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[DaBuddaDa]

Does that mean that my opinion that a certain game that barely anyone on this forum (the bastion of gaming development banter) has heard about means less compared to the drivel and materialization that is such franchises like Call of Duty, Halo, Mass Effect, Gears of War?

Yes. Opinions only matter if people care about them, and sadly, I doubt with that attitude anyone will care about your opinion.

 

[knitoe]

Why are people saying Uncharted? First game was average and second game was good, but a defining game would have copycats. What game(s) are copying Unchated?

 

[edbrat]

Wii Sports, Call of Duty

 

[Mama Robotnik]

The Wii X series.

-Wii Sports defined the hardware generation, selling the Wii idea to the public and causing the console to become the dominant hardware in the industry. This also caused other hardware producers to desperately play catch-up, copying/expanding on the motion control strategy.

-Wii Play helped sell the idea of simple, accessible multiplayer games (and has helped get so many Wiimotes out there). Wii Fit was another step in making videogames accessible to everyone outside the gamersphere.

These games defined the direction of this generation more than any other, and will influence generations to come.

 

[Pachinko]

If I wanted to take the question seriously I'd have to include even games I'm not big on.

For the ps360 brigade this gens GTA has been Call of duty for 3 out of the last 4 years. That would put it pretty firmly at #1 status.

Other franchises of note - Mass Effect on xbox and uncharted on ps3.

Gears of war has done rather well for itself on xbox.

Then you have the wii, which right now, Mario continues his reign over sales as well as the casual stuff like wii play, wii sports and wii sports resort.


If I had to just go by my personal franchise of the last 5 years (xbox 360, ps3 or wii) , with franchise denoting that there's at least 2 games so far. I'd easily give it to mass effect and well, the only other one that comes to mind is no more heroes I guess.

 

[ghst]

this generation has really been something of a renaissance, makes it so hard to choose:

do i choose gears of war for advancing awkward 3rd person gunfights to a stop and pop game of over-the-shoulder time crisis, minus all that archaic aiming and those pesky threats of failure.

or call of duty for evolving the elitist nature of arena combat into a giant carrot-and-no-stick positive reinforcathon - where everyone can feel like a winner if they are passionate for long enough and keep up with the scheduled dlc releases.

howabout uncharted for fully realizing that people just don't want to risk missing that awkward ledge, or tumble down a hole like an idiot, they just want to unleash the joy of a badass precanned animation. it's like the movies baby!

maybe the upcoming dragon age 2? takes some sand for a developer to fully shake off the shackles of the detached, top down snoozefest that has plagued wrpgs since the 90's and make the solid gold promise that "every time you press a button, something awesome will happen!"

and it could be too early to tell, but kinect might mark the final stage of the true evolution of not only the medium, but our entire species, by ridding us of the need for --or indeed use of-- fingers.

sometimes you just have to stand back and take in how far we've come.

 

[Empty]

i'd put geometry wars in there too alongside call of duty and wii _, it's not as big as either of them, but i think it defines, by being the first major one and such a popular example, the growth of smaller download games on consoles that go alongside the big budget titles and allow ideas that can't be sustained in a full retail game to flourish. which is something that i think has been important this generation.

 

[Lard]

The only thing that defines this generation is the continual anal raping of consumers with DLC.

 

[DaBuddaDa]

Here's a question: Does the game that widely "defines a generation" necessarily have to be the one that sells the most (or very close to the most)?

 

[Stumpokapow]

sometimes you just have to stand back and take in how far we've come.

ghst plays the fiddle as rome burns

 

[jett]

Why are people saying Uncharted? First game was average and second game was good, but a defining game would have copycats. What game(s) are copying Unchated?

They just defined it for them. I think some people are just posting their favorite franchises of this gen.

 

[EagleEyes]

Definitely Call of Duty and Gears of war. No other games this gen have had parts of their gameplay borrowed more.

 

[theBishop]

Why are people saying Uncharted? First game was average and second game was good, but a defining game would have copycats. What game(s) are copying Unchated?

What games copied Half Life 2?

 

[revolverjgw]

Warhawk cuz it rules, fuck the rest

 

[Kujo]

Man I feel bad for kill.switch, Gears takes all the credit these days

This sure didn't happen after Kill Switch came out.

It's cause KS looked like ass probably. I think the more important thing was Gears was one of the first games to really look 'next-gen' and it's engine has powered a whole bunch of games. And of course the marketing

 

[Rahxephon91]

By your logic, shouldn't Gears not count because it took direct and stated influence from RE4?

