The Most Influential Video Games of all Time
Video game development is often built on the foundation of what
came before. The influence of previous games can sometimes be subtle, but it is
always present when developers go to work on something new. The video game
industry reached a value of over $175 billion in 2021 according to Tech Radar, making it a
big deal both as an art form and as an investment.
There are countless reasons why a video game might go on to influence others
that come after. It might be their sales successes, their storytelling
techniques, or the technology used in them that
makes them ground-breaking. It could just be the way they penetrated pop
culture in a way no video game had done before. Whatever the reason, here are
our top three most influential video games of all time.
Space Invaders
Did you know that Space Invaders is the
reason video games have a difficulty curve? Because of a quirk of the
technology at the time, the speed of the sprites was limited when they were all
loaded onto the screen. When the player destroyed them, however, the remaining
enemies sped up, making them more difficult to shoot. This escalation of
difficulty became the basis for video game development for years to come.
As part of the arcade explosion of the 80s, Space Invaders quickly became one
of the best-known video games in the world and its name recognition continues
to this day. Sequels and spin-offs have continued to be released, including
Space Invaders Frenzy arcade game in 2017. There’s even an online slot based on
the game; Coral features Space Invaders amongst its
casino games, which boasts more advanced graphics than the original, despite
being found on mobile devices as well as PC. Space Invaders Infinity Gene for
mobile continues the original’s legacy today as well, showcasing its lasting
impact on video games.
Super Mario Bros. 3
Though the original Super Mario Bros. might seem a more likely inclusion on
this list, it wasn’t until Super Mario Bros. 3 that the series really stood out
among games. With its bright colors, featuring highly detailed sprites for the
Nintendo Entertainment System, the third game in the series introduced many
elements to video games, including the overworld map where players selected the
next level they wanted to tackle and the concept of skipping levels through
clever use of the wishing flute.
Every element of platforming games that would go on to become staples of the
genre is here. The difficult timing. The colorful characters and enemies. The
minibosses that stand in the way of progress. The speedrun strategies that have
sprung up from its levels. There is a reason why, as recently as last year, a
copy of Super Mario Bros. 3 broke the record for the most expensive video game of all time. It is a
classic that has had a huge influence on nearly every game that has come since.
World of Warcraft
It might be difficult to imagine, but there was a time when very few games were
played online. Those that were online didn’t have nearly the kind of exposure
or profitability of their offline counterparts. That all changed with World of
Warcraft hit the market. As a spinoff of Blizzard’s already popular Warcraft
strategy game series, World of Warcraft quickly became the biggest name in
online gaming and suddenly there were countless imitators, vying for its place
at the top.
It wasn’t just the gameplay of World of Warcraft that trickled down into other
games. The monthly subscription became standard for many games, as did the
occasional expansion pack, such as the Burning Crusade, to keep the
gameplay and story fresh. Though the game’s player base isn’t what it was
several years ago, World of Warcraft remains one of the most influential games
of all time simply for popularizing the concept of an MMO.
