From a 1947 oscilloscope to the games on the way: 232 milestones across 33 eras.
Before arcades or home consoles existed, electronic games came out of laboratories and universities, and which one counts as the very first depends on how strictly you define a video game. The story of the 50s & before →
Patented in 1947 (it was never manufactured), this device is the oldest interactive electronic game anyone has documented, and no earlier game is known to have used an electronic display. [1]
Open Cathode ray tube amusement device (Early computers) →Bertie the Brain was built as a technology demonstration and was one of the machines that led to the first true video games. [1]
Open Bertie the Brain (Early computers) →MIT's Whirlwind I computer showed a bouncing-ball physics demo at a public open house in April 1951. It started as a display demo and was only later turned into a simple game. [1][2]
Built in 1951, the Nimrod computer was another technology demonstration that used a game, following Bertie the Brain [1].
Open Nimrod (Early computers) →Douglas's OXO adapted a board game and was one of the earliest software games to put its gameplay on a cathode-ray tube screen. [1]
Open OXO (Early computers) →Strachey's Checkers brought a classic board game to a computer and was one of the first software games with a cathode-ray tube display. [1]
Gill's Sheep and Gates was among the first games written as software and played on a cathode-ray tube display. [1]
Research institutions built games, many of them adapted from board games, as a way to study programming and computer algorithms as well as how people interact with machines. [1]
Tennis for Two, which drew its moving graphics on an oscilloscope screen, is possibly the earliest video game created just for entertainment. [1]
Open Tennis for Two (Early computers) →During the 1960s, computer games moved beyond pure research and into the hands of students and hobbyist programmers. The story of the 60s →
Student hobbyists at MIT built Spacewar!, one of the first games shown on a video display and among the first used beyond one institute [1][2].
Open Spacewar! (Early computers) →While at Sanders Associates in 1966, Ralph Baer began building a game system that played on a television. His small team had the Brown Box prototype by 1968, and Magnavox later turned it into the Odyssey [1].
When the 1970s began, video games were mostly novelties. The story of the 70s →
Nutting Associates released Computer Space and Mini-Computer Applications released Galaxy Game, starting the commercial video game business [1].
Magnavox released the Odyssey home console, which helped make 1972 a landmark year for the industry alongside Pong [1].
Pong's release coincided with the point when companies started producing and distributing video games in far greater numbers [1].
Open Pong (Arcade) →Pong imitations swept arcades in the United States and Japan, and the craze reached the United Kingdom too. It was the first fad the medium had ever seen [1].
Midway Mfg's Gun Fight was one of the first coin-op games built around a microprocessor, and it proved influential [1].
Open Gun Fight (Arcade) →After Dungeons & Dragons spread to Midwestern universities on PLATO, student groups made some of the first computer role-playing games [1].
Fairchild's Video Entertainment System was the first programmable home console with swappable ROM cartridges, opening the second console generation [1].
Shared over the ARPANET across the US and into Europe, Adventure started interactive fiction, which later led to action adventure games [1].
Open Colossal Cave Adventure (Early computers) →After Namco brought Atari's Breakout over to Japan, it was the biggest game of the country's first video game boom [1].
Open Breakout (Arcade) →Atari released the Video Computer System, later called the Atari 2600, in North America in September 1977. Its games came on swappable cartridges, and Combat came in the box [1].
Open Combat (Atari 2600) →Sold only in Japan, Nintendo's Color TV-Game was the best-selling home system of 1977 [1].
In 1978, which many regard as the dawn of the arcade video game's golden era, Taito's Space Invaders brought in more money than any other title [1].
Open Space Invaders (Arcade) →Asteroids and Galaxian both reached arcades in 1979. Space Invaders still earned more than any other machine, and at home the Atari VCS was the best-selling console [1].
Arcades ruled the start of the decade. The story of the 80s →
Pac-Man, Namco's arcade maze game, was the highest-earning video game of 1980, and it kept the top spot through 1981 and 1982 [3][2][1].
Open Pac-Man (Arcade) →A home version of Space Invaders and games from the new third-party studio Activision helped the Atari VCS, later renamed the Atari 2600, gain popularity [1].
Open Space Invaders (Atari 2600) →Nintendo's arcade game Donkey Kong became the model for platformers. Konami's Scramble played the same role for scrolling shooters [1].
