History Main / KillerApp

* The ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpires'' series, ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresII'' in particular, was one of the most successful and well crafted PC RTS games of its time, and still maintains a large player and modding community despite being a decade old.

** As the Platform/PlayStation5 and Platform/XboxSeriesXAndS made their way into the market from 2020 onwards, the Nintendo Switch was still able to maintain relevancy despite being dwarfed in power thanks to high-profile releases like ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'', ''VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus'', ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand'', the aforementioned ''Xenoblade Chronicles 3'' and ''Splatoon 3'', ''VideoGame/Bayonetta3'', ''VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet'', ''VideoGame/FireEmblemEngage'', and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosWonder'', some of which became the bestselling games of the series, and '''especially''' ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'', which sold 10 million units within three days, and over 18 million by the end of June 2023.

* ''VideoGame/StarRaiders'' was a bona fide killer app for the UsefulNotes/Atari8BitComputers; many people bought the computer just to play the game.

At a time when your typical Platform/IBMPersonalComputer had CGA or maybe EGA or UsefulNotes/{{Tandy|1000}} graphics with a laughably one-note square wave PC speaker or Tandy 3-voice sound and the Platform/AppleMacintosh was ''monochrome only'', a lowly Amiga 500 would handily kick both their asses as a gaming computer for less than half of the price, before Commodore lost their lead going into TheNineties, when the PC and Mac overtook the Amiga's multimedia capabilities.

* The first five ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' games spurred Western interest in the UsefulNotes/PC98.

* The resurgence of vinyl's mainstream popularity was spearheaded by Music/{{Beck}}'s ''Guero'' (2005) and Music/RedHotChiliPeppers' ''Stadium Arcadium'' (2006), both of which were intentionally mastered much better on vinyl than they were on digital formats. Many bought turntables just to play them. Another killer app of the vinyl revival is, you guessed it, [[OverlyLongGag a reissue]] of Music/PinkFloyd's ''Music/TheDarkSideOfTheMoon''.

->''"It is the same thing with VideoGame/CrashBandicoot -- those original games made by Creator/NaughtyDog were the reason that I wanted a UsefulNotes/PlayStation in the 1990s."''

The term can also be used on a more serious context, used to refer to a very useful application which immediately becomes a "must-have", which is, in fact, the original meaning of the term. It was first applied in 1979, when the first spreadsheet application, [=VisiCalc=], was released for UsefulNotes/AppleII, and became a must-have virtually immediately, spawning hordes of clones and imitations on numerous platforms.

* ''VideoGame/SpaceInvaders'' was a major system mover for the UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}}, quadrupling its sales. This is the first widely agreed example of a Killer App, thus making it the TropeCodifier.

* ''Super VideoGame/{{Breakout}}'' for the Platform/Atari5200; ''VideoGame/{{Galaga}}'' for the UsefulNotes/Atari7800.

* ''Blue Lightning'' and ''VideoGame/{{Klax}}'' for the UsefulNotes/AtariLynx.
* ''VideoGame/AlienVsPredator'' and ''VideoGame/{{Tempest}} 2000'' were this for the otherwise ill-fated [[UsefulNotes/AtariJaguar Jaguar]].
* On the computer side of Atari, the presence of MIDI ports was what made the UsefulNotes/AtariST the go-to machine for electronic musicians.

* Coleco's competitive acquisition of the console license for Creator/{{Nintendo}}'s ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'' is the main reason the UsefulNotes/ColecoVision console was a contender in the second generation UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars. It is rumored that the company released an intentional PortingDisaster for the Atari 2600, just to make their own system look even better by comparison.

* UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem:

* UsefulNotes/GameBoy:

* UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem:

** The ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' series was massively successful, and allowed the SNES to retain popularity and relevance into the 32-bit era, while Creator/{{Sega}} stumbled with the UsefulNotes/SegaCD, [[UsefulNotes/Sega32X 32X]] and UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn confusion. After years of Sega's aggressive marketing against the SNES, ''Donkey Kong Country'' shocked everyone by achieving pre-rendered 3D models on a 16-bit console, and received much acclaim for its gameplay, music, and visuals, leading it to sell a whopping 9.3 million units on the SNES and revitalizing ''Donkey Kong'' after the series was overshadowed by ''Mario'' for nearly a decade.

