Genre defining games

[Allthingsspectacular]

A genre defining game is when what makes a certain genre good or appealing is at its most prominent. When a game you play makes you think to yourself "This is why I play -genre-!", it's probably a genre defining game for you.

Readers of the Escapist may have seen the most recent episodes of Extra Credits where they talk about how awesome Journey is and how it parallels the hero's journey. One could take this to interpret Journey as a genre defining game for the Adventure genre.

A personal example:

EVE Online defines the MMO genre. It's a game where it takes the initial appeal of MMOs (Which is a thriving world run by players) and puts it front and center. Where other MMOs will say "No, you can't grief or scam players", EVE will say "Hm, that's a good idea!" Players can do almost anything they want, as long as it isn't harassment, death threats, hacking, etc. CCP doesn't put a limit on what you're allowed to do in the game. Players can form a company, acquire real estate, war over said real estate, have a booming trade, build massive empires and so on and so forth. It's all awesome. That's why EVE defines MMOs for me.

What games would you say defines genres? You can disagree with me if you want.

 

[krazykidd]

Everquest for MMOs
Final fantasy 1 for Jrpgs
Goldeneye for Modern FPS
Doom for old school FPS
Halo for sci-fi FPS
Street fighter 2 for 2d fighting games
Tekken for 3d fighting games
Qbert for puzzle games (?)
Dungeons and dragons for Wrpgs
GTA3 for sandbox ganes
Saints row for parody sandbox games
DDR for rythm games
legend of zelda for adventure games

...
AM I DOING IT RIGHT?

 

[Chased]

I would say World of Warcraft defines the MMO genre, considering just about every other MMO is a clone of it. I would also say that TF2 and League are defining how a free-to-play game operates (though I don't care for League).

 

[hazabaza1]

Persona 4 is a damn near perfect example of how to make a JRPG. And it's bloody brilliant.

 

[baddude1337]

I'd say the Total War series for the empire building, simply because it is one of the only ones that also has real-time battles. Sure, the campaign map isn't as in depth as pure civ games and stuff, but FUCKING BATTLES.

 

[Allthingsspectacular]

I would say World of Warcraft defines the MMO genre, considering just about every other MMO is a clone of it. I would also say that TF2 and League are defining how a free-to-play game operates (though I don't care for League).

I personally feel it makes terrible use of the MMORPG element. But that's just me.

 

[Zhukov]

A genre defining game is when what makes a certain genre good or appealing is at its most prominent. When a game you play makes you think to yourself "This is why I play -genre-!", it's probably a genre defining game for you.

Well, going by that definition...

- Half Life 2 (+ episodes) and Bioshock define single player shooters.

- Portal defines puzzle games.

- Journey defines "art games".

- Battlefield Bad Company 2 defines multiplayer "realistic" (shut up, you know what I mean) shooters.

- Team Fortress 2 defines multiplayer non-realistic shooters.

- The Mass Effect series defines action-RPGs. (Yeah, come at me!)

- Amnesia: The Dark Descent defines horror games.

Umm...

- Orcs Must Die defines tower defence games.

Yeah, that's all I can think of off the top of my head.

 

[Steve Waltz]

I'm reluctant to say that Goldeneye 007 defined the modern FPS genre. A classic, yes, but Goldeneye 007 had a strong stealth element and only used one joystick for movement, things that aren't used in many modern FPS games. I'm more inclined to say that Quake or Half-life were the foundation for FPS games.

Moving on, I think it's safe to say Resident Evil was what popularized the classic Survival/Horror genre.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Everquest for MMOs
Final fantasy 1 for Jrpgs
Goldeneye for Modern FPS
Doom for old school FPS
Halo for sci-fi FPS
Street fighter 2 for 2d fighting games
Tekken for 3d fighting games
Qbert for puzzle games (?)
Dungeons and dragons for Wrpgs
GTA3 for sandbox ganes
Saints row for parody sandbox games
DDR for rythm games
legend of zelda for adventure games

...
AM I DOING IT RIGHT?

