ape Escape [1999, 5.5], N [2005, 5.5], Yoshi Touch & Go [2005, 5.5], Kirby Canvas Curse [2005, 6.0], and Psychonauts [2005, 5.5].
E.V.O.: Search for Eden [1992, 6.5] included RPG elements and had characters evolve new capabilities, growing from a basic fish to lifeforms like bird or even mermaid. Braid [2005, 6.0] explored time-control concepts. And Yet It Moves [2006, 5.5] gave the player level-rotation control.
After 3D Monster Maze [1981, 6.5], Dungeons of Daggorath [1982, 6.0], Koronis Rift [1985, 7.0], Driller [1987, 5.5], MIDI Maze [1987, 6.0], Xybots [1987, 6.0], and The Colony [1988, 7.0], John Carmack is most responsible for the evolution of modern first-person shooters, with Hovertank [1991, 5.0], Catacomb 3-D [1991, 6.0], Wolfenstein 3D [1992, 5.5], and especially DOOM [1993, 7.0] and the fully 3D Quake [1996, 6.5]. Marathon [1994, 6.0] (not fully 3D) and Half-Life [1998, 7.5] upped the ante for immersiveness and story-driven gameplay, Doom 3 [2004, 6.0] for lighting, and Half-Life 2 [2004, 6.5] for physics.
Other significant titles were Mechwarrior [1989, 6.5], Hired Guns [1993, 6.0], Pathways Into Darkness [1993, 6.0], System Shock [1994, 7.0], Descent [1994, 6.5], Mechwarrior 2 [1995, 6.0], Duke Nukem 3D [1996, 6.0], Terra Nova [1996, 6.0], GoldenEye 007 [1997, 6.0], S.C.A.R.A.B. [1997, 6.0], Damage Incorporated [1998, 5.5], Thief [1998, 6.5], Tribes [1998, 6.0], Unreal [1998, 6.0], Rainbow Six [1998, 6.0], System Shock 2 [1990, 6.5], Deus Ex [2000, 6.0], Operation Flashpoint [2001, 5.5], Red Faction [2001, 5.5], Halo [2001, 6.0], Metroid Prime [2002, 6.0], Painkiller [2004, 6.0], Far Cry [2004, 6.0], F.E.A.R. [2005, 6.0], Geist [2005, 6.0], Gears of War [2006, 5.5], and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl [2007, 6.0]. Battlefield 1942 [2002, 7.0] redefined internet gameplay.
Real-Time Strategy began with Stonkers [1983, 6.0], Ancient Art of War [1984, 5.5], and Nether Earth [1987, 6.0]. However, Herzog Zwei [1989, 6.0] and Dune II [1992, 6.5] introduced the basic concepts that have remained unchanged in Command and Conquer [1995, 6.5], Warcraft II [1996, 5.5], Age of Empires [1997, 6.0], Total Annihilation [1997, 6.0], Starcraft [1998, 5.5], Enemy Nations [1997, 5.5], Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns [2001, 5.5], and in 3D: Emperor: Battle for Dune [2001, 5.0], Empire Earth [2001, 6.0], Warcraft 3 [2002, 6.0], Rise of Nations [2003, 6.0], and Age of Empires III [2005, 6.0]. The most immersive language of RTS was coined by Homeworld [1999, 7.5], set in the lonely vastness of deep space. It introduced fully 3D movement and a persistent fleet. Its story was one of the most moving in videogame history.
Real-Time Tactical games focused on conflict operations instead of base-building and resource-gathering. Examples include Syndicate [1993, 6.5], Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat [1995, 6.0], Myth [1997, 6.0], Gettysburg! [1997, 6.0], Commandos [1998, 5.5], Shogun: Total War [2000, 6.0], and Full Spectrum Warrior [2004, 5.5].
The Settlers [1993, 5.5], Dungeon Keeper [1997, 5.5], Battlezone [1998, 6.5], Sacrifice [2000, 6.0], Pikmin [2001, 6.0], and Hostile Water [2001, 5.5] were creative. Battle Realms [2001, 5.5] focuses on a small number of units, and Kessen [2000, 5.0] uses RTT merely as a venue for its story. Eastern Front [1997, 5.5] was turn-based but the computer played while you did. Savage [2003, 6.0] is a real-time strategy FPS. Mudcraft [2005, 5.0] lacks enemies and competition.
Sokoban [1980, 6.0] consisted of complicated mazes with pushable blocks. Other elements were added by Bomber Man [1983, 6.0], Repton [1984, 5.5], Eggerland Mystery [1985, 5.5], Bambuzal [1988, 5.5], Chip's Challgenge [1989, 5.5], Darwin's Dilemma [1990, 5.5], Pushover [1992, 5.0], Elements [1994, 5.5], Deadly Rooms of Death [1997, 5.5], and MESH: Hero's Hearts [1998, 5.5]. Tetris [1985, 6.0] (the most available game of all times) preceded a multitude of visual matching games, including Chain Shot! [1985, 5.5], Uncle Henry's Nuclear Waste Dump [1986, 5.0], Klax [1989, 5.5], Puzznic [1989, 5.5], Puyo Puyo [1991, 5.5], and Lumines [2005, 6.0].
Many puzzle games were also platformers, for example Montezuma's Revenge [1984, 6.0], The Lost Vikings [1992, 5.5], Boulder Dash [1984, 5.5], Gyromite [1985, 5.5] (played with the help of a robot), Oddworld [1997, 5.0], Seiklus [2003, 5.0] and Professor Fizzwizzle [2005, 5.5]. The most brilliant was Lemmings [1991, 8.0], which required players to guide hordes of lemmings by applying actions like digging, bridge building, or blocking to "lead" lemmings as they all walked mindlessly through platform obstacles. Multiplayer invited players to misguide the other's horde. There were many sequels and clones, including Troddlers [1993, 6.0] and Creepers [1993, 6.0].
