The first-person shooter genre is one of the hottest trends in the gaming world currently. Some of the best-selling video games today came from that genre. It wasn't always as prosperous as it is now, however. So what has accounted for the rising property of first-person shooters in the
gaming world? Here are several factors.
GoldenEye 007
First-person shooter was almost exclusively a PC-only genre back in the 90s. GoldenEye 007 changed that perception when it was released in 1997 for the Nintendo 64. The game popularized the first-person shooting genre in the home console market due to its numerous innovations like multiple difficulty settings and addicting multiplayer action. The spiritual successor, Perfect Dark, further pushed the genre when it launched in 2000.
Halo: Combat Evolved
While GoldenEye 007 kick started the first-person shooter genre, it was Halo: Combat Evolved and its subsequent sequels that popularized it for the mass audience. Among the many innovations is the dual analog control scheme, which many first-person shooters still copied from. Halo: Combat Evolved also became the hub for competitive matches due to its incredibly fun multiplayer modes that were later expanded to the online world in the sequels.
High-Definition Era
One of the main hurdles for the success of first-person shooters in the home console market was the graphics. The blurry and pixilated visuals of the Playstation and Nintendo 64 systems were nowhere as good looking as PC titles at that time. While the situation improved in the next-generation, it was still a step behind the PC. With the advent of the high-definition era (and declining PC game sales), the home console is now just about even with the PC in terms of visuals.
Online Gameplay
GoldenEye 007
First-person shooter was almost exclusively a PC-only genre back in the 90s. GoldenEye 007 changed that perception when it was released in 1997 for the Nintendo 64. The game popularized the first-person shooting genre in the home console market due to its numerous innovations like multiple difficulty settings and addicting multiplayer action. The spiritual successor, Perfect Dark, further pushed the genre when it launched in 2000.
Halo: Combat Evolved
While GoldenEye 007 kick started the first-person shooter genre, it was Halo: Combat Evolved and its subsequent sequels that popularized it for the mass audience. Among the many innovations is the dual analog control scheme, which many first-person shooters still copied from. Halo: Combat Evolved also became the hub for competitive matches due to its incredibly fun multiplayer modes that were later expanded to the online world in the sequels.
High-Definition Era
One of the main hurdles for the success of first-person shooters in the home console market was the graphics. The blurry and pixilated visuals of the Playstation and Nintendo 64 systems were nowhere as good looking as PC titles at that time. While the situation improved in the next-generation, it was still a step behind the PC. With the advent of the high-definition era (and declining PC game sales), the home console is now just about even with the PC in terms of visuals.
Online Gameplay
Written by Otter
Otter is a free lance writer currently residing in San Francisco. He loves to play and talk video games. - Full profile
Review of the beta version for Xbox 360 showing highlights for multiplayer and some of the downfalls that will hopefully be fixed before final release.
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- First-person shooter was almost exclusively a PC-only genre back in the 90s.
- Halo: Combat Evolved and its subsequent sequels that popularized it for the mass audience.
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare sold like hotcakes, further elevating the genre in the process.
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