I'd push a few of those back a game, more like

Doom for FPS's in general
Quake for old school PC FPSs
Half Life 2 for modern PC FPSs
Goldeneye for old school console FPSs
Halo for modern console FPSs
Dragon Quest 1 for JRPGs (Final Fantasy 1 came out a couple of months before Dragon Quest 3, making DQ a much older series. Square also set out with the idea of making a game "Like Dragon Quest," so there's that.)
D&D for the concept of a Role Playing game
either Wizardry or Ultima for WRPGs (not sure which came first)
Tetris for puzzle games
Kings Quest for adventure games
Legend of Zelda for action-adventure games XP
Virtua Fighter for 3D fighting games
and, arguably, Ultima Online for MMORPGs.

I'd agree with Street Fighter 2 for 2D fighters, though, and I'd say that at the very least modern sandbox games are built on the GTA3 model. I don't know how much GTA3 was in turn built on the GTA I and II model, so I can't really say if modern sandbox games are much like them.
DDR is a fair choice for rhythm games. It seems like there may have been others before it, but they weren't particularly similar to the stuff that came after it.

A couple others:

Wing Commander for space combat flight sims
Elite for space trading sims
Pole Position for arcade racers (as in, actual arcade games with time limits and check points, not just games with arcadey physics)

And at this point I'm having a hard time thinking of many other genres that haven't been covered. Krazyidd, you get points for a fairly comprehensive list, even if I don't agree with most of the choices for it.

 

[Mysterious Username]

Super Mario defined platformers, obviously.

 

[BlumiereBleck]

snip

Has extra credits got to religion in gaming yet? Or any of those promised videos they told us about two years ago?



I think Animal Crossing defines the genre of Super Addictive Awesome Fun Game.

 

[Twilight_guy]

WoW is the MMORPG and MMO. One can't even talk about MMOs without coming to WoW at some point or comparing something to WoW. MMOs also take lots of inspiration from WoW either by copying it or intentionally trying to do something to be 'different from WoW'.

Mario games define platformers. Probably because they are some of the earliest and arguablly best.

Doom used to define FPS games. It doesn't so much anymore though.

Quake, doom and UT to various extents created deathmatch games and thus multiplayer in FPS games. I'm not going to say which one defines it, but one of them has to.

 

[Vegosiux]

- Orcs Must Die defines tower defence games.

But...but...but there's not one single tower in that game! Okay, except for level 15. But I agree, it's just what a tower defense game should be. Complete with comedy.

No, sorry orc, you can't be the good guy.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Hm...let me see...

Duke Nukem 3D for FPS Games (I need more time with Painkiller but it was close)
Saint's Row 2 for Sandbox Games
Silent Hill 4: The Room for Horror Games (This should tell you how often I play Horror games)
Legend of Zelda - Wind Waker for Adventure & Art Games
Arkham Asylum for Action Games
Burnout 3 for Racing Games
Spider-Man 2 for Licensed Games
Guilty Gear X for Fighting Games
Tetris for Puzzle Games
Mario Party 2 for Party Games
Theatrythem for Rhythm Games (I know it's new but it's having a huge impact on me and we don't get any Hatsune games here in the states)

 

[Ruzinus]

Dota defined, naye, CREATED the entire Moba-genre :U

It was not the first.

But it did probably define it, given the clear and excessive influence of the exact map shape it used on post WC3 AOS/MOBA games.

 

[Allthingsspectacular]

WoW is the MMORPG and MMO. One can't even talk about MMOs without coming to WoW at some point or comparing something to WoW. MMOs also take lots of inspiration from WoW either by copying it or intentionally trying to do something to be 'different from WoW'.

Mario games define platformers. Probably because they are some of the earliest and arguablly best.

Doom used to define FPS games. It doesn't so much anymore though.

Quake, doom and UT to various extents created deathmatch games and thus multiplayer in FPS games. I'm not going to say which one defines it, but one of them has to.

WoW is the most influential MMO but I don't agree with it being the genre defining game.

MMOs are defined by a thriving, persistent virtual world made out of players. The problem comes with the fact that the game doesn't take advantage of this at all. It's a CO-RPG with a persistent world attached to it.

 

[WoahDan]

Genre defining basically = influential though, the game that all subsequent developers copy thus defining the genre is the most influential one not the one you or I personally like. Like it or not HALO defines the modern shooter, WoW defines the modern MMO and GTA defines the modern open-world game. That's not to say that these games are the best in their genre or are even good (though I personally like all three), they are what all the developers try to copy though.