http://www.edutube.org/en/history-video-games-innovation-timeline
1950s
1952 - OXO (Alexander Douglas) - This tic-tac-toe game is the first known computer game.
1970s
1972 - Arcade: Pong (Atari) - The first video game to achieve widespread success.
1975 - RPG: dnd and Dungeon - The two first CRPGs (computer role-playing games).
1976 - Adventure: Colossal Cave Adventure (William Crowther and Don Woods) - The very first adventure game.
1978 - Arcade: Space invaders (Taito Corporation) - This highly popular game played an important role in turning video games into a global industry, inspiring dozens of manufacturers to enter the market.
1980s
1980 - Arcade: Pac-Man (Namco) - A classic video game and 1980s pop culture icon, Pac-Man introduced a new video game genre which appeals to both genders.
1980 - Arcade: Battlezone (Atari) - The first true 3D game.
1980 - Adventure: Zork I: The Great Underground Empire (Infocom) - The game that arguably popularized the adventure game genre. It is completely text-based.
1980 - Adventure: Mystery House (Sierra) - The first adventure game with graphics.
1984 - Adventure: King's Quest 1: Quest for the Crown (Sierra) - This game pioneered the modern adventure game genre and was one of the first animated adventures. It led to many other successful quest games including the Police Quest, Space Quest and Quest for Glory series.
1984 - Puzzle: Tetris (Alexey Pajitnov) - This game is so unique that its main legacy is the countless clones it has inspired, rather than its influence in the puzzle game genre. The game is ageless and still popular to this day, and it has remained almost unchanged throughout the years. Because of its simplicity is has also become an extremely popular game on cell-phones. Research has shown that playing tetris boosts general cognitive functions of the brain.
1985 - Platform: Super Mario Bros (Nintendo) - Popularized the side scrolling genre of video games.
1986 - Action/Adventure: The Legend of Zelda (Nintendo) - Introduced one of the most - if not the most - critically acclaimed game series of all time.
1987 - Adventure: Maniac Mansion (LucasArts) - This game introduced the shift to point-and-click interfaces for adventure games (instead of text input). Its other innovations are multiple possible endings and selectable characters with different abilities. The SCUMM point-and-click engine devised for this game is still used by independent developers to create new games.
1989 - Platform: Prince Of Persia (Brøderbund) - The fluid, life-like character motion was a huge leap forward in animation quality.
1989 - Strategy/Simulation: SimCity (Maxis) - The very first sim (simulation) game, pioneering a new genre of video games which are open-ended. Game publishers were initially skeptical that such a game could be successful.
1990s
1991 - Strategy: Civilization (MicroProse) - Civilization is a game known to all fans of the strategy game genre, and is considered by many as one of the greatest games of all time. It created a new genre of empire-building strategy games (see also "Master of Orion" below), and is also one of the first games to introduce diplomacy.
1991 - Arcade: Street Fighter II (Capcom) - This extremely popular game is credited with starting the fighting game boom of the 1990s.
1992 - RPG: Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss (Looking Glass Studios) - An RPG with an advanced 3D engine which brought unparalleled realism. Among the innovations are relatively advanced texture mapping, inclined surfaces, ability to jump and an interactive world with 3D objects that could be picked up and thrown. Its 3D engine was much more advanced than the one used by Wolfenstein 3D, released later in the year.
1992 - FPS: Wolfenstein 3D (id Software) - The game that launched and popularized the First Person Shooter (FPS) genre.
1992 - Strategy: Dune II: The Building Of A Dynasty (Virgin Games) - The game that popularized and set the standard game mechanics for the Real Time Strategy (RTS) genre, building the basis for future RTS games such as Warcraft and Command & Conquer.
1992 - Survival horror: Alone in the Dark (Infogrames) - This game popularized the survival horror genre. It was the first 3D survival horror game and the first game known to use interpolated animation.
1992 - The Incredible Machine (Dynamix) - This educational game popularized and possibly started the physics-based puzzle genre.
1993 - Strategy: UFO: Enemy Unknown (X-COM: UFO Defense) (MicroProse) - X-COM successfully blended different types of game play, mixing tactical combat, base building and research elements, making it a unique game unlike anything seen before.
1993 - Strategy: Master of Orion (MicroProse) - considered by many as one of the greatest strategy game of all time, and a classic amongst turn-based strategy games. It introduced many unique conventions such as the ability to design your own spaceships, balancing the available space and cost, and strategically researching technology to counter the enemy's ships. It is also notable for its highly distinct races requiring very different strategies to beat the game. Alan Emrich first described the "4X" game genre in which players control an empire and "explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate" when reviewing Master of Orion. This genre is characterized by deep and complex gameplay, of which Civilization (from 1991) is also a good example.
1993 - Adventure: Myst (Cyan Worlds) - Myst popularized a new style of puzzle-based adventure games.
1993 - FPS: Doom (id Software) - Doom further popularized the FPS genre and pioneered realistic and immersive 3D graphics, networked multiplayer gaming and support for custom expansions.