On the Apple II, Ultima I and Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord each launched a role-playing series that continued for many years [1].
Arcade gaming peaked in 1982, the same year ColecoVision and Atari 5200 arrived in a home console market that already had plenty of competitors [1].
Problems at Atari in late 1982 set off a collapse of the North American video game market the following year [2][1].
Nintendo's Family Computer and Sega's SG-1000 arrived in Japan, beginning the third generation of home consoles [1].
In the mid-1980s, Alexey Pajitnov made Tetris at a computer center in Moscow, first on an Elektronika 60. It went on to become the best-selling video game of all time [1].
Open Tetris (Early computers) →Nintendo brought the Famicom to North America as the Nintendo Entertainment System, starting in New York in October 1985, two years after the 1983 crash [1].
Open Super Mario Bros. (NES) →Super Mario Bros. was the best-selling home game of 1985, and in 1986 it was still the top home seller in the United States [2][1].
Open Super Mario Bros. (NES) →The Legend of Zelda, Dragon Quest and Castlevania all debuted in 1986. Masahiro Sakurai has attributed that cluster of releases to the Famicom Disk System and megabit ROMs [1].
New series starting in 1987 included Final Fantasy, Metal Gear, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Contra, while Sega's Out Run led arcade earnings worldwide [1].
Super Mario Bros. 3 appeared in 1988, and the following year it became the best-selling home video game in Japan [2][1].
Open Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES) →Nintendo's Game Boy launched in Japan in April 1989 and in North America in July, bundled there with Tetris, as the Genesis, TurboGrafx-16 and Lynx also reached North America. Europe followed in 1990. [1][2]
In 1990 the Game Boy outsold every other system, and it repeated that feat in 1991 and 1992. The story of the 90s →
Nintendo launched the Super Famicom in Japan in November 1990 with Super Mario World. It reached North America as the Super NES in August 1991 [1].
Open Super Mario World (SNES) →Nintendo's Game Boy sold more units than any other system in 1990, and Super Mario Bros. 3 on the NES topped home game sales [1].
Open Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES) →Capcom's fighting game Street Fighter II became the highest-grossing video game worldwide in 1991 and kept that position through 1993 [2][1].
Open Street Fighter II (Arcade) →Sega's new mascot game was the top-selling home title of 1991 and also the most rented video game in the United States [1].
Open Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis / Mega Drive) →id Software's Wolfenstein 3D (May 1992) helped make the first-person shooter popular, and Midway's Mortal Kombat reached arcades in August 1992 [1][2].
Among the new releases of 1993 were Doom and Myst, alongside Star Fox, NBA Jam and Virtua Fighter [1].
Sega released the Saturn in Japan in November 1994, and Sony's first console, the PlayStation, followed there in December 1994 [1][2].
Donkey Kong Country sold more copies worldwide than any other home game in 1994, a year when Tekken also debuted [1].
The PlayStation launched in North America in September 1995. Sega had surprised stores by releasing the Saturn there months earlier, in May [1][2].
The Nintendo 64 debuted in 1996, and Super Mario 64 finished the year as the world's best-selling home game [1].
Open Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64) →Franchises that debuted in 1996 included Quake, Tomb Raider, Resident Evil, Crash Bandicoot, and the original Pokémon trio of Red, Green, and Blue [1].
Final Fantasy VII was 1997's top-selling home game, while the PlayStation became Japan's best-selling console for the first time [1].
Open Final Fantasy VII (PS1) →The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time still has the highest score ever recorded on Metacritic, and it came out in a year many players count among the strongest in gaming history [1].
Open The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64) →PC hits Half-Life and StarCraft came out in 1998, as did Metal Gear Solid and Resident Evil 2 [1].
Sega launched the Dreamcast in Japan, the first sixth-generation console and the final console the company would ever make [1].
On Dreamcast, Soulcalibur was the most acclaimed game of 1999, while Pokémon on Game Boy led worldwide sales for a second year [1].
Open Soulcalibur (Dreamcast) →Sony put the PlayStation 2 on shelves in 2000, and no console since has outsold it, with more than 160 million units moved. The story of 2000 →
Sony's PlayStation 2 has sold over 160 million units, more than any other console to date [1].