What logic? RE4 didn't come out this gen. And My logic never said that you can't have influence from something else and not also give influence. I'm also surprised that people have an issue with Gears. No one said Gears is the originator of any of what it does, but it's cover mechanics have been used in pretty much every shooter this gen. If Gears was not the big hit it was would that have happened? Probably not. This is why I say it is a gen defying game. It's the game that put those mechanics in the limelight, those mechanics that have basically become a stable. In reviews people will now say "why isn't there a cover system" or " game x also features the usual cover system". This sure didn't happen after KIll Switch came out.

Hell just look at RE5. Probably the only reason they felt the need to ad a half assed cover system, even though it dosen't work with their gameplay, is because of the Gears wave.

And the only real influence from RE4 in Gears is the camera angel. I expected a survival horror squad based game from all the RE talk before Gears came out. Got it day 1 and really disliked it.

When you look at Gears and RE4 they are incredibly different. RE4 is fast paced, when you aim there is supposed to be a sense of urgency and incredibly tension and to relive that the game puts emphasis on taking out the enemy the fastest and best way possible.

Gears and the games with similar angels and cover systems aren't about that at all. The are about pop up and shoot gameplay. Take aim when it's best possible Those games are a bit more slow.

 

[knitoe]

What games copied Half Life 2?

Having good story in FPS. Also, popularity of gravity like gun.

 

[Ashes]

Franchise that defines this generation? well that's hard to pick just one. Different way to compare games, some on cultural impact, sales impact, genre defining, changing of the guard, even artistic merit perhaps...

Cod4:mw is the gta of this generation.
Wii sports and games of it's ilk have transcended god like sales.
Evergreen titles on ds, like new super mario bros, dr Kwashima etc are the tetris of this generation.
Gears of war is the RE4 of this generation
Fifa is the pes of this generation.
thatgamecompany are the team ico of this generation. (Controversal?)
uncharted is the lara croft(at its hieghts) of this generation.
Demon Souls the diamond in the rough...
AC is the prince of persia of this generation.
and many more I'm sure....
oh and pokemon is pokemon of this generation.
Bayonetta the DMC of this generation. (I'm not quite sure actually, I do like Dmc4)

edit: one to look out for... Dead space 2.... maybe the true resident evil 4 of this generation... maybe...

 

[Kydd BlaZe]

Without a doubt, the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Gears of War series' have had the most substantial impact this generation.

 

[notworksafe]

I think the Wii Sports games have defined the thrust of this generation. They show a widening of who plays games that has defined this generation.

People that haven't bothered with games in 15 years or more are coming back because of the simplified controls and easy to understand games. Even Sony and Microsoft have realized this and hopped on board with various motion controls, quiz games, and the like.

I think this idea will probably continue in to the next generation as well. It sounds obvious but game companies are seeing that making a game that appeals to as many people as possible, both casual and more hardcore, will make them much more money than a game that focuses on the hardcore only.

I should probably note that I'm no longer a Wii owner and haven't played a Wii in quite some time. Just got bored of the games.

 

[subversus]

 

[EagleEyes]

Man I feel bad for kill.switch, Gears takes all the credit these days

Gears got the attention because it looked great though and it brought us UE3, so it kinda is important I guess

I love how people like to bring up Kill switch when talking about Gears. Gears did borrow the cover aspect from Kill Switch but it was Gears that got the critical praise and sold 6 million copies therefore everybody else in the industry took notice.

 

[Dude Abides]

What happens if I never played console games?

What happens if my idea of a current generation that lasts, say 2-4 years, is consistently concentrated upon the independent games developed for PC?

Nothing happens.

Does that mean that my opinion that a certain game that barely anyone on this forum (the bastion of gaming development banter) has heard about means less compared to the drivel and materialization that is such franchises like Call of Duty, Halo, Mass Effect, Gears of War?

Yes. Your opinion also means less because you express it poorly.

 

[Old Gimlet Eyes]

Anything other than Call of Duty, is just the wrong answer. Consistent, yearly releases since 2005 and always a (if not the) top seller. Millions of people playing online per day and currently 4/5 top xbox live games played are COD. Influenced other major FPS like Halo and Battlefield with perks and unlock systems.

COD is without a doubt the biggest and most influential franchise this generation.

However, a good case can also be made for Gears of War. Many games since the original have used the UE3 and sometimes shamelessly at that. Lots of games have also been influenced by gears 3rd person cover shooter style. The series just can't match the output of COD though. 2 games to 7, even if the UE3 has spread like wildfire.

