Guest Posted April 3 Posted April 3 Bafta poll has named Shenmue the most influential game of all time. https://www.itv.com/news/2025-04-02/cult-classic-shenmue-named-most-influential-game-of-all-time-in-bafta-poll I dont have a history with shenmue but i can see why its loved, but the most influential game ever? I think this is a stretch, screams fan voting gone mad, but even as a fun would you say its the most influential?
one-armed dwarf Posted April 3 Posted April 3 Kingdom Come Deliverance II is also on that list, as well as Baldurs Gate 3 I actually don't have much issues with the games chosen but its shocking how dumb the public is to put those two as influential games. Or they're having a laugh with it i dunno I don't know the deal with Shenmue. I've seen people call it the first open world game, but is it an important evolutionary stepstone to GTA3 ive no idea
Maf Posted April 3 Posted April 3 I think Shenmue is the most influential game in the fact it influenced an entire industry for nearly 30 years to never make a game like Shenmue ever again EDIT: I’m just having fun before people try to run me over with a forklift
HandsomeDead Posted April 3 Posted April 3 Yeah, I dunno. Shenmue is a neat curiosity but it's hardly a game I've seen many devs talk about as an influence, and it's not like we've seen a bunch of games like it. Definitely seems like a certain type of gamer caught wind of the poll. I guess intimate, detailed environments you can interact with is something you see sometimes in games now, like "Walking Simulators". QTEs became really disliked. There's the cinematic storytelling but I feel like that was attempted a few times before Shenmue. You don't see the time scheduling that much but again I don't think it's a Shenmue innovation, though there's an argument it does well pulling this stuff off. But whatever, the Shenmue enjoyers do like it when people remember their game.
one-armed dwarf Posted April 3 Posted April 3 The 'most influential' question has always been tied up with the 'what is the citizen kane blah' question cause it's all a bit about combining technologies and technique in new ways in order to pave way for the modern game. I think the top of the list should have games like Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, FFVII, MGS and Half Life 1 on it, they're on the list at least. I think there's 'influence' like games like Tetris and Pong but it's a different kind of influence isn't it, like Lumiere Brothers type stuff. Well Pong at least. The full list is this Shenmue DOOM Super Mario Bros Half Life Ocarina of Time Minecraft Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Super Mario 64 Half Life 2 The Sims Tetris Tomb Raider Pong Metal Gear Solid World of Warcraft Baldur's Gate 3 Final Fantasy VII Dark Souls GTA 3 Skyrim GTA I do think cinematics took a big step up with Shenmue, I only saw the opening to that game well after the fact but it's a really impressive opening considering the time it was made. Although very quickly outclassed by MGS2
Maf Posted April 3 Posted April 3 I mean these lists are easy to pick at but I think by definition Kingdom Come 2 can’t be called influential because it just came out. It has had no time to influence anything. This list is typical and fine at the same time but that one entry calls the criteria in to question Also no Street Fighter 2? Are things like the fire ball input and combos not influential enough?
Maryokutai Posted April 3 Posted April 3 Shenmue was influential in the sense that they spent a truckload of money on it that they couldn't reasonably make back. So just like a lot of AAA games from today. On a more serious note it probably had some kind of influence in smaller aspects but there's no reason to put it above games like Mario 64, Doom etc. But polls like these are always weird – there was one about 'iconic' characters last year we talked about and it featured a party member from BG3, which was only months old at that point. And I think voters didn't really understand the assignment this time either, considering KCD2 is on there as well. And wasn't WoW just a more appealing and user-friendly version of Everquest, so pretty much the opposite of influential? One game on the list I'm on the fence about is Minecraft. It certainly didn't have any influence in the proper sense (= lots of copycats coming out) but it did pave the way for early access games, which is a fairly common model now.
one-armed dwarf Posted April 3 Posted April 3 Honestly I kind of think WoW is the most influential game as it pertains to the current trends of gaming right now even in single players stuff (eg Ubisoft games). Its popularity is what makes it influential, if not being a pioneer specifically
Guest Posted April 3 Posted April 3 Yeah, agree with all above. I mean i guess the biggest influence shenmue had was on yakuza. But as said above the others in the list? And new games from last 2 years again influential? As mentioned sf2, WoW really need to be in there. Ff7 yes had a big influence, but how about ultima games? Without them no jrpgs as they were up to ps1 era. Command and conquer? Rtype, space invaders, outrun i could go on, were really at the point where we need to be breaking down influential games by generation?
one-armed dwarf Posted April 3 Posted April 3 You won't get these types of votes in a public vote, Ultima is unknown to lots of people. These are all well known popular games. Well, except Shenmue maybe You'd need the equivalent of a Sight and Sound poll with game makers and professional critics only allowed, where you might get a better representation of games which form the core influence of its many genres. edit one of the points I saw in Shenmue's favor is things like day night cycles, daily NPC routines (though Gothic did this earlier) and real time weather.
Guest Posted April 3 Posted April 3 I get what you mean, this is why bafta and the public shouldnt be able to conduct votes. Thsse should be voted for by pale beard donning sandal wearing 40 to 50 year old geeks. 🤣 Seriously they should rename it mainstream most influential games.
Maryokutai Posted April 3 Posted April 3 1 hour ago, one-armed dwarf said: things like day night cycles Pff, peanuts, Simon's Quest did that on the NES.
one-armed dwarf Posted April 3 Posted April 3 https://shenmuedojo.com/vote-shenmue-in-baftas-search-for-the-most-influential-video-game-of-all-time/ Quote If you have multiple accounts… use those too!
Guest Posted April 3 Posted April 3 I dont get it, what does that achieve, they successfully helped rig a vote. Doesnt mean the whole world is going to stop and play it at best I heard them taking the piss on radio this morning.
DANGERMAN Posted April 4 Posted April 4 I don't think Shenmue is the most influential game, but it's not insane that it's in the running. The way it told its story, it's world, how real and busy it is, the walk and talk aspect, you see all that stuff all over. The recent God of War games shame similarities, most of Sony's games do. Before it adventure games were Tomb Raider and Zelda That said, Doom /Wolfenstein
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