The PS One, a more compact version of the PlayStation, was another Sony product, and an LCD screen attachment let people use it while traveling [1].
The Sims came out in 2000, and critics ranked it among the best new games released that year [1].
Open The Sims (Windows) →New franchises that debuted in 2000 included Counter-Strike and Deus Ex [1].
Perfect Dark and SSX both debuted in 2000, two of that year's new properties to earn critical acclaim [1].
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, a sequel released in 2000, earned wide praise from critics [1].
Open The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (Nintendo 64) →Critics praised several sequels released in 2000, Diablo II and Baldur's Gate II among them [1].
For the third year running, Pokémon games outsold every other home title worldwide. In Japan's arcades, Virtua Striker 2 earned the most [1].
In hindsight, 2001 ranks among the best and most influential years in the history of games, with acclaimed, successful releases on every platform and in every genre. The story of 2001 →
Nintendo launched its Game Boy Advance handheld in Japan on March 21, with North American and European releases following that June [1].
Sega stopped making the Dreamcast on March 31, 2001, two months after announcing the decision, and left the console hardware business to become a third-party game developer. [1][2]
The GameCube went on sale in Japan on September 14, with Luigi's Mansion and Wave Race: Blue Storm available at launch [1].
Microsoft entered the console business on November 15, when the Xbox went on sale in North America and the company put online play at the center of its pitch [1].
On December 31, Jez San became the first person to be awarded an OBE in recognition of his contributions to the video game industry [1].
Halo: Combat Evolved launched the series on the Xbox, and critics often point to it as the game that changed how first-person shooters were made [1].
Open Halo: Combat Evolved (Xbox (original)) →Grand Theft Auto III redefined open world action-adventure games and is regarded as an industry-defining work [1].
Open Grand Theft Auto III (PS2) →GameRankings gave its 2001 Game of the Year award to Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, which had an aggregate score of 97% [1].
Open Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2) →Grand Theft Auto: Vice City finished 2002 as the best-selling game of the year, and it did so on the PlayStation 2. The story of 2002 →
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City on PlayStation 2 was the best-selling video game of 2002 [1].
Open Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2) →Critics rated two GameCube titles, Metroid Prime and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, higher than any other games released in 2002 [1].
NPD estimated 2002 sales of hardware, software and accessories at about US$10.3 billion, a 10% rise over 2001 [1].
The GameCube and Xbox continued their rollout across Europe and Australia, the Xbox also went on sale in Japan, and the PlayStation 2 reached Russia and parts of East Asia [1].
New franchises that started in 2002 included Kingdom Hearts, Ratchet & Clank, Splinter Cell, Sly Cooper, SOCOM and Mafia [1].
Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire sold more copies than any other game on the planet in 2003. The story of 2003 →
Valve launched Steam in September 2003, first to update its own games. It grew into the biggest store for PC games [1].
The revised Game Boy Advance was the first Nintendo handheld to run on a rechargeable battery, topped up with an AC adapter rather than AA cells [1].
Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire was the world's best-selling game in 2003, the fifth year since 1998 that a Pokémon release led annual sales [1].
Call of Duty arrived as a brand-new series this year, as did Manhunt and True Crime: Streets of LA [1].
Beyond Good & Evil, Viewtiful Joe, Disgaea and Drakengard all debuted in 2003 as new intellectual properties [1].
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was one of the year's many follow-up releases set within existing franchises [1].
Open Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Xbox (original)) →Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was among the sequels released in 2003, a list that also included Final Fantasy X-2 and Sonic Heroes [1].
Nintendo's sequels that year included Mario Kart: Double Dash and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, both entries in long-running series [1].
US software sales rose slightly to about $7 billion. Console games accounted for $5.8 billion, and PC games, down 14%, made up the remaining $1.2 billion [1].
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas sold more copies than any other game in 2004, and Western reviewers ranked it with Half-Life 2 as the best work of the year. The story of 2004 →
Blizzard Entertainment released World of Warcraft, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, on November 23, 2004, the 10th anniversary of the Warcraft franchise [2].
Open World of Warcraft (Windows) →The DS was Nintendo's entry into the seventh generation and the first major system of that era to reach stores. With 154 million units sold, it now ranks third among all consoles, behind the PlayStation 2 and Switch. [1][2]
Sony's PlayStation Portable arrived this year, though only in Japan at first, and a smaller slimline PlayStation 2 also appeared [1].
