The games that have changed the concept of gaming over the past 10 years

Il 2020  is almost upon us, and another decade is about to close in the name of the round figure. Precisely for this occasion we have therefore decided to create a special that contains within it a list composed of some titles that, in our opinion, have brought greater changes to the concept of gaming in these last and very fertile years. Leaving aside a few small tears of melancholy and nostalgia, we point out eight titles that, more or less voluntarily, have influenced our video game in some way.

Some of these have succeeded afwave a real genre starting almost from scratch, and to enter both by arrogance in the houses of gamers, and to settle permanently in popular mass culture. Still others have set new standards for the gaming world, crossing the barriers of the digital age and continuing beyond, until the return of the true, healthy, and simple roots of the gaming experience.

Still others, however, have become pioneers of what is now the business related to e-Sports, which fill the stadiums as much as the channels on Twitch. Obviously, we remember that our rankings do not want to be closed and monolithic in any way: they are always open to new ideas, interactions and suggestions from the readers who follow us - also because the very concept of gaming is, for everyone, a something extremely subjective.

Fortnite: the Battle Royale revolution

Loved by so many and hated just as much, Fortnite it has undoubtedly become such a successful product that it has earned a place in popular culture. Developed by epic Games, the title has indeed become something more than a video game. It is a topic of discussion among groups of friends, a pastime to be exploited once back from school or work. And the trump card played by Epic lies in the fact that it is a free to play product, and never pay to win.

In fact, its free and innovative format, the Battle Royale, is what has made Fornite a worldwide phenomenon. A fight to the last pick, between escapes, pursuits, hiding places and majestic forts. A world in which all players start out in the same way, vulnerable, without being able to obtain advantages if not earning them by the sound of twists during the game. All wrapped up in an apparently violent plot, but in reality lightened by a cartoonish, playful and festive graphics, enriched by characters with bizarre costumes and the total absence of blood.

This is an effective and fortunate mix that has especially fascinated young users. Because the concept of gaming proposed by the new Battle Royale genre is that of a world that can be based above all on spectacle, both active and passive. Fortnite (do not want the less convinced) is a fun game, both to see for the spectators and to play, for the participants. And the fact that everyone can play for free together with their friends, and that it is not only the skill but also the cunning to bring home the victory, has made it a product suitable for everyone. Gaming then became, also thanks to Fortnite, part of mass culture, of a fashion still on the crest of the wave, a pastime that even those less involved in "videogame jobs" have experienced and been able to appreciate: because it is show, it is light, and it is fun.

The Last of Us: the importance of storytelling in gaming as in cinema

The Last of Us it is undoubtedly one of the true masterpieces of the last decade. Telling a unique and powerful post-apocalyptic story, it presents us with a narrative that corresponds to the best seen in other media, and perfectly merged within a gameplay that spins, especially in its function. A bit like what happens when the marriage between screenplay and camera takes place. The Last of Us, in fact, reaches high peaks also for its continuous wink at some of the films of the same genre (Children of the Men and 28 days later, to name just a couple).

The Last of Us offers players an exclusively single-player experience, and gives away a compelling narrative and exciting that successfully manages to keep players extremely engaged, similar to what happens for a well-crafted TV series. Druckmann, for his part, is certainly an expert and very competent writer, and he managed to bring the title to life by setting it effectively cinematic, as if it had been somehow also designed for the camera. Gaming, then, aligns with the cinema, for quality and construction - and this does not exclude even dubbing.

As if it were an interactive film, in The Last of Us it is we, together with Joel and Ellie, who make the narrative flow: not only do we observe all the vicissitudes of the protagonists on the screen, but we live with them the life that led them to meet again. together, united, swinging in a surrogate relationship of father and daughter. And just like in a movie, or even in a book, the relationship between Joel and Ellie manages to act as the backbone for the entire work of N, with their continuous exchange of jokes and silences, while they carry out their evolution, in a training path so human and expertly deepened.

Minecraft: the limit is only the imagination

With Minecraft there might be little to say, actually. Who is it that doesn't know him, after all? It could perhaps be considered as the Lego of the digital world. His cultural impact has been considerable, so much so that an entire generation of imaginative creators and unlikely engineers has grown up with him. Launched on the market exactly ten years ago, this small game, born independent, has established itself as a reference point for entertainment and as a cornerstone of videogame culture. Minecraft is, after all, like a huge playground open 24 hours a day, an immense set of activities contained within the game itself.