Some games asked the player to build working structures, such as Pinball Construction Set [1983, 6.5], Pipe Mania [1989, 5.5], The Incredible Machine [1993, 6.5], and Pontifex [2001, 6.0]. Some were narrative collections of multiple puzzles, for example The Fool's Errand [1987, 6.0], The 7th Guest [1993, 6.0], and Myst [1993, 6.0]. Others were Black Box [1978, 5.5] and Minesweeper [1989, 5.0], Atomix [1990, 5.5], Gobliiins [1991, 5.5], Bust-a-Move [1994, 5.0], and ChuChu Rocket! [2000, 5.5].
Also: The Sentinal [1986, 6.0], Endorfun [1995, 5.5], Icebreaker [1996, 5.5], Devil Dice [1998, 6.0], Fairy Dust [2003, 5.5], Meteos [2005, 5.5].
Night Driver [1976, 6.0] introduced 3rd-person driving, expanded and improved by Speed Freak [1977, 6.5], Pole Position [1982, 7.0], Out Run [1986, 5.5], Test Drive [1987, 5.5], Top Fuel Eliminator [1987, 5.5], Virtua Racing [1992, 6.0], Need for Speed [1994, 6.0], Andretti Racing [1994, 6.0], Hi-Octane [1995, 5.5], Gran Turismo [1998, 6.0], Driver [2000, 5.5] and Burnout [2001, 5.5]. Bike racing arrived with 3D Death Chase [1983, 5.5] and the sidescrolling Excitebike [1984, 6.0], which included a level editor. The isometric Racing Destruction Set [1985, 6.5] had fully customizable levels. Other motorcycle games were Kikstart: Off-Road Simulator [1985, 6.0], Motocross [1989, 6.0], Motocross Championship [1994, 5.0], and Motocross Madness [1998, 5.5].
There were also cartoonish kart racers like Super Mario Kart [1992, 6.0] and fast-paced futuristic racers like F-Zero [1990, 6.0] and Wipeout [1995, 5.5]. Stunts were a focus in Stunt Car Racer [1989, 6.0], Stunts [1990, 5.5] and San Francisco Rush [1997, 5.5]. Body stunts and racing are the foci of games like Excitebike 64 [2000, 6.0].
Vehicular combat after Tank, Battlezone, and Combat [1977, 6.0] included racers: Spy Hunter [1983, 6.5], Mach Rider [1985, 5.0], Major Motion [1986, 5.5], Roadblasters [1987, 5.0], Deathtrack [1989, 5.5], Quarantine [1996, 5.5], and arena fighters: Twisted Metal [1995, 6.0], Interstate '76 [1997, 5.5], Tread Marks [2000, 5.5], and Cel Damage [2001, 6.0].
Warrior [1978, 6.0] was the first head-to-head fighter, and Karate Champ [1984, 5.5] provided the standard side-view formula. The genre was evolved by Street Fighter [1987, 6.0], Reikai Doushi [1988, 6.0], Street Fighter II [1991, 6.5], Mortal Kombat [1992, 5.5] (which used digitized characters), Samurai Shodown [1993, 5.5], King of Fighters [1994, 5.5], Virtua Fighter [1993, 5.5] in 3D, Soul Caliber [1998, 6.5], and Super Smash Bros. [1999, 6.0].
Chuck Norris Superkicks [1983, 5.5] and Kung Fu Master [1984, 6.0] were the first "brawlers", followed by Renegade [1986, 5.5], Double Dragon [1987, 6.0], Final Fight [1989, 5.5], Golden Axe [1989, 6.0], Die Hard Arcade [1996, 5.0], The Bouncer [2000, 5.5], Viewtiful Joe [2003, 6.0], and others.
M.U.L.E. [1983, 8.0] was the seminal economic simulation. Perhaps the first game to make effective use of multiplayer in the modern sense (not the Pong sense), M.U.L.E. set players on planet Irata, competing with each other for resources but also cooperating to ensure the colony's survival. Gameplay rules were elegantly simple but allowed for an infinite number of strategies and gameplay scenarios.
The prophet of sim games was Will Wright, who crafted the ultimate city/economic/political simulation in SimCity [1989, 7.0] (preceded by Utopia [1982, 6.5]). SimEarth [1990, 6.0] upped the scale, SimAnt [1991, 6.0] shrunk the scale, SimCity 2000 [1993, 6.5] evolved the idea, and SimCopter [1996, 6.0] and Streets of Sim City [1997, 5.5] immersed players in the simulated worlds. His second masterpiece was The Sims [2000, 7.0], a brilliant virtual dollhouse, followed by The Sims 2 [2004, 6.5]. Will Wright spinoffs included SimLife [1992, 5.5], Caesar [1993, 6.0], SimTower [1994, 5.0], SimTown 1995, 4.5], SimIsle [1995, 5.5], and Immortal Cities [2004, 6.5]. ActRaiser [1991, 6.0] combined SimCity and platformer, and Stronghold [1993, 6.0] combined SimCity with real-time strategy.
Other economic simulations were Railroad Tycoon [1990, 6.0], A320 Airbus [1991, 6.0], Air Bucks [1992, 5.5], Detroit [1993, 5.5], 1830 [1993, 6.0], Airlines [1994, 5.5], Transport Tycoon [1994, 5.5], Theme Park [1994, 6.0], Capitalism [1995, 5.5], Hollywood Mogul [1995, 6.0], Industry Giant [1997, 5.0], Entrepreneur [1997, 5.5], Rollercoaster Tycoon [1999, 6.0], Zoo Tycoon [2001, 5.0], and Monopoly Tycoon [2001, 5.5].
Little Computer People [1985, 6.5] was the original life simulation, followed by Jones in the Fast Lane [1991, 5.5], My Life My Love [1991, 5.5], Harvest Moon [1997, 5.5], Animal Crossing [2001, 6.5], and Viva Piñata [2006, 5.5]. Classmates [1992, 5.5], Angelique [1994, 5.0], Tokimeki Memorial [1994, 5.5], and Singles [2004, 4.5] were dating-specific simulations, and MacPlaymate [1986, 5.0] was a sex simulator. Dogz [1995, 4.5], Tamagotchi [1997, 4.0], Seaman [1999, 5.0] and Nintendogs [2005, 5.0] were pet simulators. In Kennedy Approach [1985, 5.5], the player was an air traffic controller.