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas sold more copies than any other game of 2004 [1].
Open Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2) →Critics rated Half-Life 2 and San Andreas as the two best-reviewed Western games of 2004 [1].
Open Half-Life 2 (Windows) →Dragon Quest VIII and Gran Turismo 4 were the most critically acclaimed games of 2004 in Japan [1].
U.S. portable software sales topped $1 billion for the first time. Total software sales rose 8 percent to $6.2 billion, while hardware sales fell 27 percent [1].
Resident Evil 4, available on GameCube and PlayStation 2, was the most critically praised game of 2005. The story of 2005 →
Nintendo released the two-screen handheld in Australasia on February 24. It reached European stores on March 11. [1]
Microsoft kicked off a new console generation with the Xbox 360, which first reached North American shelves on November 22 and then arrived in Europe and Japan that December. [1]
Sony's PSP came out in Japan in December 2004. It reached North America in March 2005 and Europe and other PAL regions in September 2005. [1][2]
Around E3 2005, Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo showed the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's console codenamed Revolution, which was renamed Wii in 2006. Only the Xbox 360 reached stores in 2005. [1][2]
The Micro was the final revision of the Game Boy Advance. It dropped compatibility with original Game Boy cartridges, and its sales ranked among the weakest of any Nintendo system. [1]
Combined American revenue from hardware, software and accessories reached $10.5 billion, topping the previous high set in 2002, as gains in handheld sales more than made up for a softer year for consoles. [1]
Released on GameCube and PlayStation 2, Resident Evil 4 was the most critically acclaimed game of 2005. [1]
Notable games that came out in 2005 were God of War, Shadow of the Colossus, Guitar Hero, Nintendogs and Brain Age. [1]
The Nintendo DS outsold every other console in 2006, even though two new home machines launched that year. The story of 2006 →
Nintendo released the Wii in 2006, the same year another new home console also reached the market [1].
Sony's PlayStation 3 reached the market in 2006, joining the Wii as the year's second new home console [1].
In 2006 no console sold more units than Nintendo's handheld DS, which beat that year's new home systems [1].
New Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo DS became the best-selling video game of 2006 [1].
Open New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo DS) →The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, which came out on both GameCube and Wii, received better reviews than any other game in 2006 [1].
Gears of War came out in 2006, and unlike most of that year's big releases, it was an original game, not a sequel [1].
Open Gears of War (Xbox 360) →Company of Heroes, a strategy game, came out in 2006 as a new title rather than a sequel [1].
Open Company of Heroes (Windows) →In hindsight, 2007 is often ranked among the finest and most influential years the medium has had, thanks to a broad run of acclaimed, popular titles on every platform and in every genre of the day. The story of 2007 →
Critics rated Super Mario Galaxy higher than any other game released in 2007, and on Metacritic's list of the best-reviewed games of all time it ranks fifth [1].
Open Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) →Released in 2007 as the latest entry in a long-running shooter franchise, Halo 3 earned some of the strongest reviews of any game that year [1].
Open Halo 3 (Xbox 360) →Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the latest game in a long-running series, was praised by most critics when it came out in 2007 [1].
Open Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Windows) →BioShock debuted in 2007 as a new property, and critics ranked it among the best-reviewed games released that year [1].
Open BioShock (Windows) →The Orange Box drew strong reviews from critics, and it introduced Portal as a new property next to Team Fortress 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode Two [1].
Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect, Uncharted, Crysis, Rock Band and The Witcher were among the new franchises that launched in 2007 [1].
The Nintendo DS was the best-selling video game console of 2007 [1].
Wii Sports for the Wii was the best-selling home console game worldwide in 2007 [1].
A large share of 2008's major releases were new installments in established series. The story of 2008 →
Grand Theft Auto IV, the latest entry in a long-running series, was released in 2008, a year crowded with sequels [1].
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots came out in 2008, the latest entry in a long-running series [1].
Open Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3) →Fallout 3 came out in 2008 as one of that year's several sequels in long-running series [1].
Open Fallout 3 (Windows) →Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart Wii both came out in 2008, each one the latest installment in a long-running Nintendo series [1].
