100 most influential games site idea...

BCampbell

BCampbell

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Check the topic [a]http://www.mygamer.com/index.php?page=viewtopic&fid=1&tid=1258&pid=5338&fpagetemp=2[aa]here[/a] to see what we're already talking about.

I'm thinking a top 50 or 100 most influential games list, compiled by multiple site contributors, would be an awesome idea -- kind of an expansion on Jason's article. I just don't know who to vet this through. I'm willing to do the compilation work... I already have a general idea for doing it in a spreadsheet. What we need:

An okay from someone
Willing participants*
Deadline date, site specifics, etc.

*Willing participants does not mean someone who says "hey this is cool, add this game". It means someone who is willing and able to suggest several titles, wadethrough, compare, and rate a list of 100+ games, and write short blurbs about the games and why they are influential, possibly for several titles. It will probably be more work an you expect.

So, let's run this up the flagpole...
 
I'd be willing, of course, to do my share. This seems like a really huge group effort and, not to sound too cheesy, I would be honored to be a part of it.

I pity the poor editor that will have to sift through 100 different paragraphs in order to correct the eventual mistakes.
 
My only hesitation is the idea of "influential" games. I could give you ten games that I thought were very well made and I enjoyed. I could write blurbs for them about why I liked them and why I think they were well made. I don't know if my choices would qualify as being very "influential." I would love to help, but the above sentiment is my reason for hesitation. Whoever takes charge, let me know. I would be happy to help with some of the editorial process.
 
Ironically enough, some of the choices I made for the top ten list I didn't even find all that influencial. I just thought they were really good games that needed recognition. Maybe instead of a top 100 influencial games we could do a top 100 games that deserve recognition?
 
Yeah, I mean...Adventure? Sure, Gameinformer did like...a paragraph reminiscing of it....but had ANYBODY even heard of it? Plus, that isn't really much of an Easter Egg. But I mean...100 games is a lot, and if you really think about it...has there really been 100 of em?
 
Well, influential can mean a variety of things. Bennett, all you need to do is decide what your definition is going to be for this particular article and be sure that it's clear from the beginning of it. As the author, you're given the creative license to set the boundaries of an article for yourself. "Influential" suggests more than anything, however, games that have somehow influenced the development /improvement/evolution of games, the gaming industry and interactive entertainment as a primary form of fun. What games have influenced the making of games? Space War is often considered to have included the first game level. This is hellatiously influential. What were some of the first scrolling environments, the first games to use cinematic sequences, which are almost a given in most games now? So, one way to take this article would be what games influenced game design/development. Now, if you wanted to go for games that were the most popular, then you might consider changing the title, since not all the most influential games were hits.
 
I was thinking we could do "Top 50 Most Important Games in History"

That would really open things up, and would encompass both importance and influential.
 
Reply to: spudlyff8fan:

Yeah, I mean...Adventure? Sure, Gameinformer did like...a paragraph reminiscing of it....but had ANYBODY even heard of it? Plus, that isn't really much of an Easter Egg. But I mean...100 games is a lot, and if you really think about it...has there really been 100 of em?
Click to expand...

Hey, without the game Adventure we wouldn't have Easter Eggs. The term Easter Egg was created by Electronic Gaming Monthly (me thinks that was the company) regarding Adventure.
 
Ehh, there probably would've been, just in more renowned games....with better eggs. The thing is Adventure's easter egg wasn't the kind of idea other developers would've gone "Aww! Why didn't I think of that?!?" like other games were just because it was that obscure. Plus, most people usually just put their names in the credits....or if you are arrogant like Tom Clancy or Hideo Kojima, you'll just slap it on the box......show offs.
 
Dissonantfeet had some good ideas of some categories to think of. If we stick with influential, I might be able to help in that respect. In other words, come up with other potential first ideas that might have been left off. I probably won't know the game that is associated with the first but that is where our collective expertise could come into play.
 
Or how about if we don't list it as a Top xx. In other words, how about xx Games that Changed Gaming, or whatever. Ranking will lead to more discussion (argument), but it may be too difficult. Just another thought.
 
Maybe (btw, it took me three tries just now to remember how "maybe" was spelt :( ) those arguments that dirive from listing the games in numerical order would be a good thing. More discussion, the better.

I think we should just have our top 100 favorite games; that way we can have influencial, important or just plain fun all added into the mix. The group of writers that partcipate (ten of them) can all choose ten titles that they just loved and then we could rule out doubles or games that we don't agree on (Eg. Someone may choose Postal, and face it, that game sucked.) Then we can fill out the list, organize it, write about it and then bask in the glory that is our huge team effort.
 
That may be harder. Unless we all wrote out own bunch of comments on why the game is good, it wouldn't go too well, just because I seriously doubt I've played many of other peoples favorites...and i doubt you've played many of the no-names i've liked.
 
Reply to: spudlyff8fan:

That may be harder. Unless we all wrote out own bunch of comments on why the game is good, it wouldn't go too well, just because I seriously doubt I've played many of other peoples favorites...and i doubt you've played many of the no-names i've liked.
Click to expand...

Well, each writer should write about what they contributed to the list.
 
If you can justify your reason for saying that a game is "important" or "influential" and you provide lots of good examples, then readers don't have to have played the games. There are a number of games I haven't played, but I can respect their contributions to the industry based on what authorities have written/said about them. I've also played games that aren't my favorite, but I can still appreciate their contributions as well. I may have this wrong, but my impression is that Bennett wants to develop a list and write an article that isn't based solely on subjective opinions, but on the view of the game by the industry as a whole. Of course, we can't escape subjectivity, but we can distance ourselves enough from our favoite games to have a clearer vision of the progression of game design/development.

This sounds like it could get to be a very long article, though. Maybe we can think about breaking it up into parts or something. Do a VH1 sort of thing--25 games at a time for four weeks.

Despite how you decide to do it, Bennett, it sounds like a great idea. Why don't you begin and send me a draft? Once you have something on paper, then we can talk about what direction you seem to be taking and if it's where you want to go.
 
Not everybody has the same definition of important/influential though. Let's say...Tomb Raider. Many would say it's important/influential because is was the first game which pushed sexuality in a game, and arguably set things up for the Dead or Alives, or the like. Another I would say would be influential would be Halo. It wasn't particularly influential...but it DID single-handedly put the Xbox on the map, which makes it important. But for my obscure title, I'll say...Otogi: Myth of Demons. I personally thought it was one of the best playing games on Xbox...EGM agrees with me, GameInformer and the reviewer at mygamer (it used to have a 7.8...what happened) don't. I'd say it was important because it was one of the first Xbox RPGs, and also was influential because since its release, more and more RPG aspects are being incorporated into action titles, and more action elements are being incorporated into RPGs. I'm sure people here will disagree with at least some of my choices. So how would we deal with that?
 
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