The video game industry is very young, not even 50 years old, but in recent years it has developed at a rapid pace, eventually becoming the largest source of entertainment in the world. As video games have struggled to be the best way to have fun, fans are celebrating a few more successful years that stand out as particularly notable in the industry.
Sometimes these years are remembered fondly for the impact they had on the game industry as a whole, and sometimes for a large number of quality projects in one year. In other cases, fans appreciate certain years in gaming because they have opened up new consoles and other innovations to the world. There are many things that can make any year of gaming great, but in the entire history of the game, there are not too many of them, we counted 12 such periods.
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1980 year
Atari 2600
Arcade machine "Space Invaders"
Space Invaders
Atari 2600
Although the video game industry began to thrive in the 1970s, 1980 was a big year. The Atari 2600, one of the first home video game consoles, got its second wind with the launch of Space Invaders, making it one of the most sought-after products on the market. However, the best gaming experience of 1980 could be obtained not on TV, but rather on slot machines, where the popularity of games was incomparably higher. Pac-Man also made its way to arcade machines in 1980, becoming both one of the most successful video games ever made and a full-blown franchise in its own right, morphing into cartoons, cereal advertisements and more. Pac-Man clearly showed that a wider audience became interested in video games, which few expected.
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1985 year
Nintendo entertainment system
Super Mario Bros.
Workers dug up deposits of buried E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial "for Atari
Super Mario Bros.
Video games were popular in the early 1980s, but then fell sharply in 1983. The video game market was flooded with low-quality pass-through projects that were in a hurry to make money quickly without investing heavily in development, and one of the most famous such examples is “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ". ET was so bad that many of its unsold cartridges ended up in landfills.
Then, in 1985, Nintendo released their new home console, the Nintendo Entertainment System, outside of Japan. The NES was kind of a kick-start for the video game industry in North America, bringing with it many cool games that are now considered absolute classics. This also applies, of course, to the original Super Mario Bros., which launched one of the largest and longest running game franchises ever, not to mention innovation in the genre as a whole.
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1996 year
Sony playstation one
Resident Evil
Tomb Raider
Sony playstation one
In the era of 16-bit systems, there were many top-level game projects, but no one year could boast of an even distribution of releases of such games. In 1996, Nintendo's 16-bit console, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, was replaced by the Nintendo 64, which intended to compete with the previously released Sony PlayStation One. Both consoles brought with them groundbreaking technologies that made games go from 2D to 3D.
1996 was a very significant year for video games, not only in terms of technical innovation, but also in terms of delivering high-quality games. Super Mario 64, in particular, has become an outstanding example of how 3D games should look and operate. But in addition to everyone's favorite plumber, several representatives of some of the most valuable gaming franchises came out this year: the survival horror "Resident Evil" from Capcom, as well as the classic adventure "Tomb Raider" franchise about Lara Croft.
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1997 year
Final Fantasy 7
"GoldenEye 007"
"GoldenEye 007"
The PlayStation 1 and Nintendo 64 launched at full throttle in 1997 when several games were released that have nurtured an entire generation of gamers. On the Nintendo 64, the big hit in 1997 was GoldenEye 007, which was one of the fan favorite multiplayer shooters of its time, solidifying the N64's position as a multiplayer system. On PS1, the biggest release was Final Fantasy 7, the first game in the main series to skip the Nintendo console, but considered by many to be one of the best ever. These two projects in themselves made 1997 a landmark year, but there were many more critically acclaimed and released at the same time, thus maintaining the trend of great games from the 90s, which continued into the following years.
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1998 year
Game Boy and Pokemon Red and Blue
"The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time"
"Metal Gear Solid"
Game Boy and Pokemon Red and Blue
If 1997 was a great year for fifth generation consoles, then 1998 took the entire industry to a new level. 1998 was a great year for Nintendo when The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time came out on the N64 and became one of the most highly regarded titles ever made. What's more, the company has breathed new life into its Game Boy pocket console by releasing Pokemon Red and Blue outside of Japan. The rise of the Pokemon franchise made 1998 one of the most significant years in gaming history, but the releases didn't end there.
PlayStation fans were able to get their hands on "Metal Gear Solid" in 1998, which revived the old Konami franchise in a new 3D guise and was a huge success in terms of storytelling. The original Spyro the Dragon was also released in 1998, giving the PS1 even more exclusive flagships and helping it become a hugely successful console.
PC gamers did not stand aside either. In fact, in 1998 the original "Half-Life" was released, which helped Valve become the hegemon of PC gaming and kick-start one of the most famous franchises ever. Blizzard's Starcraft, also released in 1998, has become a hugely popular real-time strategy game that has become a role model for countless copycats for years to come.
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year 2001
Playstation 2
"Grand Theft Auto 3"
Nintendo gamecube
Playstation 2
Much like the original PlayStation hit the scene shortly before the Nintendo 64, Sony's PlayStation 2 came a little earlier than the GameCube and Microsoft Xbox. The launch of the new consoles was met with tremendous interest from the gaming community, especially since Microsoft was new to the console game market and people weren't sure what to expect from the Xbox. Luckily, the Xbox started out with a bargain and launched the terrific Halo: Combat Evolved. The PS2 and GameCube also did their part and introduced some of the biggest games in 2001: Grand Theft Auto 3 launched on PS2 and changed the face of the industry forever, and the GameCube received the reference fighting game Super Smash Bros. Melee ”, the popularity of which remains to this day.
