Key events in gaming industry over past 30 years

PC Gamer has highlighted a number of key games and events that have influenced the history of the gaming industry over the past 30 years.

Here's a quick overview by decade:

1993-2003: Doom and Quake period

1. Doom: The game that shaped the first-person shooter genre.
2. Quake: Another game from id Software that contributed to the development of multiplayer games and 3D graphics.
3. Fallout: Launch of a post-apocalyptic RPG.
4. Age of Empires 2: Influence on the real-time strategy genre.
5. Deus Ex: Setting standards for mixing playstyles and making story-impacting choices.
6. Call of Duty: The emergence of a successful series of military shooters.
7. Windows XP: Release of an operating system that influenced gaming.
8. Steam: Launch of a platform for digital distribution of games.

2003-2013: Half-Life 2 and World of Warcraft era

1. Half-Life 2: An important event in the history of games with an excellent storyline and physics.
2. World of Warcraft: Development of the MMORPG genre and the creation of an online gaming culture.
3. Minecraft: A block world that has become a phenomenon and a platform for creativity.
4. Plants vs Zombies: An example of a successful independent game.
5. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: An open-world RPG with a cult following.
6. VR technologies Oculus: Introduction of virtual reality into the world of games.
7. Steam Early Access: Opportunity for players to participate in game development.

2013-2023: The time of The Witcher 3 and the Covid-19 pandemic

1. The Witcher 3: The game that set new standards for open worlds and storytelling.
2. PUBG: Popularization of the battle royale genre.
3. Disco Elysium: Recognition of role-playing games with a unique narrative.
4. Valheim: Open-world indie success.
5. Baldur's Gate 3: Return of the cult series of role-playing games.
6. Cyberpunk 2077: Expectations and shortcomings at release.
7. Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080: Graphics card with ray tracing support.
8. Steam Deck: Valve's portable console.
9. Covid-19 pandemic: Impact on the development and structure of the gaming industry.

These events, according to the authors of the publication, reflect key moments in the development of games and their impact on culture and technology.