LittleBigPlanet and Spore both launched in 2008 as brand-new intellectual properties rather than sequels [1].
Dead Space, Left 4 Dead and Mirror's Edge were all original franchises that debuted in 2008 [1].
Many of 2009's biggest releases were sequels. The story of 2009 →
Rather than brand-new consoles, the year brought updated models such as the PlayStation 3 Slim, the PSP Go and the Nintendo DSi XL [1].
After first appearing in Japan the year before, the Nintendo DSi launched around the world in 2009 [1].
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves came out in 2009 as the second entry in a series that already had a following [1].
Open Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3) →Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 came out in 2009, the next entry in a shooter series that already had a long track record [1].
Open Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Windows) →Batman: Arkham Asylum arrived in 2009 as one of that year's new intellectual properties [1].
Open Batman: Arkham Asylum (Xbox 360) →Demon's Souls and Dragon Age: Origins were each the first game in a new franchise, and both came out in 2009 [1].
Minecraft and Plants vs. Zombies both debuted as new intellectual properties in 2009 [1].
Red Dead Redemption, Mass Effect 2, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, God of War III and Super Mario Galaxy 2 picked up a large share of the year's awards and critical acclaim. The story of 2010 →
Microsoft released Kinect, a motion controller add-on for the Xbox 360 designed to compete with Nintendo's Wii [1].
Sony's motion controller peripheral, PlayStation Move, was built to compete with the Wii and came out the same year as Kinect [1].
Two redesigned consoles came out: the Xbox 360 S and the Nintendo DSi XL, which had first launched in Japan in 2009 [1].
Red Dead Redemption won a long list of awards and ranked among the most honored games released in 2010 [1].
Open Red Dead Redemption (PS3) →Super Mario Galaxy 2 won a large number of awards in 2010 [1].
Open Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii) →Alan Wake, Darksiders, Deadly Premonition, Heavy Rain and Metro were among the franchises that debuted this year [1].
2011 was packed with major releases, and many awards went to a group of standout games. The story of 2011 →
Nintendo released the 3DS worldwide in 2011, and it was the first console of gaming's eighth generation to reach the market [1].
Sony released the PlayStation Vita in Japan in 2011, and that year it and the 3DS became the first two eighth-generation systems on the market [1].
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim won a large number of awards and ranked among 2011's most decorated games [1].
Open The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Windows) →Batman: Arkham City collected a large number of awards over the course of 2011 [1].
Open Batman: Arkham City (PS3) →Portal 2, the 2011 follow-up to Portal, was among the games that won many awards that year [1].
Open Portal 2 (Windows) →Dark Souls was among the new franchises that debuted in 2011 [1].
Open Dark Souls (PS3) →Minecraft was formally released in November 2011 after starting as an early access game in 2009, and Skylanders, Bastion, L.A. Noire and Dead Island all began as new franchises that year [1][2].
Awards in 2012 were shared among a wide mix of games. The story of 2012 →
First sold in Japan in December 2011, Sony's PlayStation Vita handheld arrived in North America and Europe early in 2012 [1].
The Wii U, released by Nintendo around the world in late 2012, was the first home console of the eighth generation to reach stores [1].
The 3DS XL was Nintendo's first revision of the 3DS handheld [1].
Mass Effect 3, the third main entry in the Mass Effect series, was one of several 2012 games that won many awards, alongside titles such as Journey, The Walking Dead and Dishonored [1].
Open Mass Effect 3 (Xbox 360) →Journey, a new property that debuted in 2012, won awards that year [1].
Open Journey (PS3) →Dishonored was one of a handful of new IPs released in 2012, and it won awards that year [1].
Open Dishonored (Windows) →The Walking Dead was among the 2012 games that won many awards [1].
Open The Walking Dead: Season One (Windows) →Sony Computer Entertainment brought out the PlayStation 4 in 2013, and Microsoft launched the Xbox One that same year. The story of 2013 →
Sony Computer Entertainment's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One, both new home consoles, came out in 2013 [1].
Grand Theft Auto V, the newest game in the crime series at the time, was released in 2013 and won a large number of awards [1].
Open Grand Theft Auto V (PS3) →The Last of Us was a new, original series when it came out in 2013, and it collected a long list of awards [1].