Elite [1984, 7.0] was a masterful space trading game. Stunt Island [1992, 6.0] and The Movies [2005, 6.5] simulate movie-making. Uplink [2001, 5.5] is a computer hacking sim. Creatures [1996, 7.0] is an artificial life simulation using genetics. Gyakuten Saiban [5.0, 2001] was a lawyer simulation.
Flight simulators include Airfight [1973, 6.0], Flight Simulator 1 [1980, 5.0], Pilotwings [1990, 6.0], Falcon 3.0 [1991, 6.0], Flight Simulator 4.5 [1993, 6.0], Star Wars: X-Wing [1993, 6.0], Space Simulator [1994, 6.0], Flight Unlimited [1995, 5.5], AH-64D Longbow [1996, 5.5], the futuristic Hardwar [1998, 5.5], Orbiter [2000, 6.0], IL-2 Sturmovik [2001, 5.5], and Flight Simulator 2002 [2001, 6.0]. Wing Commander [1990, 6.5] was notable for its cinematic presentation and system-specific damage. Many of these constantly evolve, rather than being replaced by improved successors.
Hunter [1991, 6.5] was an open, 3D landscape ready for violence and vehicles, followed by Body Harvest [1998, 6.5], Grand Theft Auto [1998, 6.0] and Grand Theft Auto III [2001, 6.5]; the popularity of this last title sent games of all genres back to the drawing board immediately. Cannon Fodder [1993, 6.0] used RTS elements, as did Darwinia [2005, 5.5]. Third-person shooters include Max Payne [2001, 6.5], The Suffering [2004, 5.5], and Star Wars: Battlefront [2004, 5.5]. Bully [2006, 6.0] was among the more poignant
Marble Madness [1984, 6.5] had players guide a rolling ball through 3D, Escher-like tiled landscapes. Super Glove Ball [1990, 5.5] was a 3D Breakout clone controlled by a glove worn by the player. Odama [2006, 5.5] is a pinball/RTS hybrid. I, Robot [1983, 6.5] required players to navigate surrealstic shapes of filled polygons. Disorientation [2006, 6.0] is a top-down maze game in which the challenge is a radically distorting POV. LocoRoco [2006, 5.5] was a simple diversion.
Others include Snipes [1982, 5.5], Reactor [1982, 5.0], Bomberman [1983, 5.5], Wizball [1987, 6.5], Pyro II [1990, 5.5], Smash TV [1990, 5.5], Crazy Lunch [2004, 5.5] and Katamari Damacy [2004, 6.5]. Gauntlet [1985, 6.5] was a "hack 'n slash" RPG with simultaneous play. Cloud [2005, 6.0] is a soothing anti-action game.
Sid Meier was the genius of strategy games. Pirates! [1987, 7.0] was open-ended, player-driven, and brilliantly blended a variety of strategy and skill requirements. Civilization [1991, 7.5] was his tour-de-force, having players manage civilizations through many ages and technologies. It featured some of the richest gameplay of all times. Civilization served as a template for its sequels, Civilization II [1996, 6.5], Civilzation III [2001, 5.5], and Civilization IV [2005, 6.0], and Colonization [1994, 6.0] and Alpha Centauri [1999, 6.5].
Peter Molyneux created Populous [1989, 7.0], Powermonger [1990, 6.5], the innovative Magic Carpet [1994, 7.0], and Black & White [2001, 7.0], his masterpiece.
Other varied strategy games were Chaos [1984, 5.0], Romance of the Three Kingdoms [1986, 5.5], Defender of the Crown [1986, 5.5], Lords of Conquest [1986, 5.5], Nectaris [1989, 6.0], King's Bounty [1990, 6.0], Ogre Battle [1993, 5.5], Master of Orion [1993, 6.0], Galactic Civilizations [1994, 5.5], Stars! [1995, 5.5], Silent Storm [2003, 5.5] Viva Pinata [2006, 6.5].
Turn-based artillery games include Scorched Earth [1991, 6.0] and Worms [1994, 6.0]. Star Control [1990, 6.0] was Spacewar! with strategy elements, and Star Control II [1992, 6.5] was an absorbing improvement, foreshadowing the immersiveness of Homeworld.
All popular sports were made into videogames. By the mid-90s, most were released as slightly-improved, annual upgrades.
Baseball: World Series Baseball [1983, 6.5] introduced multiple camera angles and play-by-play commentary. Earl Weaver Baseball [1987, 6.0] and Tony La Russa Baseball [1991, 6.0] introduced basically everything else. Others were World Championship Baseball [1983, 5.5], Realsports Baseball [1983, 5.5], Hardball [1985, 5.5], Pete Rose Baseball [1988, 5.5], Old Time Baseball [1995, 5.5], Triple Play [1996, 5.5], etc.
Basketball: One on One [1983, 5.5], Street Sports Basketball [1987, 5.5], TV Sports Basketball [1989, 6.0], Omni-play Basketball [1990, 5.5], The Basket Manager [1990, 5.5], NBA Jam [1993, 5.5], NBA Live '95 [1994, 5.5], etc.
Football: Kick Off [1989, 6.0], Sensible Soccer [1992, 6.0], European Club Soccer [1992, 5.5], FIFA International Soccer [1994, 6.0], Perfect Eleven [1994, 6.0], etc.
American Football: Tecmo Bowl [1989, 6.0], John Madden Football [1989, 6.0], Madden NFL '94 [1993, 5.5], NFL Blitz [1998, 5.0], NFL 2K [1999, 5.5], NFL Street [2004, 5.0], etc.
Golf: Golf [1978, 5.5], Miniature Golf [1979, 5.0], PGA Golf [1980, 5.5], Royal Birkdale Championship Golf [1983, 5.5], World Tour Golf [1988, 6.0], SimGolf [1996, 5.5], Hot Shots Golf [1997, 5.5], Mario Golf [1999, 5.5], etc.
Hockey: Ice Hockey [1981, 5.5], Slap Shot [1984, 6.0], Face Off! [1987, 6.0], NHL Hockey [1991, 5.5], Mutant League Hockey [1994, 5.0], NHL Powerplay '96 [1996, 5.5], etc.