 

[Phenomic]

Going to agree with the OP and go with Assassin's Creed. Just something about this franchise screams unique and totally only possible in the PS3/360 era.

RPG Wise definitely Demon Souls.

 

[Square Triangle]

Uncharted and Mass Effect for me.

First fucking post. Well done. Adding Bioshock to that.

 

[Rahxephon91]

First fucking post. Well done. Adding Bioshock to that.

Except it's a terrible answer. What has Mass Effect influenced? Or Uncharted? But I guess if the criteria is "it just has to be a great game" then sure whatever.

I really don't get the Uncharted 1 replies. 1 is a pretty meh Gears of War clone with platforming and puzzles. It may be a good game, but I'm not seeing other developers make games with clear UC1 influence. I guess you could make a case for 2, but even then I feel that it's just a really really well made game that really perfects on what other games have done in the past. Maybe that greatness is gen defining.

I'm not sure I know what would make a game gen defining. I myself would say a game that has clear influence on those that follow it is gen defining.

 

[Fantasy Final]

Uncharted
Call of Cuty (Any on them)
Gears of War
Wii ___
Mario Galaxy

 

[Mr. B]

Mass Effect
Uncharted
Super Mario Galaxy
Call of Duty
Gears of War

 

[shintoki]

ghst plays the fiddle as rome burns

But you have to admit, that's some mighty fine fiddlin'

I'm pretty much in the same state of mind. The games that define this gen, is like reading the Da Vinci Code in modern literature.

Now I'll also be fair. There is one title that I would say influence the industry positively. GeoWars.

 

[Nemo]

Digital Downloads

Greatly overlooked, but this helped developers make money easier (especially during these harder times) and even help start new companies from scratch. Just some examples:

Braid
Limbo
Shadow Complex
Battlefield 1943
Geometry Wars
Trials HD
Rez HD

Critter Crunch
Echochrome
Fat Princess
Siren Blood Curse
Super Stardust HD
Trine
Flower
PixelJunk Eden

(ofc also the Wii DD games which sell pretty well)

i'd put geometry wars in there too alongside call of duty and wii _, it's not as big as either of them, but i think it defines, by being the first major one and such a popular example, the growth of smaller download games on consoles that go alongside the big budget titles and allow ideas that can't be sustained in a full retail game to flourish. which is something that i think has been important this generation.

My man

DD is the safe haven where innovation gets to flourish

 

[Codeblue]

In a decade if I looked back at this generation the first two games I would think of would be Galaxy and Modern Warfare. The games most important to this generation would probably be Wii ____ and Modern Warfare though.

 

[cosmicblizzard]

If we're including Call of Duty, we should include Mario as well. I thought this thread would've been about new franchises.

 

[Lard]

Digital Downloads

Greatly overlooked, but this helped developers make money easier (especially during these harder times) and even help start new companies from scratch. Just some examples:

And screw consumers royally, by taking their rights away.

Digital downloads are a crime against humanity.

 

[Sgt.Pepper]

Pretty much Wii X and Call of Duty. No other franchises have such notorious levels of influence this gen.

 

[Kujo]

I love how people like to bring up Kill switch when talking about Gears. Gears did borrow the cover aspect from Kill Switch but it was Gears that got the critical praise and sold 6 million copies therefore everybody else in the industry took notice.

I guess that's the question, what do we praise more - the product that does something first, or the product that refines it and brings it into the spotlight. Perhaps a question for another thread.

 

[Archie]

And screw consumers royally, by taking their rights away.

Digital downloads are a crime against humanity.

GoG (and to a lesser degree, Steam) laugh at that comment.

 

[Not a Jellyfish]

Gears of War and Call of Duty.

Gears of War was extremely important to this generation because it brought over the top gore and testosterone with high quality graphics to the forefront.

Call of Duty is the most significant because the frantic play style for a console game in both single player and multiplayer is like medicine for ADD kids today, not the strongest stories but something is always happening, the story progresses by something large happening and then they just pop the player into a new area with little support to put them there. The multiplayer practically rewards you for everything you do from running a long distance to falling from a high height you can earn XP, perfect for making level grinds and rewards come quickly for the "microwave culture" kids are growing up in today. Pretty much the CoD games are not going away anytime soon because they are crafted very well from a psychological standpoint to keep young children to young adults playing for a long time and more frequent than other games.

 

[Nemo]

And screw consumers royally, by taking their rights away.

Digital downloads are a crime against humanity.

