Just like anything else, video game trends can shift from season to season and year to year. Looking back at the past 30 to 40 years of game development, we can see when and how some trends emerged because of improved graphics, technology, and storytelling—but also because games, like other media, reflect our culture's thoughts, hopes, and anxieties. Starting with the eighties, here are some of the biggest video game trends based on top sellers and nostalgic favorites.
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Eighties Video Game Trends Define a Genre
Bestsellers: Super Mario Bros. and sequels, Tetris, Duck Hunt, The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II, Excitebike, Golf
In its infancy, video games were largely about the arcade. Gaming was frequently a social activity, and it was only in the eighties that video games eased out of the fad stage to establish themselves as a solid medium after surviving the crash of 1983 and the oversaturation of low-quality games in the market.
Thankfully, Nintendo came along to save the day. All of the top ten bestselling games, with the exception of Tetris, were the creation of this iconic studio. Their games were longer than the arcade staples—intended to be played and replayed to perfection—and were more likely to include a story. As far as video game trends go, there's a reason these games are iconic, spawning clones even into today—they were among the first to be played in the home, and they're a fond memory for developers working in the field today.
Characterized by punishing gameplay, the emergence of stories and fantastical settings, and a continued desire to push the medium to its outer limits, the 80s were a time of great innovation for the gaming industry, giving birth to many of the video game trends we're familiar with today.
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Page 2: Gaming Trends of the '90s
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Video Game Trends Take an Adult Turn in the Nineties
Bestsellers: Tetris, Pokémon Red/Green/Blue, Super Mario World, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario 64, Donkey Kong Country, Final Fantasy VII
Though home consoles were certainly popular in the eighties, the nineties saw them overtake arcade games as the standard. That meant more single-player experiences, which encouraged developers to pay more attention to story and genre. The nineties saw the creation of fighting games, first-person shooters, improved platformers, racing games, RPGs, stealth games, and survival horror, as well as the new standard for graphics in 3D.
The nineties were the origin of some of our favorite long-lasting franchises, such as Fallout, Silent Hill, Tomb Raider, and Grand Theft Auto. Games in this era became decidedly more adult. Even though games like Donkey Kong Country and Pokémon were some of the most popular, as the medium matured, so did the themes and stories explored in many games. Blood, gore, and horror became more common, kicking off the infamous furor over whether games incite violence.
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Page 3: Gaming Trends of the '00s
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Realistic Environments and Rhythm Games Rule the Video Game Trends of the 2000's
Bestsellers: Wii Sports, New Super Mario Bros., Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
Nintendo dominated the selling market again with the release of the Wii and Nintendo DS, claiming nine of the ten bestselling spots with the exception of Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. In stark contrast to the moral panic of the violent video game trends of the 90s, the 00s saw the emergence of games intended to help players—games like Wii Fit and Brain Age were among the most popular, enabling gamers to increase their fitness both physically and mentally.
The 00s also saw the rise of immersive and realistic environments with improved technology, encouraging the development of games like Mass Effect, BioShock, and Assassin's Creed. One of the biggest new video game trends to rise out of this era was the rhythm game, with the first games in the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises attracting attention on the multiplayer front even as single-player experiences were reaching new heights. With the release of World of Warcraft and Halo, our modern concepts of multiplayer began to take shape, moving from a largely local experience to one frequently played with strangers online.
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Page 4: Today's Gaming Trends
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Indies Take the Stage In The Current Decade
With the decade just about half over, we're already able to look back at some of the biggest video game trends in recent history. Thanks to the popularity of digital releases, independent games have seen a huge spike in popularity, with games like Minecraft shooting to the top of the bestseller charts.
Many franchises established early in gaming history continue today—Grand Theft Auto and the Mario series continue to roll out new releases, seeming never to slow in popularity. As the medium continues to develop, we've also seen an increase in video games being taken seriously, both as tools for health and wellness and as an art form. Several new series, such as Dark Souls, The Last of Us, and The Walking Dead show a diverse interest in storytelling, drawing in more and more players to the point that 59% of Americans now play video games, including computer games, console games, and mobile games.
Where will the medium will go next? It's anyone's guess, but new gaming technologies coupled with shifting cultural trends are sure to keep video game trends evolving in exciting ways in the coming years.
What are your favorite video game trends of past decades?