Boxing: Star Rank Boxing [1985, 6.0], Mike Tyson's Punch-Out [1987, 6.0], Knockout Kings [1998, 5.5], Fight Night 2004 [2004, 6.0], etc.
Wrestling: Bop'N Wrestle [1985, 6.0], Safari Hunt [1986, 5.0], WWF Royal Rumble [1993, 5.0], WWF War Zone [1998, 5.5], Cabela's Big Game Hunter [2000, 5.0], etc.
Hunting and Fishing: Fishing Derby [1980, 4.5], Jack Charlton's Match Fishing [1985, 4.5], Gone Fishin' [1994, 4.5], Trophy Bass [1996, 5.5], Deer Hunter [1997, 5.5], Shark! Hunting the Great White [2001, 5.0], etc.
Extreme Sports: Skiing [1980, 4.5], Mogul Maniac [1983, 5.0], Downhill Challenge [1987, 5.0], and Ski or Die [1990, 5.0] were skiing games. Skate or Die [1987, 6.0] and 720º [1987, 6.0] launched trick-focused skateboarding games, brought to 3D by Tony Hawk's Pro Skater [1999, 6.5]. Similar gameplay was found in snowboarding (1080° Snowboarding [1998, 6.0], Soul Ride [2000, 5.5], and SSX [2000, 5.5], ), surfing Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer [2002, 5.5]), inline skating (Aggressive Inline [2002, 5.0]), BMX biking (Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX [2000, 5.5]), scooters (Razor Freestyle Scooter [2000, 5.0]), and sky surfing (Sky Surfer [2001, 4.5]). Others were Jet Grind Radio [2000, 5.5] and Tony Hawk's American Wasteland [2005, 5.5].
Tennis: Tennis [1980, 5.0], Match Point [1984, 6.0], Tennis Ace [1989, 5.5], International 3D Tennis [1990, 5.5], Pete Sampras Tennis [1994, 5.5], Mario Tennis [2000, 5.5], Virtua Tennis [2000, 5.5], etc.
Various: Track & Field [1982, 5.5], Super Dodge Ball [1988, 5.5], Speedball [1988, 5.5], Caveman Ugh-lympcis [1989, 5.0], Projectyle [1990, 6.0], Hyperblade [1996, 5.5], etc.
Many games combined a variety of sporting events, for example Summer Games [1984, 5.0], Winter Games [1986, 5.5], California Games [1987, 5.5], Circus Attractions [1989, 5.0], etc.
Interactive fiction matured with Adventureland [1978, 5.5], Mystery House [1982, 6.0] added graphics, and The Pawn [1985, 5.5] and Spellcasting 101 [1990, 5.5] rounded out the genre. Interactive fiction continued with "interactive movies" like Dragon's Lair [1983, 5.5] and Night Trap [1992, 4.5], and with "visual novels" like ToHeart [1997, 5.0] and Kanon [1999, 5.0], and "sound novel" Machi [1998, 5.5]. The Last Express [1997, 6.0] was a first-person adventure movie. Galatea [6.0, 2000] improved NPC conversation and dramatic structure.
Early graphical adventures were Stuart Smith's Ali Baba [1981, 5.5], Return of Heracles [1982, 5.5], and Adventure Construction Set [1984, 6.0]. King's Quest [1983, 7.0] laid the formula for all graphical adventures, including Leisure Suit Larry [1987, 5.5], Manic Mansion [1987, 5.5], Shadowgate [1987, 5.0], LOOM [1990, 6.5], The Secret of Monkey Island [1990, 6.0], Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis [1992, 5.5], The Journeyman Project [1992, 5.5], Day of the Tentacle [1993, 5.5], Sam & Max Hit the Road [1993, 5.5], Full Throttle [1995, 6.0], The Neverhood [1997, 5.5], and Sanitarium [1998, 5.0]. Others were Grim Fandango [1998, 6.0], Syberia [2002, 5.5], and Fahrenheit [2005, 6.5].
Miyamato's Legend of Zelda [1986, 7.5] was a mix of action-adventure, RPG, and puzzles (preceded by Adventure [1978, 6.0] and Swordquest [1982, 5.0]). Many of its sequels were also significant, including The Adventure of Link [1987, 5.5], A Link to the Past [1991, 6.0], Ocarina of Time [1998, 7.0], Majora's Mask [2000, 6.0], The Wind Waker [2002, 5.5], Four Swords Adventures [2004, 5.5], and The Minish Cap [2004, 5.5]. Okami [2006, 6.5] had the player battle enemies and solve puzzles by drawing symbols with a virtual brush.
Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear [1987, 6.5] featured stealth-based action, followed by Metal Gear 2 [1990, 5.5], the cinematic Metal Gear Solid [1998, 6.5], and Metal Gear Solid 3 [2004, 6.0]. Also: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell [2002, 6.0].
Other significant action-adventure games were Atic Atac [1983, 5.5], Knight Lore [1984, 5.5], Tir Na Nog [1984, 6.0], Starquake [1984, 5.0], Pyjamarama [1984, 5.5], Mercenary [1985, 5.5], Exile [1988, 5.0], Cadaver [1990, 5.5], Tomb Raider [1996, 5.0], and Super Paper Mario [2007, 5.5].
Perhaps the earliest scary game was Zork-clone The Lurking Horror [1987, 5.5], but the survival/horror genre was born with Sweet Home [1989, 5.5]. Later came Alone in the Dark [1992, 6.0], Clock Tower: The First Fear [1995, 5.5], D [1995, 5.5], Resident Evil [1996, 5.5], Parasite Eve [1998, 6.0], Fear Effect [2000, 6.0], Resident Evil 4 [2005, 6.5], and others. Silent Hill [1999, 6.0], Fatal Frame [2001, 5.5], Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem [2002, 6.0], and Siren [2003, 5.5] focused on psychological terror.
