When does a game become a "classic"?

[Alphavillain]

A.) Quite simply, in your opinion, when does a highly-regarded video game become a "classic" game, if ever? 5 years afer release? 10? Immediatedly? Please give examples!
B.) Do you think that the tag "classic" is complementary, or rather a kind of patronising shelving of the game to the back great video game cupboard, from whence it shall never appear again? Do games only become classics when that genre has largely stopped innovating (e.g., the Mario games in the platforming genre)?

 

[Anarchemitis]

I think a game becomes classic when it still maintains a good name (reputation rather) 5 years after the game loses mainstream popularity. (Wether by Sequel or other cause) I think it becomes Retro at 12.
In as such, by my definition, Star Wars Battlefront is a classic.

Classic I assume defines old+still awesome, thereby implying the game originally has to be awesome in the first place. Half Life 2 will be classic (or Legendary) in 3 or so years.

 

[corronchilejano]

When it becomes a cult hit. That's why we include Mario games, Zelda games, even Halo is a classic even if outdated. Half-life is in there too...

 

[mshcherbatskaya]

I think that if the industry has moved on to a new generation of technology, I mean made the full transition, not just introduced the hot new thing, and people still roll back to the old technology to play a game, that makes it a classic. It can't be mere eyecandy at that point, because the new eyecandy is sweeter. For example, The Longest Journey really shows it's age in terms of graphics and interface but people still love it and play it. Why? Because it's a classic.

 

[nightfish]

classic = it did something for the genre

i.e. Quake and HL for FPS, C&C and TA for RTS, Civ 2 for TBS

 

[GenHellspawn]

Don't forget Fallout, Torment, and Ultima for RPG

 

[caseyday09]

Yea Mario, Zelda, Half-life, and Halo are classic but only Halo was a classic right away. I think that the only next gen games that are or will be are Bioshock and Gears of War. Oh the game needs to change the way we look to the industry.

 

[Alphavillain]

I think that if the industry has moved on to a new generation of technology, I mean made the full transition, not just introduced the hot new thing, and people still roll back to the old technology to play a game, that makes it a classic. It can't be mere eyecandy at that point, because the new eyecandy is sweeter. For example, The Longest Journey really shows it's age in terms of graphics and interface but people still love it and play it. Why? Because it's a classic.

That's a good definition of a classic, I like that. I suppose I have a negative view of the word "classic" in something like video games, because I tend to think it means that something has stagnated to the point where it seems rather like a full-stop. But classic can also mean the opposite, it's true

 

[nightfish]

...Halo are classic but only Halo was a classic right away.

but what did Halo bring to the genre what wasn't already there?

classic for me, means as I said - something what brings something new not because X amount of people play it or because its X years old.

i.e. TA brought an entire new graphics system and deformable terrain; Ultima Online basically made online RPG's happen (whether thats a good thing...hehe) etc

when I play Halo, I just don't see anything new that makes it a classic.

 

[Spinwhiz]

I think that if the industry has moved on to a new generation of technology, I mean made the full transition, not just introduced the hot new thing, and people still roll back to the old technology to play a game, that makes it a classic. It can't be mere eyecandy at that point, because the new eyecandy is sweeter. For example, The Longest Journey really shows it's age in terms of graphics and interface but people still love it and play it. Why? Because it's a classic.

I agree with most of this, but I don't think it only has to do with tech. Think of all the great movies (especially Sci-Fi) that have come out and when you try to describe them it's "kind of like Indiana Jones with a twist of Star Trek". They are the item in which all others have to be compared.

 

[Logan Westbrook]

I suggest we leave Halo out of this discussion. I'm not disparaging the game in any way, but it has such a polarising affect on gamers that it can quickly derail any thread that it comes up in.

Back on topic, I think I have to agree with mshcerbatskaya. The difficulty in definition is due to the fact that gamers have different tastes. I think another good barometer of whether a game is a classic or not is if it is the game is referred to favourably several years after it's release, Half Life is a good example.