* The UsefulNotes/VirtualBoy didn't really have much going for it, but those who have played ''VideoGame/VirtualBoyWarioLand'' agree that it was the one game truly worth playing on the console.
* UsefulNotes/{{Nintendo 64}}:

* UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance:

* UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube:

** ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'', a FirstPersonShooter take on a then-dormant ActionAdventure/[[PlatformGame Platformer]] franchise surprised many ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' fans with its high quality[[note]]Creator/RetroStudios was an unknown American developer that at the time had only a string of cancelled projects to its name[[/note]] and mature feel[[note]]Nintendo had developed a "kiddy" stigma in light of the teen/young adult-focus seen in Creator/{{Sony|InteractiveEntertainment}}'s UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 and newcomer [[Creator/XboxGameStudios Microsoft's]] UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}}[[/note]]. The game went on to sell 2.8 million copies, making it the 7th best-selling game on the system and the best-selling entry in the franchise until VideoGame/MetroidDread; it was also the most critically acclaimed video game in the sixth generation of game systems. The "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYIPS_LMxh4 Top 10 GameCube Games]]" video from Website/ScrewAttack sums it up well:

** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' was intended to be this, as it was released as part of the "Creator/{{Capcom}} 5": a deal to bring five new, exclusive games to the [=GameCube=] to support the platform. Unfortunately, one of them (''Dead Phoenix'') was [[{{Vaporware}} never released]], three of them (''Resident Evil 4'', ''VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe'', ''VideoGame/{{Killer7}}'') were eventually ported to the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, and the only game to remain a [=GameCube=] exclusive (''VideoGame/PN03'') didn't sell many copies and was critically panned. ''Resident Evil 4'' ''was'' a big seller on the [=GameCube=], but didn't do much on its own to help its market share.

* UsefulNotes/NintendoDS:

** UsefulNotes/DSiWare had ''VideoGame/PhotoDojo'', a fighting game where you could take pictures/sound recordings to create fighters, including yourself. Also, you could make your own stages this way.

* UsefulNotes/{{Wii}}:

* UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS:

** ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand'' sold over five million copies in just two months worldwide, outselling games like ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar 3'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' on the UsefulNotes/Xbox360. ''VideoGame/MarioKart7'' sold 4.3 million in 5 weeks. Put together, the two Mario games represent a third of 3DS software sold in 2011. Combine those Mario games with ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''VideoGame/{{Nintendogs}} + cats'', you have over one half of all 3DS software sold through 2011.

* UsefulNotes/WiiU

** There's also ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'' being released for the Wii U's UsefulNotes/VirtualConsole, which became one of the top downloaded titles for the service. Not bad for a game that was an AcclaimedFlop when it first came out. ''VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings'' was also received with similar praise, and quickly raised to the top of the downloads charts. Not bad for a game that [[NoExportForYou wasn't released outside Japan]] before then.

** ''VideoGame/Bayonetta2'' was another third party title that Nintendo tried to make into a killer app (even funding the development of the game, thus earning [[NoPortForYou exclusivity rights]] for it), and while it didn't become a giant system seller, it nonetheless increased interest in the failing console and was acclaimed by critics and audiences, and Nintendo was satisfied enough with the game's sales that they ported it and [[VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}} the first game]] to the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, as well as funding a [[VideoGame/Bayonetta3 second sequel]] exclusively for that console. It also helps that the game received a ColbertBump thanks to Bayonetta being added as DLC to ''Smash'' on the same console.

* UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch:

** ''VideoGame/Tetris99'', a BattleRoyaleGame-themed variation of the ''Tetris'' formula, follows in the footsteps of the original game for the UsefulNotes/GameBoy by being one for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch Online service as a result of ''Tetris 99'' being given away for free to its subscribers. [[https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/04/9_8_million_switch_owners_have_signed_up_to_the_online_service_and_2_8_million_have_played_tetris_99 Nintendo credited it as boosting user engagement]] with the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch Online service, with over a quarter of NSO subscribers signed up to the service playing it.