RPGs developed after early Dungeons & Dragons clones with Odyssey: The Compleat Apventure [1978, 6.5], Akalabeth [1980, 6.0], Wizardry [1981, 5.5], Ultima I [1980, 6.0], Ultima III [1983, 7.0], Dragon Quest [1986, 6.0], Starflight [1986, 6.0], NetHack [1987, 6.0], Dungeon Master [1987, 6.5], Might and Magic [1987, 5.5], Phantasy Star [1987, 6.0], Final Fantasy [1987, 5.5], Pool of Radiance [1988, 5.5], Wasteland [1988, 6.5], Quest for Glory [1989, 6.0], Ultima VI [1990, 5.5], Ultima Underworld [1992, 6.5], The Elder Scrolls: Arena [1994, 5.5], Terranigma [1995, 5.5], Super Mario RPG [1996, 5.5], Diablo [1996, 6.0], Fallout [1997, 5.5], Final Fantasy VII [1998, 5.5], Pokemon [1998, 5.5], Baldur's Gate [1998, 5.5], Paper Mario [2000, 5.5], Vagrant Story [2000, 6.0], Diablo II [2000, 5.5], Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic [2003, 6.0], and Fable [2004, 6.0].
The best was Ultima IV [1985, 7.5], which did not provide an evil to overcome, and instead focused on the development of a virtuous life. Even character setup was a moral test. Darklands [1992, 7.0] innovated several concepts, such as sandbox RPG play and age significance.
MMOs typically enable dozens or thousands of players to interact in an online, persistent world, and translate existing game mechanics to multiplayer structures. The earliest were a combat flight simulator, Air Warrior [1987, 6.5], and a space combat game, SubSpace [1996, 6.0], but the most popular were online RPGs: Neverwinter Nights [1991, 6.5], Ultima Online [1997, 6.5], EverQuest [1998, 6.0], Phantasy Star Online [2000, 6.0], Dark Age of Camelot [2001, 6.0], EVE Online [2003, 6.0], City of Heroes [2004, 5.5], Star Sonata [2004, 5.5], World of Warcraft [2004, 6.0], and Guild Wars [2005, 5.5].
Planetside [2003, 5.5] was an MMOFPS, Mankind [1998, 5.5] an MMORTS, and 10six [2000, 6.5] combined FPS and RTS elements in an MMO. Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates [2004, 5.5] is an MMO puzzle game. Other online games include Furcadia [1996, 6.5], Motor City Online [2001, 5.5], The Sims Online [2002, 5.5], Jumpgate [2001, 6.0], and the flexible Second Life [2003, 6.0].
Touch Me [1974, 6.0] invented rhythm games and inspired the electronic toy Simon. Much later, PaRappa the Rapper [1996, 6.5] revived rhythm games. Gameplay was identical in nearly all successors, though the interface was different: a turntable and keyboard for Beatmania [1997, 5.5], a dancing pad for Dance Dance Revolution [1998, 5.5], a guitar for GuitarFreaks [1998, 5.5], a drumset for DrumMania [1999, 5.5], etc. Others were Space Channel 5 [1999, 5.0], FreQuency [2001, 5.5], the flawed musical platformer Vic-Ribbon [1999, 5.5], Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan [2005, 5.5], and Gitaroo-Man [2006, 6.0]. Electroplankton [2005, 5.5] was a music-making "toy". Trauma Center: Under the Knife [2006, 5.5] simulated surgery. Mindball [2003, 4.5] was played with brain waves.
Some non-rhythm games utilized unusual control interfaces, for example a urinal in Urine Control [2002, 4.0]. Several "videogames" merely used video clips to enhance a non-video game, for example Scene It? [2004, 3.5]. Mario Party [1998, 6.0], Feel the Magic XY/XX [2004, 5.5], and others were collections of minigames. Darwin [1961, 5.0] and Core War [1984, 5.0] were programming games. Nom [2003, 6.0], for cellular phones, features one-buttn play and requires players to rotate the screen itself (the phone). Boktai [2003, 6.0], with a solar sensor, let real-world sunlight affect gameplay.
Augmented reality games overlay computer graphics onto a real-world environment, for example Eye Toy [2003, 5.0] and SingStar [2004, 4.5], Skeeter [2004, 4.0], Attack of the Killer Virus [2004, 4.0], and Battleboard 3D [2003, 4.5]. Another is The Invisible Train [2005, 6.0], a multi-user, augmented reality game for handheld devices. Virtual reality tech demos include VirtuSphere, Human Pacman, and others.
Games from a variety of genres focus on education - for example The Oregon Trail [1971, 6.0], Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? [1985, 5.5], Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing [1994, 4.0], and MOOSE Crossing [1997, 6.5] - or activism, for example Disaffected! [2005, 5.0].
In the 2000s, videogames began to merge with traditional broadcast media. For example, MVP 06: NCAA Baseball [2006, 6.0] featured live audio updates from ESPN via a network (and a new bat-swing control scheme).
xBlocks [2005, 6.0] was a platformer projected on a real-world 3D structure. a.shooter [2005, 5.0] used an audio interface instead of a visual one. Jane McGonigal developed big-scale, collaborative play in public spaces. Her games occasionally overlap with videogaming, for example with Organum for art book, animated film, and videogame. iHack [2006, 5.5] challenged players' hacking ability without simulation. The Philips Entertaible [2006, 4.5] was a board game played on an LCD touch-screen.
The Ghost in the Cave [2003, 6.0] was a collaborative videogame for two teams. Some players control avatars through voice or body movement. Other participants influence the music with body movement.
In 2006, the 3D-motion- and rotation-sensing controller for Nintendo's revolutionary Wii console brought entirely new gameplay experiences to every genre: shooters (), platformers (Rayman Raving Rabbids [2006, 5.5]), FPS (Call of Duty 3 [2006, 5.5]), RTS (), puzzle (), driving (Excite Truck [2006, 5.5]), fighters (), simulations (Trauma Center: Second Opinion [2006, 5.5]), action (Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz [2006, 5.5], Elebits [2006, 5.5]), strategy (), sports (Wii Sports [2006, 5.5], Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam [2006, 5.5], Madden NFL 07 [2006, 6.0], SSX Blur [2007, 5.5]), adventure (The Twilight Princess [2006, 6.5]), RPG (), and other genres (WarioWare: Smooth Moves [2007, 5.5]).
By the late 2000s, videogames began to achieve status as art among the populace, and especially in academia. A few universities now offered game development courses, and ludology grew by leaps and bounds. Where commercial concerns did not favor innovation, academia dragged the art form into a new era, and avant games were born. Jenova Chen, for example, summarized research on applying Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow theory to dynamic difficulty adjustment in game design to provide an optimal gaming experience, illustrated in his Flow [2005, 5.5].