What rights are you referring to here? Because if I think about what you are saying you know retail is working to go that route right? What with all the one time codes and everything.

For reference, I strongly oppose a DD only future. I just love DD titles because they bring something new to video gaming that wouldn't fly all the time with retail titles.

I guess that's the question, what do we praise more - the product that does something first, or the product that refines it and brings it into the spotlight. Perhaps a question for another thread.

Definitely the latter.

 

[sixteen-bit]

Gears.

 

[DR2K]

The return of fighters for me.

 

[Complex Shadow]

this.

Spoiler

sadly

 

[BloodySinner]

By your logic, shouldn't Gears not count because it took direct and stated influence from RE4?

Because of RE4 we had an influx of 3rd person shooters, amirite?

Gears of War and COD: Modern Warfare.

 

[seady]

As much as many of you want to deny, casual games such as Nintendogs, Brain Age, Wii Fit and Wii Sports are the ones that define this generation. They led us to many other games such as Farmville, Kinectimals, Sports Champions, Dance Central, EA Sports Active, many iPhone/Android games…..

As much as Call of Duty sold, it didn't really "define" this generation. It just happens to be the most popular one among many similar titles, and a natural progression from the many many other shooters that are available since several generations ago. There's nothing substantial about it that differentiate it from say Halo 2 from last generation (I am not comparing the themes or play-style of the games).

---

The other group of games that define our generation are the Downloadable Titles. Similar to casual games, they are also the 'smaller' titles. Games such as Pac-Man Championship, Braid, Shadow Complex, Pixel Junk, World of Goo, Bit Trip, Limbo….

So I think overall, the smaller, casual, bit sized games are what define and impact the most this generation.

 

[Htown]

wii sports by a country mile. nothing else comes remotely close. most influential game in maybe a decade.

for "core" games, call of duty and gears of war have been huge. like wii sports, they have both inspired a million imitators.

on the pc side, i'll say orange box as a way of putting steam in the mix.

 

[Jerk]

If we're including Call of Duty, we should include Mario as well. I thought this thread would've been about new franchises.

That logic makes very little sense.

The impact that CoD has made to gaming this gen has been pretty palpable. The same cannot be said for Mario.

Also, I am backing up Shocking's post: Wii___ and CoD have had some of the greatest impact on software (and hardware) this gen (for good or ill).

 

[Nemo]

As much as many of you want to deny, casual games such as Nintendogs, Brain Age, Wii Fit and Wii Sports are the ones that define this generation. They led us to many other games such as Farmville, Kinectimals, Sports Champions, Dance Central, EA Sports Active, many iPhone/Android games…..

As much as Call of Duty sold, it didn't really "define" this generation. It just happens to be the most popular one among many similar titles, and a natural progression from the many many other shooters that are available since several generations ago. There's nothing substantial about it that differentiate it from say Halo 2 from last generation (I am not comparing the themes or play-style of the games).

I think you can safely say that this generation has gone two ways, and you can pick the titles listed in this thread for the way that was always here, and the titles you listed for the other way that diverted from the straight path.

 

[Y2Kev]

this generation has really been something of a renaissance, makes it so hard to choose:

do i choose gears of war for advancing awkward 3rd person gunfights to a stop and pop game of over-the-shoulder time crisis, minus all that archaic aiming and those pesky threats of failure.

or call of duty for evolving the elitist nature of arena combat into a giant carrot-and-no-stick positive reinforcathon - where everyone can feel like a winner if they are passionate for long enough and keep up with the scheduled dlc releases.

howabout uncharted for fully realizing that people just don't want to risk missing that awkward ledge, or tumble down a hole like an idiot, they just want to unleash the joy of a badass precanned animation. it's like the movies baby!

maybe the upcoming dragon age 2? takes some sand for a developer to fully shake off the shackles of the detached, top down snoozefest that has plagued wrpgs since the 90's and make the solid gold promise that "every time you press a button, something awesome will happen!"

and it could be too early to tell, but kinect might mark the final stage of the true evolution of not only the medium, but our entire species, by ridding us of the need for --or indeed use of-- fingers.

sometimes you just have to stand back and take in how far we've come.

So good

 

[Salsa]

Gears of war and CoD MW, and I don't like either of them.

Pretty much. + Wii Sports

I like them though, but not that much

 

[besiktas1]

Hmmm something; brown, blurry, with day one paid dlc already on disk but locked,boxed in a steel tin with "exclusive" costume that needs to be redeemed, 30fps, less than 720p and featuring Nolan North.