** As the UsefulNotes/PlayStation5 and UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesXAndS made their way into the market from 2020 onwards, the Nintendo Switch was still able to maintain relevancy despite being dwarfed in power thanks to high-profile releases like ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'', ''VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus'', ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand'', the aforementioned ''Xenoblade Chronicles 3'' and ''Splatoon 3'', ''VideoGame/Bayonetta3'', ''VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet'', ''VideoGame/FireEmblemEngage'', and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosWonder'', some of which became the bestselling games of the series, and '''especially''' ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'', which sold 10 million units within three days, and over 18 million by the end of June 2023.

* UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis
** The ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' series on the Mega Drive[=/=]UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis was an instant smash hit, with kids flocking to the ultimate MascotWithAttitude (who provides the page image), while wowing gamers with its speed-and-momentum-based platforming, dazzling graphics and frame rate, and incredible music. It was the first true massive Nintendo-rattling hit for the system to the point it's often mistaken as a launch game (the system had been out for two years when the first ''Sonic'' game was released).

** When ''VideoGame/LunarTheSilverStar'' was released in Japan, it sold almost as many copies as the [[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis Sega CD]]. That and ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD'' were, if not killer apps, the nearest thing the Sega CD/Mega CD had.
* UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn:

** The ''VideoGame/PanzerDragoon'' series are killer apps for the Saturn, despite the fact that the first was the only one that sold well. ''VideoGame/PanzerDragoonSaga'' in particular was created as an answer to Squaresoft's killer app for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation, ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''.

** The [[PolishedPort high quality ports]] of Capcom's fighting games, such as ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'', ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha'', and ''VideoGame/XMenVsStreetFighter'' helped distinguish the Saturn from the UsefulNotes/PlayStation, being closer to the original arcade versions than the [=PS1=] ports.

* UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast:

* When the UsefulNotes/TurboGrafx16's CD add-on came out, NEC's marketing division, TTI, was quick to promote the two CD ShootEmUp titles available for it, ''Gate of Thunder'' and ''Lords of Thunder'', as being its flagship titles, even ahead of console mascot Bonk. ''VideoGame/{{Ys}} Books [[VideoGame/YsIAncientYsVanishedOmen 1]] & [[VideoGame/YsIIAncientYsVanishedTheFinalChapter 2]]'' was also highly lauded. In Japan, the first big game produced for the CD-ROM unit was ''VideoGame/TengaiMakyou: Ziria'', but neither it nor its more popular sequel was ever exported.

* UsefulNotes/PlayStation:

** The buzziest game for the system was ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', with Creator/SquareSoft's decision to develop it for the [=PlayStation=] over the N64 playing a huge role in Sony's victory over Nintendo during the 32/64-bit era. Upon release, it became the best-selling [=PlayStation=] game (until it was surpassed by ''Gran Turismo'') and increased the [=PlayStation=]'s install base substantially, helping it beat the N64 worldwide as well as the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn in Japan (where the Saturn was leading up until then).

* UsefulNotes/PlayStation2: Thanks to its long lifespan and large library, much of which is highly acclaimed, the console had a number of titles that resulted in huge sales spikes:

* UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable:

* UsefulNotes/PlayStation3:

* UsefulNotes/PlayStationVita:

* UsefulNotes/{{PlayStation 4}}:

* UsefulNotes/PlayStation5:

** ''VideoGame/{{Returnal}}'' was a bright spot in what was otherwise considered to be a slow first year for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation5, winning many accolades and becoming a SleeperHit that many people point to as being the first game to properly show what the [=PS5=] is capable of. It also doesn't hurt that it's not on [=PS4=], thus making it a more appealing purchase than multiplatform games.

** ''VideoGame/GodOfWarRagnarok'' saw a release on both UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 and UsefulNotes/PlayStation5, but it became a much more straight example than ''Forbidden West'' was - it sold 5.1 million units during its launch weekend and received universal acclaim from critics and audiences, as well as many awards from industry shows (rivaling ''Elden Ring'' in that regard), and easily became Sony's biggest game for 2022, thanks to ''Forbidden West'' being overshadowed by ''Elden Ring'' and ''VideoGame/GranTurismo 7'' being controversial for its microtransactions.

* UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}}

* UsefulNotes/Xbox360:

** In a non-gaming example, Creator/{{Netflix}} streaming was this to the Xbox 360 for a time. Hard as it may be to believe nowadays given Netflix's ubiquity on numerous platforms, but the Xbox 360 was the first, and thanks to an exclusivity agreement[[note]]This was why the Netflix apps on UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 and UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} were distributed on discs at first, since [[LoopholeAbuse the agreement seemingly only applied to built-in apps]][[/note]] between Netflix and Microsoft, only non-PC device that could stream Netflix.

** Like the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance, UsefulNotes/XboxLiveArcade has sold mainly on a stream of solid indies, the most notable of which were ''VideoGame/GeometryWars'', ''VideoGame/SplosionMan'', ''VideoGame/{{Limbo}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Braid}}'', and ''VideoGame/SuperMeatBoy''. And in Japan, the Killer App is ''VideoGame/TheIdolmaster'', even if it isn't for the 360 itself. On the release of the Xbox 360 version, Microsoft sold over four times as many Microsoft points as they had in the past. THE iDOLM@STER singlehandedly resparked the sales for the Xbox 360 in Japan. The success was so great that in some stores they had to close the doors ''early in the morning'' because they were sold out.

* UsefulNotes/XboxOne:
** ''VideoGame/{{Titanfall}}'' was the game that kept the UsefulNotes/XboxOne from dying on the vine in its first year, being a desired "exclusive" for the console[[note]]in the sense that it didn't come out for [=PS4=], at least[[/note]] 'til ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians'' was released. Oddly, it ''wasn't'' a blockbuster, just a game that kept interest alive in the then-controversial system. Respawn Interactive[[note]][[MisBlamed not Electronic Arts as many would like to point out]][[/note]] however, treated it like it ''was'' a killer app and foolishly had ''VideoGame/Titanfall2'' compete with ''VideoGame/{{Call of Duty|InfiniteWarfare}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield|1}}'', resulting in poor sales, despite being available for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 as well as the Xbox One and PC.
** ''VideoGame/OriAndTheBlindForest'' and ''VideoGame/OriAndTheWillOfTheWisps'' by Moon Studios were widely-acclaimed, being Metroidvanias with a beautiful animated style reminiscent of Ghilbi films, and are generally well-received for being exclusives published by Microsoft that aren't just another ''Halo'', ''Gears'', or ''Forza'', something which helps it stand out on the console. The original was popular enough to warrant a port to the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch years later, and the second game saw its Switch port in the same year as its original release.

* UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesXAndS:

** ''VideoGame/HiFiRush'': After a long drought of new games throughout 2022, ''Hi-Fi RUSH'' became a SleeperHit (after its surprise reveal and simultaneous release, no less) for Microsoft as a desirable exclusive for not only Xbox Game Pass, but is also a console exclusive to the UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesXAndS - finally giving the platform a game that isn't on also on the UsefulNotes/XboxOne, thus averting a major complaint about the UsefulNotes/TheNinthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames in general. The fact that it's also a Japanese-developed exclusive also did much to endear it to players, as Japanese developers in the years prior had gravitated towards the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch and the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 PlayStation line]] [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation5 of consoles]], whereas ''Hi-Fi RUSH'' is guaranteed to remain exclusive to Xbox platforms by virtue of Microsoft owning it.

* The final straw that made Windows into a viable gaming platform, and the only place to play games on PC, was [=DirectX=]. Prior to [=DirectX=], developers often had to roll their own graphics code, and if they wanted to take advantage of graphics and sound cards, they usually had to make a different version of their game for each brand of card. [=DirectX=] remedied this by giving developers an UsefulNotes/ApplicationProgrammingInterface of pre-built graphics functions that could run on any supported third-party graphics hardware (which was most if not all of them). Given that it was exclusive to Windows, it also had the side effect of largely killing off the gaming scenes on other computer platforms, which were already quite small by this time thanks to the UsefulNotes/{{IBM Personal Computer}}'s overwhelming market share.