Façade [2005, 7.0], one of the greatest videogame experiments of all times, tried to provide revolutionary interactive drama experience through natural language processing and conversational A.I., but the engine did not match the ambitious design.
Fumito Ueda made epic, minimalist games: Ico [2001, 6.5] and the brilliant Shadow of the Colossus [2005, 7.0].
The Greatest Videogames of All Times
8.5
1. Spacewar! [1961, Stephen Russel] link
2. Super Mario Bros. [1985, Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo] link
8.0
3. M.U.L.E. [1983, Dan Bunten for Ozark Softscape] link
4. Super Mario 64 [1996, Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo] link
5. Defender [1980, Eugene Jarvis for Williams Electronics] link
6. Lemmings [1991, David Jones for DMA Design] link
7.5 (chronologically)
Spasim [1974, Jim Bowery] link
Battlezone [1980, Ed Rotberg for Atari] link
Ultima IV [1985, Richard Garriott for Origin Systems] link
The Legend of Zelda [1986, Shigeru Miyamato for Nintendo] link
Civilization [1991, Sid Meier for Microprose] link
Half-Life [1998, Randall Pitchford II for Valve] link
Homeworld [1999, Erin Daly for Relic Entertainment] link
7.0
Maze War (1974)
Empire (1978)
Tempest (1980)
Pole Position (1982)
King's Quest (1983)
Ultima III (1983)
Elite (1984)
Koronis Rift (1985)
Metroid (1986)
Pirates! (1987)
The Colony (1988)
Populous (1989)
SimCity (1989)
Darklands (1992)
DOOM (1993)
Magic Carpet (1994)
System Shock (1994)
Creatures (1996)
Ocarina of Time (1998)
The Sims (2000)
Black & White (2001)
Battlefield 1942 (2002)
Façade (2005)
Shadow of the Colossus (2005)
Selected Bibliography
GIDb
Home of the Underdogs
A Critical History of Electronic Games (to which I have contributed)
A History of Video Game Innovations
Supercade: a Visual History of the Videogame Age 1971-1984 by van Burnham
The Killer List of Video Games
PONG-Story
The Ultimate History of Video Games by Stephen Kent
Wikipedia
Videogame History 101
Computer Gaming World's 1996 "150 Best Games of All Time for the PC"
The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers
A Time Line of Events Relevant to Computer and Video Games (and links)
Essential 50
Top 200 Games of Their Time
Videogames of the Oppressed by Gonzalo Frasca
All Game Guide
Avant Gaming
Video Games and the Philosophy of Art
Are Video Games Art?
[Always Under Construction]
I really like this list. It's been quite a few years since I've been into video games, but I've been remembering some of them with fondness. In particular I've always been fond of the platforms (cartoony style) and the puzzles. Tetris 2, puzzle mode was always a favourite. I, too, really liked Lemmings.
This list has actually made me want to get a system again. Damn you! Just when I'd decided not to get any tv stations because tv is taking up too much time. Video games can be even worse!
This is really cool. I can't wait to read some of the other categories.
Thanks for your interest. Alas, work on genres Driving and beyond is difficult for me because I haven't played as many of the relevant games as I have with, say, Platformers. Feedback, input, and recommendations are welcome!
Great list, extremely informative. I can't say I agree with practically any of your ratings for these games, but its the differences that make us all interesting now isn't it.
A few recommendations to get a "feel" of the genres you said are a little murky for you:
Simulation Games- Sim City, Sim City 2000, the Sims. For less-conventional Sims (which are more like History-Sims, mized with an arseload of Strategy), check out anything by Paradox Interactive (I recommend Europa Universalis 2 and Hearts of Iron 2, though).
Sports Games- The original Madden, as well as the Looney Toons Basketball pretty much grew me up. I'd also recommend the first Blitz, NFL 2k2 (unlicensed); as well as College Hoops 2k6 and NCAA Football 2006, both are great finds.
Adventure Games- I'd definitely check out the Playstation Resident Evils, to get a feel of the "early" adventure games (though, not early at all compared to Spacewar!). The Nintendo 64 was basically an adventure game explosion, with titles like Glover, Banjo Kazooie, and Super Mario 64. Let's not forget the Spyro and Crash Bandicoot series. For this category, I'd aim "kiddy" (and, of course, ANYTHING that has to do with Zelda and Mario).
Roleplaying Games- These I can't really help you with. Diablo and Diablo II are two amazing games and basically sum the genre up, however, for lighter experiences there's Neverwinter Nights, Knights of the Old Republic, and Jade Empire for you to check out.
Rythym Games- Look no further than HarMonix's FreQuency and its much better sequel, Amplitude. Parappa the Rappa, the recent Guitar Hero and the Playstation's Dance Dance Revolution are other recommended games for the genre.
Again the games I recommend above will just help you get a feel of the genre, most of which were pretty important to how its respective area developed. And what's with the 6.0 for Starcraft!?
Thanks for the recommendations! I hadn't heard of several of those titles.
The ratings, as I note at the top of the article, have little to do with how good or polished or pretty or fun or popular a game is. Instead, they hope to reflect a historian's perspective on gaming, particularly which games brought qualitative innovations. Starcraft was frickin' awesome, but like most RTS games it is not terribly innovative; basically just more units, more technology, high production values, etc. And I loved the hell out of Banjo-Kazooie but it was basically Super Mario 64 with better graphics, better-tuned gameplay mechanics, etc. Super Mario 64 was the important title from a historian's perspective. So, the ratings do not reflect how "good" or "fun" a game is, though those are minor factors.
I'm sure it wasn't completely innovative (basically just a suped-up version of Warcraft II), but, let's face it: there wouldn't be online gaming if it weren't for Starcraft. I'm not radical or anything, believe me, I'm just saying. In fact, I'm thoroughly enjoying this list as it progresses.
I fully disagree about Starcraft being so important for online gaming. Hell, networked multiplayer gaming was happening as early as 1973! And I haven't even written my "Online" section yet.