Open The Last of Us (PS3) →BioShock Infinite, the latest game in the BioShock series, was among the 2013 releases that collected many awards [1].
Open BioShock Infinite (Windows) →Papers, Please was one of the original properties released in 2013 [1].
Open Papers, Please (Windows) →The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds came out in 2013 and picked up a long list of awards [1].
Open The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (Nintendo 3DS) →Nobody launched a brand-new flagship console in 2014, but existing hardware kept changing. The story of 2014 →
Amazon acquired Twitch, the service players use to stream their games live, in one of the bigger deals of the year [1].
Facebook bought Oculus, the company behind the virtual reality headset of the same name [1].
Nintendo introduced Amiibo, companion figures that the Wii U and 3DS could scan to interact with games [1].
Released in Japan and Oceania, the New Nintendo 3DS added a C-stick, ZL and ZR buttons, better 3D viewing and a built-in Amiibo reader [1].
The Gamergate controversy began that year, spreading across Twitter and other social platforms [1].
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Dark Souls II, Bayonetta 2 and Mario Kart 8 were among the year's best-reviewed new releases [1].
Destiny, Titanfall, Shovel Knight, Watch Dogs and Five Nights at Freddy's all launched as new franchises this year [1].
Bloodborne, Undertale, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and Fallout 4 were all among the top-rated releases of 2015, as were the yearly sports titles Madden NFL 16, NBA 2K16, NBA Live 16 and WWE 2K16. The story of 2015 →
After debuting in Japan, Australia and New Zealand a year earlier, the New Nintendo 3DS and its XL model went on sale in North America and Europe [1].
SuperData estimated that video game sales reached $61 billion in 2015, up 8% on 2014, with computer games and subscriptions the largest share at $32 billion [1].
League of Legends earned more than any other game worldwide in 2015, one of three Tencent-owned or published titles in the top ten [1].
Open League of Legends (Windows) →Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, the next entry in the Metal Gear series, was one of the highest-rated games released in 2015 [1].
Open Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (Windows) →The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the latest installment in The Witcher series, ranked among the highest-scoring games released in 2015 [1].
Open The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Windows) →Undertale, a new property in 2015, ranked among that year's highest-rated games [1].
Open Undertale (Windows) →Bloodborne, Rocket League and Splatoon were three of the new original games that debuted in 2015 [1].
Critics singled out a wide spread of 2016 releases, from Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Dark Souls III and Doom to Overwatch, Inside, Forza Horizon 3 and Battlefield 1. The story of 2016 →
Pokémon Go brought augmented reality to a mass audience, and analysts named it among the titles behind the rise in US game spending in 2016 [1].
Open Pokémon Go (Mobile) →The Oculus Rift CV1, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR reached buyers more widely and more cheaply than earlier high-end virtual reality hardware had [1].
Microsoft revised the Xbox One with the Xbox One S, while Sony released two PlayStation 4 revisions, the Slim and the Pro [1].
DFC Intelligence found mobile game revenue exceeded both console and PC earnings in 2016, while SuperData put mobile at $41 billion [1].
Overwatch was one of the new franchises launched in 2016, and critics scored it among the best games released that year [1].
Open Overwatch (Windows) →Of the $24.5 billion spent on US game software, 74% went to digital purchases, a move away from retail that has been underway since 2010 [1].
By the close of 2017, the Nintendo Switch had shipped over 14 million units, a total already larger than the entire lifetime sales of the Wii U. The story of 2017 →
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds came out on PC in early access and sold 30 million copies within the year. It broke records for concurrent players and became the game that set the template for the battle royale genre [1].
Open PUBG: Battlegrounds (Windows) →Selling over 14 million units by year's end, Nintendo's Switch outpaced the entire lifetime sales of the struggling Wii U and helped restore the company's fortunes [1].
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was one of the year's best-reviewed games, as was Persona 5 [1].
Open The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Wii U) →Critics rated Nintendo's Super Mario Odyssey near the top of the year, alongside Divinity: Original Sin II and Horizon Zero Dawn [1].
New franchises that debuted this year were Fortnite, Cuphead, Hollow Knight, Nioh and Doki Doki Literature Club! [1].
