Before 'Pokemon Go': 16 times video games took over our lives

[Pokémon Go is a free-to-play location-based augmented reality mobile game developed by Niantic and published by The Pokémon Company as part of the Pokémon franchise. It was released worldwide in July 2016 for iOS and Android devices.]

Since its recent release, Niantic's GPS-based augmented reality mobile game "Pokemon Go" has become a rage worldwide and has been topping the charts across platforms as the most downloaded game. This just the latest time a video game has taken world by storm; there have been several that have captured the imagination of the masses and amassed billions for their creators.




Flappy Bird

Created by Vietnamese game developer Dong Nguyen, the free game was released on mobile platforms in 2013, and by early 2014 its popularity surged. The player had to maneuver the bird named Faby without colliding through obstacles, tapping on the screen all the while, or else the bird would fall because of gravity. Soon it became the most downloaded game in the iOS App Store and was earning around $50,000 a day from in-app advertisements. In an unforeseen move, Nguyen withdrew the game in February 2014, as he became concerned about its addictive nature and overuse.




Candy Crush Saga

A variation of the browser game "Candy Crush," the match-three puzzle video game was released by King Digital Entertainment PLC in 2012. Players can create special candies by matching a combination of four to five similar candies in certain formations, including in a row or column and in similar colors. They start with five "lives," and lose one every time they fail to clear a level; they can then replenish their "lives" by purchasing them or sending requests to their friends. The ease of play and its availability across all major platforms ensured the game's huge popularity.




Pong

Created by Allan Alcorn and developed by Atari Inc., "Pong" is one of the earliest arcade video games. It is a simulated table-tennis game featuring two-dimensional graphics, where a player has to defeat the opponent by earning a higher score. Released in 1972, Pong has gained a landmark status in gaming history. The arcade cabinets have since become collector's items and sell for several times their original value. A home version of the game was released during the 1975 Christmas season.




Pac-Man

Created by Toru Iwatani, this arcade game was developed by Namco in Japan in 1980. The player needs to guide Pac-Man through a maze, as it gobbles up pac-dots and avoids the four enemies (Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde). The Pac-Man has three "lives," and each encounter with an enemy means the loss of one "life." Its worldwide popularity made the game an icon of popular culture — inspiring various kinds of merchandise, TV shows, and even songs. One of the highest-grossing video games of all time, it is part of the collection of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.




Angry Birds

Created by Finnish company Rovio Entertainment, "Angry Birds" took the world by storm upon its release in December 2009 on the iOS platform. Its wild popularity had the creators releasing the game for other smartphone operating systems as well. The game features a range of birds that are being fired from catapults to dismantle pig settlements. Its comical style and fun gamelpay has led to many spin-offs, including game versions, merchandise, a TV series and films. It has gone on to become one of the most downloaded premium game series of all time.




Mario

Originally created by game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, "Mario" is one of the most recognizable characters in video gaming history. First released by Nintendo in 1981, the super successful "Super Mario" platform series in the franchise follows the character's adventures in the fictional world of the Mushroom Kingdom, where its jumping abilities help it clear levels. With over 200 games of various genres and selling over 500 million copies, the "Mario" franchise is one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time. The character has also inspired anime, films, TV shows, comics, and even concerts.




Minecraft

A creation of Swedish programmer Markus Persson, "Minecraft" enables players to build constructions out of textured cubes in a 3D world. Released in 2011 and playable in multiple gameplay modes, exploration, resource gathering, crafting, and combat are some of the other activities that the game allows players to do. With over 100 million copies sold, it is one of the best-selling PC games of all time. Its popularity has spawned MineCon, an official "Minecraft" fan convention, and a movie is also in the works.




StarCraft

"StarCraft" is a military sci-fi media franchise, owned by Blizzard Entertainment. It centers around a galactic struggle for dominance between four species. The series debuted in 1998, and has since grown to include high-resolution cinematics that are integral to the storyline. It has proved to be a massive success across the globe, especially in South Korea, where professional players take part in matches that are sponsored and are televised.




World of Warcraft

Set in the fantasy "Warcraft" universe created by Blizzard Entertainment, "World of Warcraft" is a multiplayer online role-playing game. It was launched in 2004, and has since seen the release of five expansion sets, with the sixth one scheduled to release in August 2016. The players control a character avatar exploring the landscape, slaying monsters, completing quests, and interacting with other non-player characters. With more than 100 million accounts created over the game's lifetime, it remains one of the most-subscribed multiplayer online role-playing games of all time.




FIFA Soccer

This series of soccer video games released annually by Electronics Arts, starting in 1993, was the first soccer video game to have an official license from FIFA. Players can take up a team and compete in a league or tournament format against others teams. With over 100 million copies sold worldwide, it is one of the best-selling sports video game franchise in the world — going strong even after 23 years of its first appearance.




Call of Duty

First released on the Microsoft Windows platform in 2003 by Activision, "Call of Duty" is a first-person shooter game franchise. The games simulate infantry and combined forces warfare. While its first three versions were set in World War II, its later versions take place in a near-future setting. According to IGN, over 100 million players have clocked over 25 billion hours of total gameplay, which astonishingly, is longer than the course of human existence!




Defense of the Ancients

"Defense of the Ancients" (DotA) is a multiplayer online battlefield modification for the video games "Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos" and its expansion, "Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne." The game requires each team to destroy the fortifications of the other team by using artificial intelligence-controlled fighters. This game offers a unique world and team-play structure, and a huge community of other players to connect with. It has featured at several worldwide tournaments, including Blizzard Entertainment's BlizzCon and the Asian World Cyber Games.




Championship Manager/Football Manager

The purpose of the game is to assemble a team by buying or loaning players and manage them through the course of a league season or tournament. Conceived by two brothers, Paul (L) and Oliver Collyer, the game has proven to be immensely popular among soccer fans. While the "Championship Manager" series was first released in 1992, the "Football Manager" series was launched in 2004. The fact that most soccer fans would like to step into the shoes of managers has contributed to the user-friendly games' popularity.

(Pictured) Paul and Oliver Collyer pose with their Member of the British Empire medals in 2010.




Tetris

The creation of Russian game designer Alexey Pajitnov, "Tetris" is a tile-matching puzzle video game, which was released in 1984. It was one of the first entertainment software to be exported from the U.S.S.R. to the U.S., and over the last three decades, it has become one of the most successful games of all time. Electronic Gaming Monthly's 100th issue had Tetris in first place as "Greatest Game of All Time," while the magazine Compute! termed the IBM version of Tetris as "one of the most addictive computer games this side of the Berlin Wall."




Grand Theft Auto

The gameplay allows players to take on the role of an auto thief in a big city, where the player attempts to rise through the ranks of organized crime by accomplishing missions assigned by the kingpins of the city underworld. Created by David Jones and Mike Dailly, and released in 1997 by Rockstar Games, the game has been a massive critical and financial success. Luminaries like Dennis Hopper, Samuel L. Jackson, and Axl Rose have several characters in the game.




Counter-Strike

It is a series of multiplayer first-person shooter games, in which teams of terrorists and counter-terrorists battle to outdo each other. The series began in 1999 and has since sold millions of copies. Designed by Minh "Gooseman" Le and Jess "Cliffe" Cliffe, the right to the game's intellectual property were later acquired by Valve Corporation.