1996 - FPS: Quake (id Software) - Quake introduced play over the Internet in first-person shooters (FPS) and helped turn Internet multiplayer capability into a de facto requirement.
1996 - Action/Adventure: Tomb Raider (Core Design / Eidos Interactive) - Tomb Raider was a highly popular and influential game considered to be the template for many future 3D action/adventure games, introducing (or at least popularizing) the third person perspective. It's use of a tough female heroine - Lara Croft (rather than the typical male action hero) was both revolutionary as well as derided as sexist because of her exaggerated physical features. Lara has since become a major video game icon and the series led to two Hollywood films.
1997 - MMORPG: Ultima Online (Origin Systems) - Popularized the MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) genre, and was the first MMORPG to reach a subscriber base of 100,000.
1997 - RPG: Diablo (Blizzard) - Introduced the point-and-click action RPG sub-genre. The game mechanics of this sub-genre have been copied by many subsequent RPG games.
1998 - Strategy: Starcraft (Blizzard) - Pioneered the use of highly distinct races in real-time strategy games and is often seen as the standard in this genre. In Korea, StarCraft led to the establishment of a successful pro-gaming scene; games are broadcast on TV and professional gamers have become celebrities.
1998 - FPS Stealth: Thief - The Dark Project (Looking Glass Studios) and Metal Gear Solid (Konami) are two key titles which popularized the "stealth action genre". They also introduced a number of innovative and influential stealth gameplay elements.
The new millenium
2001 - Action/Adventure: Grand Theft Auto III (Rockstar Games) - The breakthrough game in the Grand Theft Auto series which is notable for its popularity (beating a number of sales records), popularizing the 'open world' (or 'sandbox') game genre, and also for its realistic violence which caused a great deal of controversy. It has been criticized by notable figures such as Hilary Clinton.
2004 - MMORPG: World of Warcraft (Blizzard) - Although not particularly innovative, it borrowed the best features of its predecessors and made RPGs more accessible to casual players. It is one of the best selling PC games of all time and the most popular MMORPG with over 10 million subscribers worldwide.
2005 - Music: Guitar Hero (RedOctane & Harmonix Music Systems / Activision) - An innovative game in which players use a guitar-shaped controller to simulate playing to rock music songs, the game and its sequels have become a cultural phenomenon. Since its release, rhythm games have become a significant video game genre and newer bands have even found success thanks to being included in the game. It has also proven to be a useful aid in recovering from various injuries as well as in the development of actual music skills.
2006 - Arcade: Wii Sports (Nintendo) - The best-selling video game of all time, it introduced many non-gamers to games. It has also become popular in senior centers and retirement homes.
2007 - FPS: Bioshock (2K Boston, now known as Irrational Games) - This game is particulary notable for its immersive storyline and artistic style. It was viewed by authors Glen Creeber and Royston Martin of "Digital Culture: Understanding New Media" as a sign of the "coming of age" of video games as an artistic medium.
Top developers in video game innovation according to this list:
Blizzard: 3 games - Diablo (1997), Starcraft (1998), World of Warcraft (2004)
id Software: 3 games - Wolfenstein 3D (1992), Doom (1993), Quake (1996)
Nintendo: 3 games - Super Mario Bros (1985), The Legend of Zelda (1986), Wii Sports (2006)
MicroProse: 3 games - Civilization (1991), UFO: Enemy Unknown (X-COM: UFO Defense) (1993), Master of Orion (1993)
Atari: 2 games - Pong (1972), Battlezone (1980)
Sierra: 2 games - Mystery House (1980), King's Quest (1984)
Top years in video game innovation according to this list:
1992: 5 games - Alone in the Dark, Dune II: The Building Of A Dynasty, The Incredible Machine, Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss, Wolfenstein 3D.
1980: 4 games - Pac-Man, Battlezone, Zork I, Mystery House.
1993: 4 games - UFO: Enemy Unknown (X-COM: UFO Defense), Master of Orion, Myst, Doom.
1998: 3 games - Metal Gear Solid, Starcraft, Thief - The Dark Project.
Summary:
1970s: dnd, Dungeon, Colossal Cave Adventure, Pong, Space invaders.
1980s: Battlezone, King's Quest 1, The Legend of Zelda, Maniac Mansion, Mystery House, Pac-Man, Prince of Persia, SimCity, Super Mario Bros, Tetris, Zork 1.
1990s: Alone in the Dark, Civilization, Diablo, Doom, Dune II, Master of Orion, Metal Gear Solid, Myst, Quake, Starcraft, Street Fighter II,
The Incredible Machine, Thief, Tomb Raider, UFO: Enemy Unknown (X-COM), Ultima Online, Ultima Underworld, Wolfenstein 3D.
2000s: Bioshock, Grand Theft Auto III, Guitar Hero, Wii Sports, World of Warcraft.
Facebook
Twitter