I will fight you.
(XD.)
If Starcraft is our battleground, I am sure you will win.
Only joking. I'm not like that. I was just mocking children about 'taking this outside' or whatever.
Still I stand by my Starcraft comments, it was an extremely important game and pretty much vital to the Strategy game as we know it.
Well, dang, I lost my flash drive with all my notes for this and I am greatly discouraged from continuing it. But I probably should be putting my efforts toward more important quests, anyway.
Yay! Found my flash drive, but I'm still going to put this project on hold. Here are my own notes, for future reference:
Eyetoy, Singstar, Endorfun, Autoduel, Seiklus, Troddlers
World Series Baseball 1983, first videogame to use multiple camera angles
Hardwar, Magic Carpet, Giants: Citizen Kabuto, Elite (1984)
Joe Montana Sportstalk Football II (first play-by-play commentary)
Hunter (GTA precursor), Seaman, Hey You Pikachu, The Quest for the Rings, The Journey to Wild Divine
Darwinia, Uplink, Wizball (1987)
Firefighter (first button masher)
Oregon Trail (1971), Stunt Cycle (1976), Basketball (1979)
Lady Bug (1981), Make Trax (1981), Space Odyssey (1981), Turbo (1981), Wizard of Wor (1981), Disco No. (1982), Joust (1982), Kangaroo (1982), Reactor (1982), Satan's Hollow, Tutankham (1982), Wacko (1982), Astron Belt (1983), Congo Bongo (1983), Crossbow (1983), M.A.C.H. 3 (1983), Mario Bros. (1983), Tropical Angel (1983), 720 Degrees (1984), Paperboy (1984), Punch Out! (1984), Samurai Nipponichi (1984)
More notes:
Eastern Front (the computer played at the same time that you did). Also, there was a chess variant in which both players moved at the same time (Killer Chess).
Just to let you all know, Will Wright's Spore may be one of the most important games that will be released this decade, and Wright explains the current state of video games (and a little of the video game industry) in this video, and demonstrates Spore in this video.
Animations, abilities, appearances of your species are all generated procedurally based on how you shape its skeleton and functional parts. Give it 20 legs a too-heavy head and it will walk, hunt, flee, and mate like it has 20 legs with a too-heavy head. Frickin' awesome.
Meh. Innovative? Sure. And I'm sure the novelty of creating a weird creature will be really fun for like an hour. But the game doesn't seem like it has a solid enough story to keep ya playing.
Will talks about story as the result of consequences to the player's creative actions, and the story is totally in their hands, instead of being tied to a story that is totally out of your control. I can enjoy both approaches, if they are done well.
Have you played the game Star Control 2? A Scaruffian historian might appreciate its synthesis of the space combat, adventure, and strategy genres.
I haven't. I've read of it, and still can't decide what I should write about it, if anything.
It's definitely worth checking out, imho. It's well regarded (ranked 29 on one of the lists you link), although I'm not sure of its exact historical value. I just like it because it's open-ended and blends together a bunch of different styles of games. Also, have you played Civilization 2 at all? It's my favorite game ever, although I guess it's just an improvement over the first one, so it's historical value may not be very high.
After further research, I've added Star Control II. I appreciate all input!
I don't know if you watched the whole video but it looks pretty extensive, it gets much much bigger than simply creating a creature... it looks pretty amazing to me.
The creature part looked most interesting to me because it hadn't been done before. The later stages look like simplified versions of SimCity or Age of Empires. Hopefully the later stages' gameplay will be very dependent on what kind of creature you have created, or else the later stages will be boring quickly. I could probably create 20 creatures and still be entertained at the creature stage of the game, though.
We'll see.
well naturally i know nothing of other games, but i did assume the later stages were much more simple versions of other things, but when you add that to the creature stuff it seems like it gives it a whole new touch.
I'm not sure what your source was for the creator of Defender, but it was designed and programmed by Larry DeMar and Eugene Jarvis (who did Robotron.)
Oops! Thanks. Say, whaddya think of the first paragraph of the Preface? (the content, not the writing)
I don't get it. Is this a hoax?
Heh, xBlocks got BoingBoinged.
I've just send the following to Roger Ebert, who has, many times, argued against videogames as art.
So I can keep my own train of thought on this emerging issue straight, my comment on Henry Jenkins' blog:
And Rhys Chatham: "In early compositions by Christian Wolff, the general principle resembled a game: for example, the action of one musician, whenever he initiated it, would set off the action of another musician. In Play, by Morton Subotnick, the rules are as definite as a board game; in certain places, depending on what happens, certain things are done; you move ahead or you go back, and so on."
"I also lament the lack of a Bazin/Scaruffi (okay, Kael/Bangs) for videogames."
The guy you see in the mirror might be the one we're waiting for. There's definitely the potential for a book in this.
Thanks, that's very encouraging! Unfortunately:
- It sounds like you have the highest opinion ever of this document, including my own.
- As I write above, I'm not a hardcore gamer, videogame buff, or historian, and I don't have time (or desire) to become any of those, all of which would be necessary to turn this list into a decent book.
- I want to spend less and less time on this project, not more and more. Examining videogames as art may be interesting, but it is hardly important.
But again, thanks.
Hardly important?
But "the videogame is now the art of grandest artistic potential"!
Yes, but I think art is not very important. I like art very much, but compared to human lives it is not terribly important. I know of excellent arguments to the contrary.
Chuck Klosterman also bemoans the lack of video game critics (as opposed to video game consumer advisors), and Henry Jenkins comments.
Sweet. One of the greatest games of all time, Lemmings, can be played for free over the internet. Here. No multiplayer, alas. Online multiplayer would be awesome.
This is pretty freakin' awesome and has tons of potential uses and fun.
Wow, just found the link to Scaruffi's stuff. Thanks!
His is the best personal site on the net.
It is rather amazing. He should be a listologist!
I think this Pitchfork Media article about media criticism is great.
