The games industry has undergone several serious changes in the last few years.
So whered these changes come from?
I wont lie to you: trying to rank influence is really difficult.
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The game compounds its Sisyphean difficulty with dense-if-obscure lore that encourages fans to replay and pick apart the story.
Minecraftis able to maintain its fanbase specifically because its got something for everyone.
If it doesnt exist, it’s possible for you to create it.
But more than anything else,Minecrafthas thrived on a sense of community.
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Okay, look.
The story starred three characters who each embodied the different archetypes Rockstar had created in its previous games.
It also perfected the living, breathing open world as a satire of urban decay.
PlayerUnknowns Battlegrounds
The battle royale craze has completely scorched the earth.
The visibility of this genre is, of course, largely due to the popularity ofFortnite.
But lets not forget that Fortnite, for all its popularity, didnt create the genre.
But given that the titular PlayerUnknown a.k.a.
An equally important revelation from this game was how it changed the relationship between YouTubers and game developers.
All of its successes (Angry Birdsand the like) have been pushed aside as casual games.
Smartphones needed a killer app to be taken as seriously as their handheld console brethren.
This game changed everything simply by being both a mobile gameandan entry in a very popular franchise.
But it doesnt matter, because what the game did was bring augmented reality and mobile gaming together.
Besides the AR gaming craze it inspired, it also got many gamers on their feet and walking around.
The idea to attached AR gyms to real-world locations was nothing short of genius.
Most recently, the Dota 2 Internationalincreased its prize poolto over $30 million.
Its been an instrumental force in spurring esports onto a bigger and more prestigious stage.
I realize this is a little bit of a cheat, sinceSpelunkytechnically released as an open-source project in 2008.
And now weve seen many roguelikes and indies that are just as engaging.
We oweSpelunkya debt of gratitude for kicking off a trend of truly impressive indie roguelikes.
The game is so ubiquitous that people of different nationalities and generations are finding common ground within it.
Which games do you think have had the greatest impact in the last ten years?
Ping me on Twitter @rachelkaser and let me know!
Story byRachel Kaser
Rachel is a writer and former game critic from Central Texas.
She enjoys gaming, writing mystery stories, streaming on Twitch, and horseback riding.
Check her Twitter for curmudgeonly criticisms.
