Games that set a new standard and all others since it have sheepishly followed the tradition

[pulse2]

So, which games set a new standard that all games after it felt they needed to copy until the copy sheep was beaten to death as much as it possibly could be and the cash cow milked until it resembled a prune.

Halo and the regenerationg health bar is one example.

 

[NeutralDrow]

Presumably <url=http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FollowTheLeader>every game listed on this page, for one reason or another.

 

[FlyAwayAutumn]

Doom.
Halo.

Can't really think of any others.

 

[Argonian alchemist]

Apparently Call of Duty... for other Call of Duty's...

Since they are all the freaking same. I know those aren't really 2 different franchises, but since a new Call of Duty is announced every couple of minutes I just thought it counted.

 

[nikomas1]

Before someone else says it, Dune II, almost said C&C but dune started it.

 

[LaBarnes]

Halo and the regenerationg health bar is one example.

Dear The Entire World:

Halo had health meters which had to be replenished with health packs. No regeneration. Halo stole the regeneration concept from other popular shooters. Please quit quoting Yahtzee, he's wrong.

Sincerely,
I have actually played these games.

 

[-Drifter-]

Halo and the regenerationg health bar is one example.

I know Halo sort of brought this about, but I think Gears of War is more to blame in this case. Not that that's the only blame to be lay(ed? Bah, English) at it's feet. It's also responsible for endless third-person cover based shooting.

 

[Super Toast]

Halo, CoD and, of course, Mario.

 

[Furious Styles]

GTA 3- 3rd person, 3D, open world cities

 

[gideonkain]

Max Payne did bullet time, Blood Rayne emulated it poorly, F.E.A.R did it very well

 

[tjs09]

Mario Kart..

You're not even a true video game mascot until you've had a Mario Kart knockoff XD

 

[starwarsgeek]

I wonder who started the "sheep" standard...

Anyway, any game that started a new genre or subgenre (Donkey Kong, Super Smash Bros., Adventure, Super Mario Kart, ect.), defined how a genre--or gaming in general--would develop (Resident Evil, GTA 3, Super Mario Bros., ect.), or started/popularized a new mechanic (Final Fantasy 2US, Shenmue/God of War, Halo 2). For some reason, a lot of people seem to think that techniques and genres catching on are bad things...I never quite "got" that.

 

[Pinkiequasar]

Red Faction, to the best of my knowledge, started destructible environments.

 

[Nomanslander]

Gears of War with its chest high walls, and cover base gameplay.

Sure Kill Switch came out first, but Gears popularized it...=/

Presumably <url=http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FollowTheLeader>every game listed on this page, for one reason or another.

Curse you for bringing that site up. The last time I ended up investing 3 days worth trying to read through all of them, and yet I can't remember a damn thing...><

 

[IBlackKiteI]

But they popularised it. Just like gears of war popularised their third person cover system.

...which they ripped directly off Killswitch. So its like,...an infinite cycle of copying and popularising or something. (Ahh so thats how it works...)

Anyways, I'm not 100% on this one, but the first shooters all having sucky stories and characters, which (possibly) led to dev's just not caring to make decent plots, so long as the game's gameplay is solid.

Oh yeah, and cutscenes maybe.

 

[Pat8u]

Half life opening vehicle sequences at least I think they started it

 

[veloper]

doom (and other shooters also made by ID)
dune2 (then C&C which Westwood studios also made)
diablo 1+2
streetfighter 2
gta3

 

[Danceofmasks]

Virtua Fighter