The only drawback of 2001 was Sega's departure from the game console market, unable to withstand the competition. The Dreamcast struggled to compete with other consoles, but failed, and Sega discontinued it and decided to focus solely on releasing third-party software. While the news was disappointing to many, the upside was that the best Sega games would soon start rolling out to other platforms and, as a result, become more accessible.
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2004 year
Halo 2
"Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas"
World of Warcraft
Halo 2
A few years after the beginning of the PS2, GameCube and Xbox era, all three consoles have well-established libraries full of great games. The year 2004 has solidly added to their number, although it is primarily notable for the two largest game releases of the entire generation. Xbox fans got their hands on Halo 2, the highly anticipated sequel that transformed online multiplayer gameplay for console players, and the PS2 got Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The groundbreaking open-world game took everything in GTA 3 and Vice City to the next level, becoming one of the largest and most commercially successful game releases ever.
The PC also received some of the most famous games in history in 2004 with the launch of World of Warcraft, which is still considered the benchmark for the MMORPG genre as a whole. Half-Life 2 was also released on PC in 2004, and even then, this revolutionary first-person shooter was recognized by many for its addictive puzzles and innovative storytelling mechanics. "Half-Life 2" was such a success that many fans are still pinning their hopes on a full third (and not for VR headsets). But we think Gabe Newell is simply afraid to release it because of too high expectations from fans.
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2007 year
Assassin's Creed
"Mass Effect"
BioShock
Assassin's Creed
1998 is arguably one of the best times in games in terms of total releases, but 2007 definitely benefits from the quality of the projects as well as the number of brand new IPs. 2007 saw the creation of several great new IPs, including Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed, BioWare's Mass Effect franchise, the critically acclaimed BioShock and the PlayStation-exclusive Uncharted franchise, re-launching the exclusive race. At the same time, this year began the victorious gait of the Call of Duty series, which with the release of the first part of Modern Warfare has forever stolen your hearts and wallets.
In 2007, the PS3 received "Uncharted", but the Xbox 360 and Wii weren't left without personal franchises. Halo 3 was released for the Xbox 360 in 2007, while the Wii received Super Mario Galaxy, which remains one of the most popular video games ever made. Even the old lady PS2 suddenly received a powerful release in the form of “God of War 2, even though at that time there was already an older console.
Meanwhile, console gamers were able to get their hands on one of the best games of 2004 when Valve released The Orange Box. The Orange Box not only gave console gamers access to Half-Life 2 and its expansions, but also included access to the hugely popular online multiplayer game Team Fortress 2 (which would later serve as inspiration for many other major games. including Blizzard's "Overwatch"), as well as the classic puzzle game "Portal", which eventually grew into an equally popular independent franchise.
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2010 year
Mass Effect 2
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Red Dead Redemption
Mass Effect 2
It's been five years since the 7th generation of consoles launched, and one would think major releases have already happened. On the contrary, 2010 proved that the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii can do much more. Some of the best games of the generation were released in 2010, and long-awaited sequels such as Mass Effect 2 and Super Mario Galaxy 2 hit the scene. Rockstar Games introduced Red Dead Redemption in 2010 to critical acclaim. This year, gamers were also able to play games such as God of War 3, Halo: Reach, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and others. While 2010 may not be a good year for new IPs, it was a great time for high-quality games in general, with releases evenly distributed throughout the year.
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2011
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
"Minecraft"
Nintendo 3DS
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
The momentum that the gaming industry had in 2010 continued into the next year. Then the cult "The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim" was released, which Todd Howard later sold on all possible devices. What's more, 2011 saw the release of the first version of Minecraft, a sandbox game that quickly became one of the best gaming franchises ever.
In terms of technical innovation, Nintendo launched its new console, the 3DS, also in 2011. The 3DS did not get off to a good start, however, probably due to a combination of relatively high cost and a lack of noteworthy games. But while the 3DS was not initially widely adopted, it eventually became a fiercely successful handheld device, just like the original DS, and has produced many exclusive games over the years.
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year 2013
Playstation 4
Xbox one
"The Last of Us"
Playstation 4
In 2013, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were released, but none of the consoles have acquired attractive projects this year. Instead, the year will be remembered for the last truly notable releases for the outgoing PS3 and Xbox 360, including some of the biggest games of the generation, to carry these consoles with the accolades they deserve. PlayStation received "The Last of Us", which remains one of the highest-rated games in history, and industry beasts such as "BioShock: Infinite" and "Grand Theft Auto 5" appeared on both consoles. and to this day.
In 2013, Nintendo 3DS began to gain traction in delivering quality games. Nintendo's handheld console has unveiled two of its most highly regarded gaming titles of all time: Fire Emblem: Awakening and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.
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2017 year
Nintendo switch
"The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild"
Super Mario Odyssey
Nintendo switch
After the financial frustration of the Wii U, a lot depended on the latest Nintendo console. Already one of the best-selling consoles in history, the Nintendo Switch Pocket Console, a hybrid home / handheld console, hit the market in 2017 with the release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Later that year, the Switch also saw the release of Super Mario Odyssey, another landmark release that helped make the console an absolute must-have for many gamers.
We have not included any PS4 or Xbox One releases on this list because, to be honest, these are great consoles with a great lineup of projects such as Uncharted 4, God of War and The Last of Us: Part II "from PlayStation and" Forza Horizon 4 "," Gears 5 "and" Halo 5: Guardians "from Microsoft, but these are all old IPs. In addition, over the past 5 years, the development of graphics technologies has significantly slowed down, which made it more difficult for games to surprise a demanding audience. Perhaps the PS5 and Xbox Series X can shake up the industry and revolutionize the video game genre again. You just have to wait.
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