Microsoft's second Xbox One revision added more power aimed at 4K resolution and virtual reality, positioned against Sony's PlayStation 4 Pro [1].
Newzoo estimated worldwide game revenue at $116.6 billion in 2017, about 10 percent more than in 2016. Mobile was the largest segment at $50.4 billion, or 43 percent of the total [1].
The dispute over whether loot boxes count as gambling reached its height when Star Wars Battlefront II came out [1].
Open Star Wars Battlefront II (Windows) →Red Dead Redemption 2 was among both the best-selling and the most praised games of 2018. The story of 2018 →
In April 2018 the Dutch Gaming Authority said games are illegal if they sell loot boxes whose prizes can be traded, and Belgium's Gaming Commission ruled that the loot boxes in FIFA 18, Overwatch and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive fell under its gambling laws [1].
Nvidia's GeForce RTX 20 series, the industry's first consumer graphics cards with hardware real-time ray tracing, began shipping on September 20, 2018. Battlefield V, released that November, was one of the first major games to use the technique [1][2].
In 2018 both Fortnite Battle Royale and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds picked up huge numbers of new players, and Fortnite memes started showing up well outside gaming circles [1].
Open Fortnite Battle Royale (Windows) →Epic used its Fortnite revenue to launch a PC store that let developers keep a far bigger cut of sales, a direct challenge to Valve's Steam [1].
Sony Interactive Entertainment agreed to let PlayStation 4 owners play together with people on other consoles [1].
Critics ranked God of War near the top of their 2018 lists, and it sold in huge numbers that year too [1].
Open God of War (PS4) →Red Dead Redemption 2 drew some of the strongest reviews of 2018 and was also one of that year's top sellers [1].
Open Red Dead Redemption 2 (PS4) →Super Smash Bros. Ultimate drew strong reviews from critics and ranked among the best-selling games of 2018 [1].
Open Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Nintendo Switch) →After several studios closed with little warning, Telltale Games among them, more people began calling for game developers to unionize [1].
A nearly year-long freeze on new game approvals in China hit publishers Tencent and NetEase hard and was expected to weigh on future industry revenue [1].
Many big franchises returned in 2019, among them Resident Evil, Pokémon, The Legend of Zelda, Kingdom Hearts, Mortal Kombat, Devil May Cry, Gears of War, Fire Emblem and Call of Duty. The story of 2019 →
In 2019, Nintendo released the Nintendo Switch Lite, a smaller take on its hybrid console [1].
Google announced Stadia, its new platform for streaming games to players [1].
Dota Auto Chess, a Dota 2 mod built by fans, gave rise to the auto battler genre of strategy games, and several games in the same mold came out before that year was over [1].
Blizzard faced backlash after banning a Hearthstone player who commented on the Hong Kong protests during a tournament [1].
Open Hearthstone (Windows) →The year 2020 brought a new console generation. The story of 2020 →
Nintendo ended its 3DS handheld family on September 16, after the Xbox One X and One S All-Digital models were discontinued on July 16. [1][2]
Sony and Microsoft both launched their next-generation consoles in November, the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S [1].
With people stuck at home, approachable titles such as Fall Guys, Among Us and the Jackbox Party Packs saw large jumps in popularity [1].
With mobile gaming still growing, Epic Games sued Apple in what became Epic Games v. Apple, disputing the share of app store revenue that Apple keeps [1].
Newzoo estimated global game revenue at $177.8 billion, up 23.1% from 2019, a rise it credited to the COVID-19 pandemic [1].
In 2021 the COVID-19 pandemic forced a number of planned games into 2022, and some were shelved without any new release date. The story of 2021 →
With COVID-19 still causing problems for studios, development fell behind schedule, and several titles were pushed to 2022 or shelved with no new date [1].
A semiconductor shortage, combined with growing bitcoin mining, made key components scarce for both consoles and computers [1].
Newzoo estimated worldwide game revenue at US$180.3 billion, up 1.4% on 2020, with mobile games accounting for 52% of the total [1].
The COVID-19 pandemic still weighed on the industry in 2022. The story of 2022 →
Fortnite proceeds from late March brought in over $144 million, part of almost $200 million that game companies gave to Ukrainian aid [1].
Open Fortnite (Windows) →Following the invasion of Ukraine, companies including EA and Microsoft stopped selling in Russia, and Nintendo delayed Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp indefinitely [1].
