Gamasutra has just completed its reader-specific Game Of The Decade vote, and is revealing Honorable Mentions spanning
BioShock to
Katamari Damacy, with the Top 12 to debut tomorrow.
Readers responded to this question of naming a game released this decade for any console, handheld, PC or online platform, and why they believe it outdid any other:
"Gamasutra is asking its users to vote for their 'Game Of The Decade' -- the video game title that they think was the absolute best of the last ten years, from January 2000 to date. Name the game, and then explain why it mattered to you and what differentiates it from the multitude of others released in the last decade?"
The best responses are being compiled into a two-part Gamasutra feature article, with the
first part, spanning 'Honorable Mentions', debuting today.
The tens of honorable mentions include some for titles that just missed the top list, such as Capcom's
Resident Evil 4. Buzz Monkey Software's Ted Brown explains of his experiences with the game:
"After going through graduate school at the Guildhall and shipping my first game, GUN, I had a bit of an existential crisis: I no longer enjoyed playing games. Or, more specifically, I could not identify a single game on the market that I wanted to play. Considering I had just joined the industry, this was a crushing revelation. It was possible that a switch had flipped and I had somehow become a regular person with no interest in gaming.
"Then I played Resident Evil 4, on the GameCube. My wife and daughter were out of town; I was sick and feverish. But I played it until I could no longer physically continue, then slept briefly and played again. The euphoria at finding myself in front of the next big push forward -- and loving it -- has never left my mind. I am honestly grateful for the experience."
Another notable Game Of The Decade honoree debuting just outside of the Top 12 is Harmonix's
Rock Band, of which Robert Marney of the University of Virginia says:
"Rock Band started out as a very expensive video game, but it is also: A stealth education in music appreciation 101, like Civilization did for history; A way to bond with my game-loving brother and musician parents at the same time; A vortex into which all house parties are eventually drawn after the crowd leaves, like karaoke; A cooperative game that allows skilled players to take up the slack from unskilled players, like volleyball; An innovator in downloadable content; and a massive source of revenue from a largely untapped well. And that's just off the top of my head."
You can now read the
full Gamasutra feature on the subject, with many other recommendations on the Game Of The Decade from our game professional readers.
