Who would you say are the most important people involved with the success of a particular game? Would you say it is the programmers who make sure the game runs smoothly? Would you say it’s the art department who ensure the game is as beautiful as it can be? Or is it the writers who create a compelling narrative?
All of these departments are incredibly important to the overall development of a game. But the success of a game comes down to one group of people. The fans. The people who actually pay and play the game. The people who convince their friends to get the game. The people who leave the reviews. No game normally gets a sequel without a lot of demand from the fans. But some games have a more dedicated fanbase than others. So let’s look at the games that have had dedicated fans over the last decade.
Pokemon
Come back in time with me to 1996. Gaming is still in its infancy. The Gameboy is the height of handheld gaming and all the games on it are in black and white. And this year Nintendo released the first game in what would become one of the most famous game series in existence. Pokemon.
Pokemon is now a household name. Even people who have never picked up a games console in their life know what Pokemon are. It is one of the most famous franchises on the planet. Spawning a huge number of games, TV shows, comics, and toys. So it makes sense that Pokemon also has one of the most dedicated fan bases on the planet. I personally know so many people who have a Pikachu tattoo. And most children in the western world most likely had a Pokemon plushie when they were growing up.
Dark Souls
Dark Souls was released in 2011 for the Playstation 3. Most games that have been out for that long have since faded into obscurity. Yet the fans of Dark Souls are still some of the most loyal and dedicated fans out there. Not simply because Fromsoft keeps releasing new games. But because Dark Souls itself is one of the greatest games ever made.
The main draw to the game is the incredibly deep and complex lore. Unlike most other RPGs, Dark Souls never explicitly tells you too much about the world. Instead it asks you to study everything from weapon descriptions to specific enemy placement to unravel its mysteries. A YouTuber by the name of Hawkshaw has a series of videos unraveling the great yarn that is the Dark Souls lore. And he is still making new content about Dark Souls to this day. A testament to how dedicated the fans of this game are.
Minecraft
Minecraft, much like Pokemon, has become a household name. Recently it became the most sold game in existence and is still receiving quality updates to this day. There is now a dedicated Minecraft convention called Minecon and the game has received a number of spinoff titles as well.
Minecraft offers its fans a lot of creative freedom, not only within the normal gameplay sense, but in gameplay design as well. Just take a look at how many custom game modes there are for Minecraft. Whatever games a player can imagine they can create within Minecraft. And the more artistic members of the community have spent countless hours creating brilliant Minecraft skins for girls and boys. The dedication the fans put into the mods, skins, and game modes they create for Minecraft is a true testament to their dedication to the game.
Mario
You can’t talk about games with massive followings without mentioning the undisputed king of gaming mascots. Mario. One of the oldest and most endearing game series on the planet. Mario Kart, Mario Party, all the 3D Mario titles. Mario has a huge repertoire of games under his belt. And these games still remain incredibly popular to this day. Mario Kart is still one of the most played games on the Nintendo Switch, with Mario Party and Smash Bros not far behind.
Now we will be the first to admit that some of the newer Mario platformers haven’t been the greatest. But even then we can’t help but love the Italian plumber. He has jumped his way into our hearts.