Microsoft revealed a deal worth close to $69 billion to buy Activision Blizzard, the largest example of the year's consolidation trend [1].
Valve put out the Steam Deck, a portable PC that can run most of the Steam library [1].
Quality assurance workers at three or more studios voted to unionize, and widespread layoffs began across the industry that same year [1].
According to Newzoo, worldwide industry revenue reached about $184.4 billion, a drop of roughly 4%, with mobile making up about half of it. [1][2]
Few years have produced as many highly praised releases as 2023, which by October had 25 games averaging 90 or more on Metacritic, the biggest count since 2004. The story of 2023 →
With global regulators satisfied, Microsoft closed its $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard and became the world's third-biggest game publisher [1].
More than 9,000 game industry jobs were lost in 2023 as Unity, Amazon, ByteDance, Epic Games, Bungie, Ubisoft and others cut staff, and many Embracer studios laid people off or closed [1].
By October, 25 games of 2023 averaged 90 or more on Metacritic, the highest count since 2004, partly credited to post-lockdown development [1].
Baldur's Gate 3 became the first game to take Game of the Year at all five major ceremonies, including the Game Awards, D.I.C.E. and BAFTA [1].
Open Baldur's Gate 3 (Windows) →Critics in 2024 kept returning to a short list of standouts. The story of 2024 →
Team Asobi's Astro Bot for PS5 won Game of the Year at The Game Awards in December 2024 [1].
Open Astro Bot (PS5) →Concord, Firewalk Studios' game for Windows and PS5, was discontinued in 2024 [1].
Open Concord (PS5) →Publishers including Paradox Interactive, Ubisoft and Bandai Namco called off planned titles such as Life by You, The Division Heartland and Blue Protocol [1].
Open Blue Protocol (Windows) →Balatro and Black Myth: Wukong each took Game of the Year at one of the year's major award shows, and Black Myth: Wukong sold 20 million copies in its first month [1][2].
The games business spent 2025 still shrinking after its pandemic boom, with the wave of job cuts that began in 2022 rolling on. The story of 2025 →
In September 2025, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners agreed to buy EA for $55 billion, closing in August 2026. [1][2]
Nintendo released the Nintendo Switch 2 console in 2025 [1].
Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft adjusted U.S. and Canadian hardware prices over tariffs, while memory chips going to data centers pushed costs higher [1].
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won Game of the Year at all five major awards shows, matching only Baldur's Gate 3 [1].
Open Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Windows) →Hollow Knight: Silksong sold over 7 million copies, one of several 2025 hits from smaller developers [1].
Open Hollow Knight: Silksong (Windows) →Critics liked Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, and it sold well. Schedule I, still in early access, took in an estimated $60–125 million within a few months of launch [1].
After Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 was poorly received, Activision announced changes to the release schedule for future Call of Duty games [1].
Open Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (Windows) →Many of the year's best-reviewed releases were new takes on familiar names. The story of 2026 →
Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond both left Microsoft Gaming. Asha Sharma replaced Spencer, and the division was later renamed simply Xbox [1].
Playground Games launched Forza Horizon 6 for Windows and Xbox Series X/S, and critics gave it an average score of 90 [1].
Valve Corporation put its Steam Machine hardware on sale at the end of June, with the Steam Frame following in September [1].
Over the shutdown of online games, the European Commission chose no direct action on the Stop Killing Games initiative and suggested voluntary practices instead [1].
Sony said new PlayStation games will stop getting disc production in January 2028, and that PS3 and Vita digital stores close by July 2027 [1].
Microsoft announced 1,600 Xbox layoffs plus 1,600 more within a year, freeing Double Fine and Compulsion Games and selling Undead Labs and Ninja Theory [1].
A Public Investment Fund-led investor group completed its $55 billion leveraged purchase of Electronic Arts [1].
Nintendo EPD's The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time came out on Nintendo Switch 2 with a 96 average, the year's top Metacritic score [1].
Open The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo Switch 2) →This era is still taking shape, and its biggest names come from studios with long track records. The story of Coming soon →
The journey keeps going. Follow what happens next in the Pulse →
Sources: Wikipedia and others, linked on each milestone. Every era, in depth →