* Creator/{{Bungie}} seems to make killer apps wherever they go. [[UsefulNotes/AppleMacintosh Mac's]] killer app? The ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}'' Trilogy. The Xbox's? ''{{Franchise/Halo}}''.

** ''VideoGame/CounterStrike'' was, ironically, both the killer app for the early 2000's golden age of 'real world' LAN Gaming cafes/centres, as well as the reason they crashed in popularity from 2004 onwards, when the Source remake became the killer app for UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} and home-based online multiplayer.

* ''VideoGame/{{Crysis}}'' was a boon for graphics card manufacturers, as even ''years'' after its release, hardcore computer gamers have been working hard to build systems that can render its incredible graphics at full detail without dropping frames. It was also important because at the time, other developers who weren't abandoning the PC altogether were [[PortingDisaster making ports that were vastly inferior]] to their own contemporary UsefulNotes/Xbox360 or UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 versions for no good reason -- not taking advantage of the more powerful hardware available to [=PCs=], sometimes not even acknowledging that [=PCs=] could ''have'' different hardware by letting you change the graphical settings), making little effort to properly port the controls from a controller to keyboard and mouse, ignoring existing bugs and often introducing new ones that would also go ignored, et cetera. Some say that this game single-handedly saved the platform and jump-started its renaissance.
* Since [[UsefulNotes/AppleMacintosh Macs]] have historically had few compatible games, every gamer who owns one is essentially required to get certain games. Some examples are ''VideoGame/{{Myst}}'' (which was originally developed using [=QuickTime=] and [=HyperCard=], both Mac OS-exclusive technologies), the ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}'' Trilogy and anything else released by Creator/{{Bungie}}, and anything made by Creator/BlizzardEntertainment, Creator/AmbrosiaSoftware or Creator/PangeaSoftware, the last of whom often had their games bundled with new Macs.
** Preemptively, Valve releasing Steam and the Source-based games on Mac (''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'' and ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2'' in particular) have caused a huge jump of interest in Mac gaming. The same thing has happened to UsefulNotes/{{Linux}} since the announcement that Valve would be porting Steam to Ubuntu.

** Linux also became popular in scientific computing due to the historical use of UsefulNotes/{{Unix}} in academia and the ability to build clusters to do complicated calculations on inexpensive PC-class hardware. Now ''all'' the major supercomputers run Linux.

This even escalated to a new market for dual-stick setups with a left stick in place of the throttle as a strafing control (remember that both games support six degrees of freedom), and in ''Elite''[='s=] case, VirtualReality support. Indeed, ''Elite: Dangerous'' is one of the earliest killer apps for the UsefulNotes/OculusRift, even before the Touch controllers were released!

* The original ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown'' on the UsefulNotes/NeoGeo home console.

At a time when your typical UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer had CGA or maybe EGA or UsefulNotes/{{Tandy|1000}} graphics with a laughably one-note square wave PC speaker or Tandy 3-voice sound and the UsefulNotes/AppleMacintosh was ''monochrome only'', a lowly Amiga 500 would handily kick both their asses as a gaming computer for less than half of the price, before Commodore lost their lead going into TheNineties, when the PC and Mac overtook the Amiga's multimedia capabilities.

* The UsefulNotes/BBCMicro was guaranteed good sales in the education and office market thanks to being [[BackedByThePentagon Backed By The Government]].[[note]]when Creator/TheBBC's educational programming department first got serious about computer science, every manufacturer had their own fork of BASIC that was almost but not ''quite'' compatible with everyone else's, so eventually they realised the only way to have a set of programming exercises that'd work for everyone was to commission a computer designed to their own specifications. Acorn Computers won the contract, and the rest is history.[[/note]]\\

** When the game was eventually ported to the PC, it also made sound cards a must in every PC. One '''must''' have a sound card to fully enjoy the game, and after the title, any PC that doesn't have a sound card is considered a poor man's PC. Prior to that, sound cards were largely considered a luxury peripheral that was unnecessary for mainstream gaming. It also helps that all sound cards made back then had a built-in proprietary CD-ROM port, which is needed if you're going to add a CD-ROM drive to the PC because all CD drives manufactured at that time only either supported the SCSI interface (mainly because Macs, UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}}s and UsefulNotes/{{Atari ST}}s back then used SCSI for the hard disk and CD-ROM drive, and thus SCSI came as standard on them) or a non-IDE proprietary interface.

* ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' and ''[[VideoGame/CounterStrike Counter-Strike: Source]]'' were responsible for UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}'s success today, and the popularity of digital distribution as a whole, though that might have something to do with the games ''[[UsefulNotes/DigitalRightsManagement requiring]]'' Steam to play.

** For Creator/HBOMax, the ''Game of Thrones'' spinoff/prequel ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'' carries the torch in this regard for ''Game of Thrones''. Outside of that, ''Series/{{The Last of Us|2023}}'' also ended up being a killer app for the service when it premiered in January 2023, following in the footsteps of the original game being a KillerApp for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 and UsefulNotes/PlayStation4.

* For the UsefulNotes/AppleII, the killer app wasn't a game at all (though there were an awful lot of those): it was the first electronic spreadsheet, [=VisiCalc=]. And for the IBM PC, it was the spreadsheet program Lotus 1-2-3. Because 1-2-3 was written in assembler and used specific hardware tricks to run faster, it was a de facto test of clone compatibility.

** [=VisiCalc=] alone was selling ''more'' Apple ][ than all of its games combined, actually, and its need for a screen real estate and RAM was a real driver for the Language Card (which added more memory) and 80-column Card ([[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin self-evident]]), and a real reason why both these upgrades were later officially incorporated into the motherboard design. IBM took notice, and they made sure that there was a port for the UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer when it launched two years after [=VisiCalc=] in 1981. Apple would eventually have its own killer app for the //e (and its [=ProDOS=] operating system) with [=AppleWorks=], one of the first integrated software packages (combining a spreadsheet, word processor, and database). Apple didn't even advertise it heavily at first, because they didn't want to step on the toes of their third-party vendors (nor overshadow their own [=AppleWriter=]), but it still sold so well that it even outsold Lotus 1-2-3 for a while. Its later-generation versions, however (sold by Apple-spinoff Claris, spun off to dodge accusations of antitrust violation under the product name [=ClarisWorks=], on both Mac '''and''' PC, were eclipsed by Microsoft Office and by Corel's iconic word-processing product [=WordPerfect=].
* Almost all of the killer apps for UsefulNotes/MacOS are made by Apple. Half of them come with the system.
** Apple originally made a number of killer apps directly on the original Macintosh's launch -- [=MacPaint=], [=MacDraw=], and [=MacWrite=] -- that have been the gold standard ever since for WIMP GUI image editors, drawing programs and word processors. But it was the first WYSIWYG page layout program, [=PageMaker=], that made desktop publishing possible and guaranteed the Mac's most lucrative niche. [=PageMaker=] was also a killer app for UsefulNotes/MicrosoftWindows when it was ported over, before Windows became really popular.
** Apple's OS is the killer app of the UsefulNotes/{{Macintosh}}, and recently, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallels_Desktop_for_Mac Parallels]] is a very good killer app for Intel Macs since it makes the "you can't play as many games on a Mac" argument obsolete.

* {{UsefulNotes/UNIX}}'s killer app, as with UsefulNotes/MacOS, was originally the platform itself, with the ability to redirect input and output at the shell. Another killer app was UsefulNotes/{{Usenet}}, a precursor to modern social media. The real killer app for Unix was the C programming language. While C itself is portable, a lot of C developers tended to assume a Unix environment. Even on non-Unix systems, compiler makers try to emulate as much of a Unix environment as possible, inluding tools like make. Fortunately, it was relatively easy to port Unix to new hardware. Software development is the biggest non-server use for Unix and Linux systems.