I found this at the bottom of the notes from Scaruffi's lecture on "New Arts of the 20th century" (http://www.thymos.com/know/logos8.html):
Videogames
1975: Atari Pong (Nolan Bushnell and Alan Alcorn)
1977: Atari 2600
1978: Space Invaders (Toshihiro Nishikado), first blockbuster videogame
1980: Pac-Man (Toru Iwatani)
1981: Nintendo's Donkey Kong Ditty (Shigeru Miyamoto)
1981: Atari Centipede (Ed Logg and Dona Bailey), first videogame to appeal to women
1982: Pole Position, first major photorealistic videogame
1983: Dragon's Lair (Rick Dyer and Don Bluth), an interactive animated film and first game on laserdisc
1985: Nintendo Entertainment System (Masayuki Uemura)
Videogames
1986: Atari Lynx, first portable game system
1989: Sega Mega-Drive/Genesis
1993: Myst (Rand Miller), first "artistic" videogame
1995: Sony Playstation
1996: Nintendo Ultra 64
199: the Cyberathlete Professional League, the world's first videogame sports league
1998: Half Life (Gabe Newell & Marc Laidlaw), novel-level plot and characters
2000: The Sims (Will Wright), imitation of ordinary family life
2003: Katamari Damacy (Keita Takahashi), adventures in a surreal world
I really enjoy your history of videogames, although I think that you focus too much on technical, rather than artistic, innovation. In other words, I think that Spacewar! is the equivalent of, say, Howlin' Wolf, rather than Captain Beefheart.
That's very interesting, thanks!
To you, what are some of the greatest videogames (when considered as art)? I think my perspective feels technical because I believe the primary art of videogames is gameplay. And you can't convince me that any videogame has made a greater revolution and synthesis of gameplay than SpaceWar.
What do you think of Shadow of the Colossus? It's the overlooked "sequel" to the popular Ico, but I think Colossus is a genius new "minimalist" (and in other ways, "maximalist", lol) approach to modern action gameplay.
And what do you think of Facade?
Here is a very brief video history of videogames.
I've noticed in your RPG section you mention nothing about the Phantasy Star series, the original in 1988 being one of the most influential on the genre of all time. Final Fantasy 1 paled in comparison, and any subjective fan of both series (a rare find) will agree.
Ah yes, thank you!
Pornography? Video games? You'll love the unfounded hysteria over two things that will make you go blind...
So it might be that Wii are a bit off on what will "become the major 'moral destruction of our youth' scapegoat."
Personally, I think that this is just a phase that most new devices go through. Microwaves irradiate food, mobiles cause brain cancer and bicycles will lead to immodest dress. And the next thing you know, your son is playing for money in a pinch-back suit.
Just another case of people ignoring the importance of pornography as a driver of technological innovation... oh yeah, and the corrosive effect on society. Musn't forget that.
The use of the Wiimote in a sex simulation game is too obvious to be avoided for long. But in the near future, videogames will simulate not just sex, but also the emotional and (ir)rational elements of intimate relationships. For example.
ewwww...
I thought the fear expressed was access, not the functional abilities of the Wiimote. Gamers are surely going to change that name if/when The Sim Sims game hits the market.
It seems to me that the "emotional and (ir)rational elements of intimate relationships" leapfrogs all but the most profound works of art. I can't even begin to speculate as to how art critics (or their avatars) will come up with criteria to measure [quote] artistic merit [unquote]. Innovation and creativity would seem to be off the charts... although Bob Guccione was innovative and creative.
ewwww...
In the Wii Sex Art Game, on-screen characters will be out of focus and moan only through pillows. Larry Flynt's game will outsell it 1000 to 1.
They're not calling them art, yet, but at least they're calling them cultural artifacts. And we agree on Spacewar!.
they call simcity an important art work
Trailer for GTA IV. Looks kickass, minus the annoying Glassian score.
Art form development comparison:
Birth
Music: ???
Literature: ???
Film: Roundhay Garden Scene (1888)
Videogames: Tennis for Two (1958)
Significant form:
Music: polyphony? (c. 900)
Literature: Iliad? (c. 750 B.C.)
Film: The Great Train Robbery (1903)
Videogames: Spacewar! (1961)
Experimentation:
Music: Eroica? (1804)
Literature: 17th century?
Film: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari? (1919)
Videogames: M.U.L.E.? (1983)
Modern Art:
Music: Choral Symphony? (1824)
Literature: The Idiot? (1869)
Film: The Last Laugh? (1924)
Videogames: none yet
Don't take my examples too seriously.
Huh. Village Voice has a decent run-down of the best 2006 videogames. Criticism is getting better. They relegate sequels (Twilight Princess, etc.) to a separate section.
Hello lukeprog,
I really like this list as it gives a wide variety of all the different genres of games, personally i feel any of these games should go in the best videogames of all time:
Metal Gear Solid (Playstation)
Metal Gear Solid 2 (PS2)
Metal Gear Solid 3 (PS2)
Purely because if we're talking about artform and innovation in games, especially the original demonstrates this. The first game to truly have a sustainable plot which would be watchable without actually needing to play. A plot which, is as complex as many movies, if not more so. Plus, the sneaking element was first introduced with this game, if only in 3D. I'd appreciate your feedback on this, thanks :)
I understand your enthusiasm for those titles. I've played them and liked them. Hideo Kojima is never content to let the series stagnate.
Metal Gear Solid was hugely influential on videogames (as The Beatles were on rock music), but this should not be confused with "hugely innovative" (as The Beatles are often misunderstood as hugely innovative to rock music). Metal Gear Solid was not the first game with a labyrinthine plot (see IF), extended cinematic sequences (Dragon's Lair, etc.), or stealth-based game play (Castle Wolfenstein, Kojima's own Metal Gear. It was, debatably, not even the first with all three of these (earlier Metal Gear games and perhaps others).
Also, I am more interested in innovations to gameplay, and when games tightly imitate the strengths of another art form (cinema or literature) rather than focusing on its own unique art (gameplay), I am less impressed. (I am also less impressed with films that are basically filmed stageplays or novels. Citizen Kane is more interesting.)
That said, Metal Gear Solid was a very good game, and that is reflected in my rating for it. It's just not quite among the greatest games of all time.
Thanks for paying this list the rare gift of attention. I appreciate your opinion and am happy for an opportunity to articulate my disagreement with it. Your opinion on art is just as valid as mine.