10 Influential Video Games That Changed the Industry Forever
Minecraft
In any medium of entertainment, there are works that do more than make a splash with their quality. Thanks to the way they change up how they present consumers with a story, provide a new method of interacting with the material presented, or otherwise find a new way to be created in general, these works went on to influence the world around them forever and make their mark on history. Video games are no exception to this, and these 11 influential video games changed the industry forever in some way, shape or form.
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The smash hit phenomenon that was and is Minecraft is something no one saw coming. Set in a pixelated world full of materials to collect, objects to craft and enemies to evade, it captivated millions of players with its simplistic design philosophy and the creativity it afforded players.
Also, it is arguably the title most responsible for the Early Access model of game development that is so prominent today. Once only a passion project by developer Markus Persson, aka Notch, it was made available to players as an incomplete alpha for $15 in the hopes of raising funds for its continued development. This proved a more than worthwhile strategy, with Notch able to quit his day job and begin working on the game full-time alongside other developers after purchases poured in. Following this, further pre-release builds were released with a similar price tag while those who invested early were given access to the game’s later models and, eventually, the finished project.
The end result was a title which millions had played for years and helped to refine before it was “officially” released, and all these years later, it’s a development model embraced by some of the biggest games on the market.