* The Sound Blaster card, introduced in 1989, was not only compatible with the existing Ad Lib card, which already had support for a number of MS-DOS games, it also supported digital sound. The real clincher was the inclusion of a joystick port, and the necessary proprietary CD-ROM interface connector for hooking a CD-ROM drive up to, back when CD-ROM drives required a proprietary connector[[note]]and the only other option was an extremely pricey SCSI card with SCSI CD-ROM drive combo, since IDE CD-ROM drives didn't exist at that time[[/note]]. This meant that only one card was needed to turn the boring, business-focused UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer into a game machine. Combined with the then-new VGA graphics standard, it was also an UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}} killer, at least in the U.S. Despite widespread support from developers, the card needed a killer app on its own. PC buyers weren't exactly keen on playing games on a joystick outside of flight sims and the price wasn't really tempting. It wasn't until Myst was ported to the PC that the card, along with a CD-ROM drive, became a standard feature in [=PCs=]. The Sound Blaster itself was soon made obsolete thanks to clones, IDE (later SATA) CD-ROM drives, [=DirectX=] and generic sound chips from a myriad of semiconductor manufacturers, but that's another story.

* ZFS a super-fast, super-reliable file system developed by Sun Microsystems before it was gobbled by Oracle, is one for [[UsefulNotes/{{Unix}} FreeBSD]] and specifically a derivative for file servers called [=FreeNAS=]. Licensing issues [[ScrewedByTheLawyers prevent ZFS from being used with Linux]] but the [=BSDs=] are a lot more permissive about open source licensing that ZFS can be integrated just fine.

* ''Literature/PlayerTwoStart'' naturally has this, being about an alternate timeline where Creator/{{Nintendo}} and Creator/{{Sony}} didn't part ways. Notable examples include ''Super Mario Dimensions'', ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', and ''[[VideoGame/PerfectDark Velvet Dark]]'' for the Ultra Nintendo, ''Sonic the Hedgehog 4'', ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil1'', ''VideoGame/{{Turok}}: Dinosaur Hunter'', and ''VideoGame/BloodOmenLegacyOfKain'' for the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn, the ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'', ''[[Franchise/{{Halo}} The Covenant]]'', and ''Cyberwar'' franchises for the Xbox and Xbox Two, and ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' ([[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer No, seriously]]. It's that kind of a timeline) for the Google Nexus.

** The ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' franchise cemented the Xbox as "the {{FPS}} console", leading to the FPS "arms race" between Microsoft and Sony that lasted through TheNoughties. ''VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved'', a launch title for the Xbox, single-handedly saved Microsoft from being a mere footnote in the Console Wars. Later on, ''VideoGame/{{Halo 2}}'' went on to become a killer app for the UsefulNotes/XboxLive multiplayer service in 2004.

* [=NewTek=]'s ''Video Toaster'' was the one selling point of the UsefulNotes/CommodoreAmiga that made said machine popular at video production houses and film studios. The ability to genlock (or synchronize video timing signals) made it easy to overlay text on video, thus making the Amiga the go-to machine for {{Fan Sub}}s.

* ''Super VideoGame/{{Breakout}}'' for the UsefulNotes/Atari5200; ''VideoGame/{{Galaga}}'' for the UsefulNotes/Atari7800.

** The [=PS2=] launched with five well-received best-sellers out of the gate: ''Madden NFL 2001'' (whose audiovisual jump instantly made other versions of ''Madden'' obsolete), ''Ridge Racer V'', EA's ''VideoGame/{{SSX}}'' (which was a sleeper hit that launched a very successful franchise for the system), ''VideoGame/MidnightClub: Street Racing'' (which launched ''another'' successful franchise and marked the beginning of Sony and Rockstar's partnership for most of the [=PS2=]'s lifespan), and ''Franchise/{{Tekken}} Tag Tournament''.

** As the UsefulNotes/PlayStation5 and UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesXAndS made their way into the market from 2020 onwards, the Nintendo Switch was still able to maintain relevancy despite being dwarfed in power thanks to high-profile releases like ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'', ''VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus'', ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand'', the aforementioned ''Xenoblade Chronicles 3'' and ''Splatoon 3'', ''VideoGame/Bayonetta3'', ''VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet'', ''VideoGame/FireEmblemEngage'', and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosWonder, some of which became the bestselling games of the series, and '''especially''' ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'', which sold 10 million units within three days, and over 18 million by the end of June 2023.