With its blocky voxels, and all those unmistakable audio effects, Minecraft doesn't look like it's out of the year 2009, much less does it seem to align with the standards of its current competitors. Yet, here it is, included in the list of titles that have changed the concept of gaming in the last decade. Minecraft was in fact the first video game not designed as such, to also become a means also aimed at learning. Not surprisingly, one of its various versions has found its place and function in a different context, preserving its language but expanding it to the world of even scholastic education.

In fact, education (and pedagogy also teaches this) also includes a playful phase, in terms of learning. And what can be more playful than a game? Just like the old "constructions", or the more refined Lego, Minecraft offers players, from the smallest to the largest, a world that has no limits and boundaries. A game in which fantasy is the real protagonist of every single experience. It becomes almost impossible to find two people who live Minecraft in the same way… a bit like for life, after all. It is not daring to say, then, that Minecraft embodies the very essence of the game, of that purest and simplest activity: it does not propose precise objectives, it does not offer forcing, and it does not force you to follow any particular mechanics. And that's why it never gets boring. It lets you decide what your purpose is, and allows you to carry it out accordingly. It just makes you play. Gaming is therefore taken to the extreme, crosses the boundaries of the mere digital medium, and at the same time returns to the roots of the nature of the game, in which the only limit is your imagination.

Zelda Breath of The Wild: a whole other open world

In the highly appreciated open world, it is now known that the game is completely in your hands. You can choose what to do in almost 360 degrees, in almost every aspect of the game, both in terms of duration and in terms of quests and missions to complete. For decades, however, titles in the genre have overlapped, borrowing ideas, adding or removing them from time to time. The magical thing about Zelda Breath of the Wild, however, is that it does not take advantage of these rules: it was not thought of as yet another piece placed on top of a tower.

The lucky IP from Kyoto looks like an open world game from a parallel universe. It is an open world in the purest sense of the word, and it rewards exploration and experimentation of players, rewards them with solving puzzles. The immense map into which you are catapulted becomes a place you are wants to (and not "must"!) visit, explore, live. That's why the title of Nintendo it seems separate and distinct from the games of the past, and is undoubtedly one of the most significant of the decade. Breath of the Wild presents a beautiful, pictorial world, waiting to be explored, and tasted in all its nuances, so full of adventure and magic. A world in which gaming takes on everything the sense of exploration, of the pure and simple desire to know, travel and discover and become curious: to set out and see what will ever happen on the other side of the mountain or the hill.

Breath of the Wild blends its open world roleplaying formula, then, with a cast of characters with wonderful stories, each shimmering with a fairytale aura. It is not an easy game, yet it is perfectly appreciated by children, veterans, and those who are just starting out. It provokes the players and constantly challenges them with new problems and new solutions to find, or invent. Breath of the Wild is arguably the most lavish adventure of the decade, and a worthy memorial to Satoru Iwata, who sadly passed away in 2015.

Dark Souls: why gaming is serious

For years we have talked about Dark Souls in terms of difficulty, the way he punishes players for their mistakes. Even the marketing campaign emphasized this aspect of challenge, using slogans such as "prepare to die". Combat forces you to make strategic decisions in real time and learn from your mistakes, as each death teaches the player a lesson. Most games exist to entertain and indulge the player, but this is not the case with Dark Souls: in this world of his, it is the player who must understand how to adapt to live, spend time and continue.

Dark Souls has also become a yardstick or rating (a bit like Metroidvania), thus becoming the emblem of all those nightmare fighting games, tremendously difficult to master. The dark fantasy world of Dark Souls features revolutionary multiplayer game mechanics, an intricate and interconnected level design, an environmental storytelling and a grueling difficulty level, following what has already been done by the same FromSoftware with Demon's Souls, and heralding other masterpieces such as Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Dark Souls is nothing less than the pioneer of what has effectively been defined as a new genre (or sub-genre of action RPG), whose modes have been taken over by an ever-growing multitude of titles, a genre that reverently precisely takes the name of its origin: the "Soulslike"

Pokémon GO: the viral phenomenon of augmented reality

A game that has conquered the world, which has taken the concept of (mobile) gaming beyond the screens, involving real life in the round. How? Walking, exploring and interacting live with your friends and other users. A game that has managed to get gamers off the chair or sofa. The game world is out there, no longer inside the house.

