The most effective factor about awards exhibits is that they offer us a chance to get mad and argue when the winners are introduced. PC Gamer’s Ted Litchfield, as an example, goes blind with fury each time Astro Bot wins one other Recreation of the Yr award. However in a pleasant change of tempo, the BAFTAs are giving us a chance to get mad and argue earlier than the awards by placing a really huge and primarily not possible query to the web at massive: What’s the most influential videogame of all time?
BAFTA—the British Academy of Movie and Tv Arts, however it does videogames now too—does not make the query any simpler by nailing down what precisely it is searching for, however quite leaves it open to particular person interpretation.
“‘Most influential recreation’ can imply various things to totally different individuals,” the inquiry states. “Maybe it’s a recreation that birthed a style, one which outlined an period, or one which set the requirements for storytelling and interactivity. Maybe it’s a recreation whose affect crosses into movies, TV and music, which we nonetheless see immediately. It may even be a recreation that’s had a giant affect on you, personally, altering the way in which you take a look at the world.”
In different phrases, it may very well be just about something so long as you are in a position to justify it, even when solely to your self. Which is what makes this type of train a lot enjoyable: There’s clearly no proper reply however that does not imply an entire bunch of different individuals cannot be objectively unsuitable with their alternatives, and once you open the door to that sort of debate to the complete web, it is good occasions ahoy!
I am tempted to submit Gamey McGameface—it is a write-in ballot, so you are able to do that—however with out placing an excessive amount of thought into it, I feel my actual reply must be Pong, a recreation that carried the medium over the hump from science nerd esoterica to mainstream leisure. It is not probably the most refined videogame ever—a jar of ionized goop can play it—however it has confirmed remarkably sturdy: 50 years down the highway, the ol’ “bounce the ball backwards and forwards” mechanic remains to be underpinning new video games.
Neil Newbon, greatest recognized (to us, no less than) for his work because the voice of Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3, took the straightforward method out by refusing to decide to any single recreation.
Time to ask @NeilNewbon an unfair query…Now we all know what Neil’s most influential recreation(s) of all time is, what’s YOURS?Vote right here: https://t.co/AVUTJePeEg pic.twitter.com/j7u3UIqYUvFebruary 28, 2025
Come on Neil, plant a flag and stand by it! Jane Douglas did, though her alternative is, sorry to say, objectively unsuitable.
An experiment gone unsuitable, however a recreation that bought it so proper… @janedouglas most influential recreation of all time, what extra may you ask for?!Vote for yours right here: https://t.co/AVUTJePeEg pic.twitter.com/jIbLqJ4CUcFebruary 26, 2025
We’re clearly not going to achieve any sort of consensus right here, though will probably be attention-grabbing to see how the outcomes mirror the present mindset round videogame historical past. However that is superb, as a result of that is not the purpose: The purpose is to have just a little enjoyable (and sure, it’s doable to argue and trash-talk with out getting mad about it, so let’s all try this), and in addition to attract consideration to the upcoming BAFTA award nominations, which will probably be introduced on March 4. The awards ceremony itself, which I assume is when probably the most influential videogame of all time (as chosen by you!) will probably be revealed, takes place on April 11.
