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JBHuskers
06-15-2010, 10:10 AM
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/gaming.gadgets/06/15/best.video.games.decade/index.html?hpt=C2

(CNN) -- As video game players, our focus often falls on the freshest, most exciting new digital diversions.

But much as we're all looking forward to hearing more about "Civilization V" and "DJ Hero 2" at the E3 trade show this week, it pays to remember: These titles stand on the shoulders of giants. For every exciting new present-day debut, dozens of predecessors helped pave the way for their bar-raising delivery or game-play innovations.

Consider the following list, which highlights 10 of the last decade's best and most influential games. It may be hard to recall their place in history amidst a sea of splashy trailers for "Gears of War 3" or "Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light."

But take our word for it: On the eve of potentially mind-blowing outings from "Crysis 2" to "Deus Ex: Human Revolution," the modern era's most acclaimed titles wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for the pioneering efforts of these 10 games, making each worth dusting off and replaying as a reminder of just how far we've come.

"The Sims" (Maxis/EA, PC -- 2000) -- An interactive dollhouse filled with little computer people that's among the first games to recreate reality itself. Not only did the cleverly disguised strategy title open the door for modern classics like evolutionary simulator "Spore," but its familiar settings and relevant topic also showed that electronic amusements could resonate with all ages and genders (a precursor to today's casual/social gaming sensations), making it the best-selling PC game of all time.

"BioShock" (2K Games, PC/PS3/360 -- 2007) -- Dark, brooding and sinister, this hybrid role-playing game and first-person shooter (wherein you wander a mutant-infested, capsizing undersea art deco utopia) wowed as much for its Oscar-level script writing as haunting environs. Equally impressive was one's ability to use guns and customizable genetic superpowers in endless combinations to uncover the secrets of a world as rich as any of its tragically flawed characters.

"Grand Theft Auto III" (Rockstar Games, PC/PS2 -- 2001) -- Never mind critics and their sensationalist propaganda. Among the earliest 3-D "sandbox," or open-ended, tales to let players go anywhere and do anything in a world of outsized personalities and adventures, this underworld saga is notable most for popularizing freedom of choice as a gameplay concept. An engaging plotline and memorable characters didn't hurt the epic's street cred either, as expounded upon in later installments such as the celebrated "GTA: Vice City" and "GTA: San Andreas."

"Halo" (Microsoft, Xbox -- 2001) -- The sci-fi, run 'n' gun juggernaut single-handedly established the Xbox as a force to be reckoned with and, via sequel "Halo 2," paved the way for trigger-happy experiences to provide living rooms worldwide with endless online thrills. With blockbuster production values and comprehensive internet play suites now staples for the genre, it picked up where "Doom" and "Quake" left off in helping bring smack-talking gunplay to mainstream prominence. In retrospect, it's hard to believe we ever doubted that first-person shooters could make the transition from PC to TV.

"Resident Evil 4" (Capcom, GameCube/PS2/PC/Wii -- 2005) -- Prior to this pant-soiling epic's debut, fear was typically an emotion experienced by gamers only upon discovering that a younger sibling had accidentally deleted their most recent saved game. But via spine-chillingly atmospheric scenarios featuring homicidal villagers, mad monks and chainsaw-wielding maniacs, each creepier and more breathless than the last, it illustrated gaming's true potential to induce cardiac arrest.

"God of War" (Sony, PlayStation 2 -- 2005) -- Melding heavy metal sensibilities with Greek mythology, this button-mashing odyssey invited players to gleefully lop off heads and wrench eyeballs from monsters' sockets. Look past the gore-drenched melodramatics though, and you'll also find incredibly polished play mechanics and skillful scriptwriting that demonstrated a simple principle. Specifically, that modern-day epics could (*gasp*) offer a heady mix of brains as well as brawn.

"Guitar Hero" (RedOctane, PlayStation 2 -- 2005) -- From "Rock n' Roll Racing" to "PaRappa the Rapper," music always had its place in the gaming canon. However, by pairing an intuitive plastic guitar controller with the on-screen action, it was here that we first saw the two mediums successfully collide with chart-topping results. The billion-dollar franchise has since spawned multiple spin-offs and imitators; established an entire genre; become America's new happy-hour activity of choice; and legitimized video games as today's hottest new medium for connecting fans and musicians. Encore!

"The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" (Bethesda Game Studios, PC/PS3/360 -- 2006) -- As a freeform fantasy role-playing franchise that players could explore in nonlinear fashion, "The Elder Scrolls" series wasn't the first or even best of its kind when it debuted in 1994. Upon reaching the Xbox 360 though, fans hungry for killer apps were astonished by the game's depth, scope and ambition, which set the bar for later like-minded smashes, e.g. "Fallout 3" and "Mass Effect."

"Shadow of the Colossus" (Sony, PlayStation 2 -- 2005) -- Most games offer an array of slavering, faceless horrors, which players are invited to casually butcher in offhanded fashion. But in this action-packed epic, the high-tech equivalent of an art house film, you instead play a swordsman who must scale and slay brooding titans who both function as living levels and reminders of one's own mortality. Seldom has virtual death seemed so dignified.

"World of Warcraft" (Blizzard, PC -- 2004) -- Call them massively multiplayer online games (MMOs), virtual worlds or glorified 3-D chat rooms. But with more than 11.5 million worldwide subscribers, none makes a stronger case for the value of blending community and socialization with compelling, internet-based play. Based on the popular series of real-time strategy games, it's helped bring fantasy dungeon crawling (and spending hours on your PC romancing sultry night elves) to mainstream acceptance.

Which games make your list of favorites? What did we miss? Write in with your top picks in the comments section below.