Following in the footsteps of his predecessor "Ingress" born from the same Niantic, but taking advantage of a high-sounding name worldwide such as that of the pocket creatures of Game Freak, Pokémon GO then unhinged the combination that sees gaming on the one hand and a sedentary lifestyle on the other. Thus it has led to the decay of the prejudices that make gaming a solitary and tendentially alienating activity, which leads to isolation and asociality. In short, since its very successful launch on the market, Pokémon GO has become (and presented itself as) the emblem of what it should be to lead a healthy life: lots of movement and fun social interactions "in real life".

Three years later, Pokémon GO is still here, with much more features, regular updates, stable servers, and millions of players around the world. To the detriment of many (including analysts) who gave it up for dead just a few months after its release. Despite these less than optimistic predictions, Pokémon GO has actually become the first really popular AR game, the first to lay a solid and functional foundation for many more titles to come.

Overwatch: fun is for everyone

Originally announced at Blizzcon in 2014, Overwatch was set to become a classic of gaming culture. And, years later, it still is. The success of Overwatch is mainly due to its originality, albeit not revolutionary and not innovative. The title, however, presents itself as a different way of understanding the fps. First of all, it is a fps based specifically on multiplayer, which adds moba elements, and has been made simple and intuitive, thus making it suitable for everyone, no one excluded.

Overwatch is able, in fact, to entertain pro players and casual on Sundays, and to always do it in the best way - that is by having fun. You don't need to be a perfect sniper to be able to enjoy a good game with your team: the game offers a wide selection of characters, always changeable even when the game has already started, even for those who have an aim that is not exactly at the top, but who still want to approach to fps and enter the world of genre gaming for the first time.

The constant need not to level up, but only to improve your skills and have fun, alone or with friends, is what really creates addiction to the title. This is why it is so successful. It's fun, simple, for everyone. Since his message is also simple: gaming is fun, and fun is for everyone. And also on the issue of inclusiveness so dear to this lucky son of Blizzard, in reality, there would be so much (pleasant) to say.

League of Legends: the consolidation of gaming as an eSport

league of legends it has been around for exactly a decade. It was October 27, 2008, when it premiered to the world, and was released the following year by Riot Games. At that time, perhaps no one could have imagined it, but what we perhaps often forget is how today it has contributed to changing the concept of gaming by pushing it on the one hand to the competitive world, and on the other to the world of spectacle.

Thanks to LoL, in fact, the evolution of gaming has transformed Twitch in a massive multimedia platform, it brought eSports into the mainstream world, and proved that even free games can be great, just like paid games. Beyond the genre on which he bases his gaming experience (we are talking about a MOBA), LoL has become a real cultural catalyst, a messianic supporter of important competitive mass live events. In fact, it wouldn't be too far off to say that it is thanks to League that today, this December 2019, we are all gathered on Twitch to watch captivating live gameplay - a fascinating source of entertainment for some, and a rich source of business for others.

Starting from the publication and the incredible worldwide success that LoL managed to collect, gaming has (finally) been conceived, step by step, as a competitive activity and devoted to competition, a sport in all respects, despite the its nature certainly not very "aerobic" or reckless. The gaming as a sport, as a competition, as a stadium and sold-out phenomenon, bringing together fans and professional players, is now something concrete and real. A tangible system that involves all fans and catapulted them into a business that bills millions - including sponsorship and financing - in which brand names such as Red Bull or Vodafone appear, just to name a couple. And this is also thanks to League of Legends.

This then is the evolution that has seen the concept of gaming protagonist in the last decade. Over the years, gaming has become one show embedded in mass culture, un new way of storytelling with images and interaction, a tool that trains and always keeps free fantasy and imagination. But gaming is also inclusive and for all, both as (and)competitive sport that for motivation and personal challenge, a media with which we can freely explore new worlds and manage our gaming experience at our convenience.

The list of titles, however, could expand further if we consider a little more in-depth some other nuance of the Gaming and take a closer look at some other related titles - especially among recent releases. In particular, it would be very interesting to try to predict how much actually Death Stranding, the last strain chat effort born from the mind of Hideo Kojima, may actually be able to influence the concept of gaming in the years to come. Much has been said since its release on the market, both for better and for worse; but another 10 years will have to pass, perhaps, to understand if the road trodden by Kojima's intuition will give birth to all the fruits he himself hoped for - and assiduously proclaimed as still too "visionary", to be understood in this 2019 now by the running out.