What is Gaming's Star Wars?

[agentorange98]

Now I don't mean something with like a point for point comparison here, I mean some artifact of Gaming culture that we can all point to and know what it is, something that even the highest l33ts and the lowest n00bs know along with maybe a character or a quote. Personally I'm gonna say Halo but that might be just me

 

[agentorange98]

Oh yeah quick follow up I'm only talking about games and stuff with a scifi tone (Mass Effect, Gears of War, Halo, Wing Commander, etc.) I also think that the Wing Commander series would be Gaming's Buck Rodgers (Not as well known but a major inspiration for its genre)

 

[Last Hugh Alive]

I don't like the franchise personally, but probably Halo.

 

[Capt. Crankypants]

I see. Well, if you're looking for a single title or series, I dunno, but my 'off the top of head' suggestions would be: 'Age of Empires', 'Mario' 'Zelda' or 'CounterStrike'. There will always be a few people who 'haven't gotten into' the game of your choice, simply because they don't like the genre or whatever, but I think those are a fairly staple suggestion, at least to start with, as we're sure to see more as the thread progresses.

EDIT: Oh, only sci-fi games. Right. Well, Starcraft perhaps? The legion of followers of the first Starcraft title was unlike anything ever seen in the online community

 

[MercurySteam]

I'm going with either the Mass Effect or Halo series. They're both great in their own rights.

 

[Ryank1908]

If it's only Sci-fi stuff, my vote definitely goes to Starcraft. I mean, in terms of wild cult fanaticism, I don't think it can be beaten. Halo and Gears may well beat it in terms of general popularity, but it's still one the granddaddy of sci-fi gaming in my eyes.
Noticeable mention to Master of Orion though.

 

[Fiad]

I would say Halo, if you say the name everyone knows something about it.

 

[EradiusLore]

mario and zelda, regardless if you like them or not everyone knows them

 

[shadow_Fox81]

I'd say final fantasy, despite despising it ( but i despise star wars so its a good match)

 

[RickWilde]

I'mma go with the guy who said Final Fantasy
Awesome games early on but it seems to just be a cash cow now, the last FF game you literally just walked in a straight line and occasionally pressed A. Which I think perfectly describes the 'A' to 'B' way they developed Anakin in to Vader.
Little boy, taken away to be trained by a Jedi who MIGHT be evil, then by his apprentice who becomes like a big brother, has a massive emo phase and gets burned and this turns him in to the biggest badass in the galaxy...oh and his comic relief buddies get their memories wiped, preventing them from warning the next guy.
Could easily be a bad Final Fantasy story.

Just read only scifi games...more a fan of the film genre than game genre but then it'll be Halo
really like the logic behind the guy who said Starcraft but Star Wars is hugely known just by the geeks. As is Halo. Not sure I could say the same thing about Starcraft (at least not in UK)

 

[viranimus]

I would say world of Warcraft because it caters to the same sort of mindset, has the popularity and shares many similar themes.

However supposedly Final Fantasy was supposedly built to essentially be Japans incarnation of Star Wars. So I guess there might be a degree of validity to that one too.

I still say World of Warcraft, because it is illogical to try to force the categorization if your asking for this generations equivalent. Its like asking for the greatest fighter of all time, but expecting the answer to come only from professional wrestling.

 

[Twilight_guy]

Any of the big name property owned by Nintendo. Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, StarFox, etc.

 

[BlindMessiah94]

It's mario, easily. Even people that don't play games know what it is...just like how people who don't even know sci-fi know what star wars is.

Halo doesn't even come close.

 

[TheLiham]

Knights of the Old Republic.
/thread

Well, the original trilogy at least. The prequels? Probably Viva Pinata.

 

[Ghengis John]

You've asked a complicated question, agent orange. In cultural impact, in brand recognition in general society, in thematic visitation and in revenues the answers might all be different. So it's hard to say we have a "starwars" per se.

 

[agentorange98]

You've asked a complicated question, agent orange. In cultural impact, in brand recognition in general society, in thematic visitation and in revenues the answers might all be different. So it's hard to say we have a "starwars" per se.

Well I can easily clarify for you: any of those are acceptable answers, just say how you mean it afterward, I mean that's why I posted this thread to see what people think and explore the issue from many sides

 

[Quijiboh]

Doom or Half-Life perhaps? Genre-defining games, but also old enough such that some gamers now are young enough to have not have played the originals and might see them as a bit hokey?