The 40 Year Old Gamer:
The Most Influential Games of the Past Decade
Let the Debate Begin

It’s been over 35 years since the first game console was introduced. It’s safe to say, we’ve come a long ways since the days of Pong, Space Invaders and Pac Man. Over the past ten years, video games have grown into a major entity that now competes with movies and music for the all mighty entertainment dollar.  Each year video games are becoming more mature, creative and addictively engaging.  And let’s not forget about the impact of online gaming.

So what games do you think had the greatest impact over the past ten years?  For those of who are new to gaming and for those who simply love to debate the merits of specific video games, I have compiled a list of my top 10 games from the past decade. My list (in no particular order) is based on storylines, game play, graphics, technical achievement and relevance. 

Resident Evil 4- 2005
In my opinion, Resident Evil 4 (RE4) is one of the greatest games of all time. RE4 delivered the finest blend of storytelling, action, intensity and game play of any game before or after (current or last generation).  RE4 is the reason I game. Once I started the long adventure (and it was long), I was instantly hooked. It was like watching my own personal summer blockbuster.  Scariest Moment: Can we say dark hallway, chainsaw and a horde of infected, enraged people? This is not exactly a Hallmark Moment. (Nintendo Game Cube, Wii and PS2)

Halo (Trilogy)- 2001, 2004 & 2007
With over 26 million copies sold, Halo has proven itself to be a beast of a franchise. This “killer application” was a major factor behind the success of the Xbox  It was also the driving force behind the success of online gaming on the video game console platform.  In fact, Halo has been praised as being one of the greatest first person shooters of all time. With solid game play and an epic storyline that has you battling against the Covenant, a theocratic alliance of alien races, Halo continues to rock the gaming world. Death match anyone? (Xbox and Xbox 360)

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare- 2007
One of the most successful first person shooter franchises in gaming history took a bold step in 2007.  After building the franchise on World War II, the developers decided to change game setting to modern times. I have to admit, I was starting to grow tired of shooting Nazis as the WWII themes were getting old and over done. The modern perspective gave the franchise new life. The graphics, storyline as well as game play were incredible. I was also one of the many gamers addicted to the robust multiplayer player features. Best moment: The stealth sniper level is one of the finest moments in first person shooter history. (Xbox 360 and PS3)

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