Which year is gaming's Definitive Year?

[CaptainNuevo]

What year do you think had the biggest releases and was most impactful to gaming as a whole?

I submit 1993. 1993 was a big year since it gave us a lot of entries that are now considered some of the definitive releases that impacted genres for years to come. We had tons of genres represented here.
FPS: DOOM
Fighting: Mortal Kombat 2
Adventure: Myst
Aerial Combat: star Fox
Action: Mega Man X

 

[Rand a. Thor]

1996, what else can it be? Diablo, Maril 64, Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, Pokemon, and even Persona all came to existence in that year.

 

[AgentStrange]

This year since Ninja and Drake made it cool

 

[Deleted member 249]

I think 1998 is in terms of historical impact and legacy, but my favorite is 2017.

 

[Dr. Mario]

1998.

The first definitive open world game (Zelda OoT)
The first definitive third person cinematic action game (Metal Gear Solid)
The definitive mascot game (Pokemon Yellow) (okay somewhat dubious next to Mario and Sonic)
The first definitive first person cinematic action game (Half Life)
The first definitive 3d graphics card game (Unreal)
The first definitive D&D/WRPG game (Baldur's Gate)

 

[nightstalker962]

If there's a poll, I'd vote 2004.

 

[guek]

1998.

 

[Deleted member 12129]

1998 and 2004 are at the top of my list.

 

[bshock]

1998 for me.

Starcraft
Baldur's Gate
Half Life
Metal Gear Solid
Grim Fandango
Thief
Zelda OoT
Descent Freespace
Rainbow Six
Starsiege Tribes
Etc...

Kind of ridiculous really. There was something great to play coming out constantly.

 

[ghibli99]

Personally it'd be 1989 when I got my Genesis for Christmas. Ghouls'n Ghosts, Thunder Force II, Revenge of Shinobi, Truxton, Forgotten Worlds, etc.

Beyond that, every year has been memorable. 2017 and 1998 stand out though.

 

[Deleted member 5593]

2001 for me. Gave the games which revolutionized their respective genre's for me:

Sandbox Games: GTA3
Shooters: Halo: CE
Fighting Games: Smash Melee, Tekken Tag Tournament (PS2), Capcom vs SNK 2
Action: Devil May Cry, Metal Gear Solid 2
Adventure: Silent Hill 2, ICO
Puzzle: Phoenix Wright
Platformers: Jak and Daxter

1998 almost ties with it, but 2001 slightly edges it out because so many of those games fall into my top 10 GOAT.

 

[Deleted member 2426]

Personal favorite is 2017. Woo what a year.

But yeah 1998.

 

[Fireblend]

Every year is the best year.

 

[Pagusas]

So many good ones, 9
96,97 and 98 were just insane though, If I had to pick one it would be 1997.

 

[Tali'Zorah]

On a personal note it's 2017, my favourite year by far, so many games that I adored.

Objectively though it's 1998. OoT, Metal Gear and Half Life, all groundbreaking, influential titles, titles that continue to be lauded and continue to influence to this day, all in the same year. I don't think much comes close.

 

[Hace]

2014 obviously.

 

[Deleted member 36578]

1998 . It'll be seriously difficult to ever top it.

 

[Flame Lord]

Despite only being 5 at the time I always think 1998. So much classic shit that I either have come to love or at least have respect for released in that year.

 

[no1]

2007

 

[Raijinto]

2017 for me. I played so many great to outstanding games that year and I'm still catching up on the likes of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Resident Evil 7's DLC and still playing ARMS, MK8D and Mario + Rabbids.

Needless to say BotW, Super Mario Odyssey and Persona 5 were the highlights. Amazing games.

Oh and Golf Story too.

 

[Chivalry]

2001. GTA 3 changed everything forever.

 

[Big G]

1998. Ocarina of Time, Half-Life, Metal Gear Solid, StarCraft, Resident Evil 2, Thief.

There are years that have had more great games, but I don't know of another year with this many landmark titles.

2001 is an acceptable answer considering the release of two new consoles and each had its defining game right at/near launch, as well as the PS2's GOAT fall lineup.

 

[Strangelove_77]

Yeah it's 1998. Pretty much shaped all current gaming.

 

[galv]

2017 as a personal favourite - few years compare to the sheer quantity of quality games and even fewer have the sheer variety of games released in 2017.

Great year for JRPGs, RPGs, Immersive Sims, Open World Games, FPS games, groundbreaking VR games, indie games, metroidvanias, Horror games, 3d platformers, cinematic action games...I really enjoyed last year a lot.