I suppose everyone has their own private lists of classics, for example, I love Shadowrun on the SNES, and then there are games that are classics by general consensus such as Half Life of Knights of the Old Republic

 

[caseyday09]

Halo was the 1st to make a game that had a story that was as good as a movie and it pull what was great from all the other FPS of the time and made it seamless in all parts.(only talking about the 1st Halo)

 

[corronchilejano]

Halo was the 1st to make a game that had a story that was as good as a movie and it pull what was great from all the other FPS of the time and made it seamless in all parts.(only talking about the 1st Halo)

You sir, have NO idea what the hell you're talking about. Halo is a BIG cliche, and yes, it's just one of those summer movies they launch and everyone forgets about six months later (Doom anyone?). It became a classic basically because Minisoft poured millions into it, even if it meant losing money in the process.

Unfortunately, classic is something that everyone knows or has heard about. Big classics are things that got so popular everyone knows about them.

 

[Copter400]

A game is counted as a classic when the queer fanfics start rolling in.

 

[Lord_Jaroh]

A game is counted as a classic when the queer fanfics start rolling in.

That would mean that Final Fantasy VII is a classic, which I don't agree with.

I dunno. I can't think of any game of the PS1 era that I would consider "classic" on a console system. For PC, maybe Diablo I. Otherwise, we're looking at Super NES and older.

 

[Programmed_For_Damage]

Final Fantasy VII IS a classic. I don't enjoy the game but that doesn't mean that it's not a classic. Not only does it have a steady following, which has not really diminished over the years, but at the time of it's release it pushed the boundaries beyond the generic. That, in my opinion, defines a classic.

Also, I do think there are games that are instant classics; games that are so well thought out and executed that they grab gamers around the throat and earn critical acclaim. Bioshock is one such example of a recent one; the original Half Life being an older example.

 

[Alphavillain]

I think there are games that are personal classics (like Halo seems to be for some guys, or Final Fantasy VII or the likes for others, or Gothic 1 for me) and there are "general" classics, that are accepted as being "classic" by the general public, which mostly are the big innovative games, too: Mario, Wolfenstein3D / Doom / Quake, Ultima Online, Dune II or Command & Conquer and so on. Halo for example could also become a general classic, I guess. It was the first "proper" FPS on consoles... and hyped beyond belief. Alone the hype created for that game probably will be enough for centuries to come
I think I'll go with: A classic is a game that brought something new to the table and also managed to be so good that it is played even several years (5, I guess?) after its release, which basically proves that the game managed to be really great despite being innovative.

 

[Akatsuki_slave]

Halo was the 1st to make a game that had a story that was as good as a movie and it pull what was great from all the other FPS of the time and made it seamless in all parts.(only talking about the 1st Halo)

Seriously? Dude. The first game w/ a movie like story line? Maybe a crappy Hollywood blockbuster. Not an actually good movie. Ever heard of Xenosaga? That *is* an amazing movie w/ playable characters, basically. And it's awesome (the first one, anyway).

 

[Lord_Jaroh]

Halo was the 1st to make a game that had a story that was as good as a movie and it pull what was great from all the other FPS of the time and made it seamless in all parts.(only talking about the 1st Halo)

Seriously? Dude. The first game w/ a movie like story line? Maybe a crappy Hollywood blockbuster. Not an actually good movie. Ever heard of Xenosaga? That *is* an amazing movie w/ playable characters, basically. And it's awesome (the first one, anyway).

All I need to say is KOTOR...

Final Fantasy VII IS a classic. I don't enjoy the game but that doesn't mean that it's not a classic. Not only does it have a steady following, which has not really diminished over the years, but at the time of it's release it pushed the boundaries beyond the generic. That, in my opinion, defines a classic.

Not to start a flame-war or anything, but how did it push the boundaries beyond the generic? It did nothing that WoW hasn't done, simply refined what was already there to a form that was palatable by the masses. There is nothing that is not generic about the game, simply more people had access to it.

I would say that Transformers the new movie was just such a palatal form of entertainment, but there is no way that it is an instant "classic" let alone good, much like Soul Calibur IV whoring out it's entertainment with Yoda/Darth Vader. Sure, it may end up being a good fighter, however it has lost any semblance of being anything other than a cash-grab...which is pretty much the opposite of being a "classic" to me.