I OU a Beatn
06-15-2010, 10:12 AM
There is so much wrong with that list that I don't even know where to begin.

JBHuskers
06-15-2010, 10:15 AM
I would totally agree with The Sims, I just love that game, and can't wait for it to come out on consoles this fall. Grand Theft Auto III just totally changed the game (literally) for any future video game. I personally don't like Halo, but in the same breath as World of Warcraft, you can't deny the sales and subscribers. Totally agree with Guitar Hero as it set the precendent for a new genre that was a blast to play....it may have turned into a fad now, as I've lost overall interest in playing the games, but a good chunk of the decade, this game and others that followed ruled the gaming industry.

And finally Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion....this game is definitely in my top five of the decade, possibly #1. Combined, I think I put 120 hours into this game, and I'm starting to play through it again, this time on the 360. This game got me back into RPG's....there are just so many great things with this game.

CLW
06-15-2010, 10:19 AM
These games were all major "game changers" (for lack of a better word) in the video game industry. Some I was/am fans of. Others not so much. However, each of these games really were revolutionary during their time.

Marlowe
06-19-2010, 10:43 AM
God of War - before this came out most people had already made up their minds that developers had reached their limit on what was possible on the PS2
Grand Theft Auto III - the popularity of this game was just amazing...especially when the game became the scapegoat for bad parenting...
World of Warcraft - lost 3 years of my life and gained 50 pounds playing this game...like crack for some...at least for me anyway...glad I'm clean now, lol

oweb26
06-19-2010, 09:49 PM
I really only see about two or three games that I would consider enough to even be mentioned.

morsdraconis
06-19-2010, 10:29 PM
I really only see about two or three games that I would consider enough to even be mentioned.

I feel the same but make that 1 (Shadow of the Colossus). The rest weren't revolutionary at all. Every single one of the other mentioned games had been done before (ESPECIALLY, the Sims) and WAY better.

JeffHCross
06-19-2010, 11:28 PM
Who had done The Sims, and when had it been done better?

morsdraconis
06-19-2010, 11:43 PM
Who had done The Sims, and when had it been done better?

Sim City 2000. It's the exact same thing just on a larger scale. Hardly revolutionary.

JBHuskers
06-20-2010, 12:51 PM
Sim City 2000. It's the exact same thing just on a larger scale. Hardly revolutionary.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Sim City 2000's focus is to build a city, The Sims is to grow one person within a city.

morsdraconis
06-20-2010, 05:26 PM
Correct me if I'm wrong, but Sim City 2000's focus is to build a city, The Sims is to grow one person within a city.

Yes that is true, but it's the same micromanagement, just on a larger scale for Sim City compared to The Sims. You still have to deal with happiness (population control, pollution, and traffic among many others for Sim City - food, sleep, social interaction, and such for the Sims), managing your money, building a city/house to your liking, etc.

It's all the same when it comes down to it. Just scale.

Solidice
06-20-2010, 05:29 PM
I would take Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic over any of those games.

The Sims would be an obvious game for a list like this. no other series is close to it's total sales. but then again, 3 "main" games and about 20+ expansion packs(which sadly, I've either owned or played a majority of them) makes that easy to do.

morsdraconis
06-20-2010, 06:30 PM
I would take Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic over any of those games.

I completely agree. If it wasn't for some really weird glitches sometimes (especially for the PC version which made it where I couldn't progress any further because the game would crash without explanation), it would have been pretty much a perfect game. Telling a story that was interesting and intriguing along with true character customization made for some seriously fun gameplay.

beartide06
06-20-2010, 07:28 PM
I'll say that Oblivion is the game that got me interested in RPGs in the first place and now I cannot stop playing them lol. Then there is the Sims.... By far my favorite PC game and now that it's coming on console it's going to be amazing because they can put expansions through xbox live and make it just like a computer game, only on console. GTA was my favorite game back in the day and it really did open up a lot of sandbox type games... great!

Solidice
06-20-2010, 08:04 PM
seeing other guys here that play The Sims makes me feel not as bad that I play it.:D


and personally, I liked Elders Scrolls III: Morrowind a lot more than Oblivion.

Solidice
06-20-2010, 08:09 PM
I completely agree. If it wasn't for some really weird glitches sometimes (especially for the PC version which made it where I couldn't progress any further because the game would crash without explanation), it would have been pretty much a perfect game. Telling a story that was interesting and intriguing along with true character customization made for some seriously fun gameplay.

I played it first on the Xbox, liked it so much I later got it on PC. I don't remember having any crashes like that though.

JBHuskers
06-20-2010, 11:16 PM
I'll say that Oblivion is the game that got me interested in RPGs in the first place and now I cannot stop playing them lol. Then there is the Sims.... By far my favorite PC game and now that it's coming on console it's going to be amazing because they can put expansions through xbox live and make it just like a computer game, only on console. GTA was my favorite game back in the day and it really did open up a lot of sandbox type games... great!

Yeah I was an RPG gamer in the days of Nintendo with Final Fantasy's and Dragon Warrior's, through to Earthbound on the SNES (which I hear is a very rare title.....I could make $80-$100 on eBay for....but choose to keep it for now). I don't think I really played many RPG's on PS1 or PS2, and Oblivion is what got me back into RPG's, and now I own a few of them now between PS3 and 360.


seeing other guys here that play The Sims makes me feel not as bad that I play it.:D


and personally, I liked Elders Scrolls III: Morrowind a lot more than Oblivion.

Yeah I played the hell out of the first Sims, am not a PC gamer much, so I'm excited for Sims 3 on the console this fall.