Spoiler

NieR: Automata, Yakuza 0, Wolfenstein 2, PREY, Robo Recall, Lone Echo, Destiny 2, Nioh, Hellblade, Tales of Berseria, Resident Evil 7, Persona 5, Gravity Rush 2, Horizon Zero Dawn, Cuphead, Hollow Knight, Rime, A Hat in Time, Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Divinity Original Sin 2, The Sexy Brutale, Project CARS 2, The Surge, The Evil Within 2, Gran Turismo Sport, Assassin's Creed Origins

2019 is shaping up to be incredible as well.

 

[Mullet2000]

Hard to pick just one but if I had to narrow it to three it would be:

1998
2007
2017

 

[SageShinigami]

This year. Or I guess last year if you're a Nintendo fan.

 

[Cyborg]

Would say launch year of PS2?

 

[xGrizzly]

2007 for me.

As a middle schooler and getting to play Halo 3 and Bioshock was mind blowing. Thats not even counting Mario Galaxy, Crysis, Mass Effect, Call of Duty 4 and etc. All these games brought in innovations and some haven't been topped in its game design.

 

[Gartooth]

To me personally it's...

1998 > 2017 > 2007

'98 had Banjo-Kazooie, Ocarina of Time, Metal Gear Solid, and Pokemon Red and Blue

2017 had Breath of the Wild, Odyssey, Persona 5, Sonic Mania, and more.

2007 had Mario Galaxy, Prime 3, Portal, and Halo 3.

 

[Deleted member 13101]

The year the wheel was invented. There's nothing better, as someone put it in a tweet today.

And of course we've been on a "roll" ever since. Oh, me.

But seriously: 2014. Gamergate. The games released ranged from life-threatening (death threats) to boring (writing emails). The effects rippled through society, from the most far-out, isolated on-line community right to the global geopolitical stage.

The message has been made clear: "Gaming is not for everyone." Industry-wide, community-wide, neither has been the same since, and both have yet to overcome this.

 

[shinobi602]

I'm not sure there's an 'objective' definitive best year for games, but there's certainly quite a few standouts. 1996, 98, 2001, 2004...

My personal choice would have to be 2007 though.

-Call of Duty 4
-Halo 3
-Bioshock
-Mass Effect
-Super Mario Galaxy
-The Witcher

Absolutely insane year for my own tastes. Mass Effect went on to become my favorite game of all time, even to this day.

 

[daninthemix]

1996, what else can it be? Diablo, Maril 64, Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, Pokemon, and even Persona all came to existence in that year.

Click to shrink...

And Quake. This was the year when 3D properly happened.

 

[Deleted member 12833]

2001 for me. So many genre defining games

 

[collige]

1998, 2001, 2004, and 2007 are all in the running for me

 

[Tibarn]

1998 or 2017. Zelda years basically.

 

[sir_crocodile]

you could pick many years in the 1990s and I wouldn't argue it. 94 and 98 were very good.

 

[chandoog]

1998, 2001, 2008, 2017 and 2018 are all amazing years and I cannot decide which goes in which order.

So they're all tied for me.

 

[Owarifin]

'98 always comes up,
and with good reason.

It'll be the same 10 years from now.

 

[Terraforce]

I agree with the 2017 point. It marked the return of several iconic franchises (some after years of hiatus) and all of them were bigger and better than ever. Mario, Zelda, Sonic, Persona, Assassin's Creed, Resident Evil, Crash, etc. There were also a ton of great new IPs, several big indie games, and pretty much all genres were represented. Had a nice quality, quantity, and variety to it, and coincidentally the year of revival of so many classics in their best form.

 

[Deleted member 15428]

1998

 

[Deleted member 28307]

1998 and 2001 are the goat

 

[Nikachu]

2017 has been my personal favorite to live through, in retrospect though I think 1998 is definitely up there with it

 

[ThisIsMyDogKyle]

Personally 2017 and I doubt anything else ever comes close, in general though 1998.

 

[LostLink]

2017

 

[DigSCCP]

1998 !
But it's good to see so many 2017 citations, last year is definitely the best year we had in the past decade!

 

[Necron]

I'm going with 1998 as well.

I mean... just look at this list:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_in_video_gaming

So much stuff we still talk/compare it with even to this day. It was the dawn of polygons and 3D in many ways...

 

[Deleted member 12833]

I don't really get the 2017 love. It was a good year but nothing incredible like 98 or 01. I would put 2015 over it.

 

[DeckardWintermute]

1998 !
But it's good to see so many 2017 citations, last year is definitely the best year we had in the past decade!

Click to shrink...

Came here to also say 1998. Half-Life, Ocarina of Time, Starcraft, Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil 2... I'm biased because I think Half-Life is one of the greatest games ever made, along with Ocarina of Time.

 

[Indelible]

Definitely 1998, so many classic games that shaped how games would play in 3D.

 

[Prolepro]

87 for nascent design philosophies, 98 for the industry coming into technological jump to 3D, and in terms of what year defines the current generation of gaming, 2017.