** ''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe'' continues to be a killer app even beyond the Wii U, as it's the bestselling Switch game to date, being listed at over 55 million copies sold as of December 2022, meaning that combined sales of both versions of the game is nearly 64 million copies being sold in total.

** As the UsefulNotes/PlayStation5 and UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesXAndS made their way into the market from 2020 onwards, the Nintendo Switch was still able to maintain relevancy despite being dwarfed in power thanks to high-profile releases like ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'', ''VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus'', ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand'', the aforementioned ''Xenoblade Chronicles 3'' and ''Splatoon 3'', ''VideoGame/Bayonetta3'', ''VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet'', and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemEngage'', some of which became the bestselling games of the series, and '''especially''' ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'', which sold 10 million units within three days, and over 18 million by the end of June 2023.

* Try thinking of a PC game before ''VideoGame/KingsQuest''. Outside of the ''VideoGame/{{Zork}}'' series of {{Text Adventure}}s, it's not a very easy task. The colorful, imaginative adventures that Creator/{{Sierra}} brought to life gave gamers something appealing that console games, with their straightforward running and jumping and shooting, just couldn't offer: an interactive, immersive world you could get lost in as it unfolded in vivid graphics, text details and cutscenes. It also popularized the Tandy 1000/PC Jr. graphics mode, which allowed [=PCs=] to display all 16 colors of the CGA standard at once instead of just palettes of 4, which finally made the PC into a viable gaming platform. [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny Even if they aren't exactly vivid by today's (or even the latter half of the decade's) standards]], it was enough to convince a lot of people why you would want to play video games on the "homework machine".

* There are two candidates for the cross-platform killer app for both CD-ROM drives and sound cards: ''VideoGame/TheSeventhGuest'' and ''VideoGame/{{Myst}}'', both often bundled with "multimedia upgrade kits"[[note]]A kit consisting of a CD-ROM drive, sound card, and software, typically with those two games, on CD[[/note]] PC people bought in order to play them, and these games were also often sold bundled with a Macintosh. Unlike many of the other games on the list, they currently have a SeinfeldIsUnfunny status.

** ''VideoGame/FZero'' was a launch title for the SNES that showcase Mode 7 graphics in their entirety for the very first time, and ended up selling nearly 3 million units across its lifetime, and it was then followed up on by the monster success of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioKart'', another showcase of Mode 7 marked the beginning of the most popular ''Mario'' spinoff series with ''VideoGame/MarioKart''.

* UsefulNotes/GoogleStadia was slow to get off the ground, but ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' helped it to get more acclaim, as the Stadia version was at least on-par with the PC version while providing an option for players who were otherwise limited to the launch models of the UsefulNotes/Playstation4 and UsefulNotes/XboxOne, where the game's performance was much more rough.

** For most of the eighties and nineties, Franchise/XMen was ''the'' book to buy. It was popular to such an extent that a good chunk of the Marvel Universe was comprised mostly of X-Men books for a time.

* The original Franchise/{{Superman}} stories were this to comic books in general, turning the medium from 5 cent newspaper strip compilations into an independent and profitable storytelling format.
* Franchise/FantasticFour and Franchise/SpiderMan were '''the''' reasons that kids and teens in the sixties bought Marvel Comics, taking the company from perpetual number two to a legitimate rival for DC Comics.

* The Internet had been around in a form similar to what we use today since at least the early 1980s, but it was NCSA Mosaic, the first easy to use web browser available for [=PCs=] and Macs, that made the network a must-have for computers.

** ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'' ended up selling four million copies in its first two days of sales and became the fastest-selling 3DS game of all time...until ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'' released a few years later and completely broke those records[[note]]in part thanks to VideoGame/PokemonGo returning the franchise to levels of popularity unseen since the late 1990s[[/note]] to quickly become the third best-selling game on the system, less than half a million copies behind ''X and Y'' and a million behind ''Mario Kart 7''. Meanwhile, ''[[Videogame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire]]'' sold 3 million copies in its first three days.

** The Dreamcast continued the Saturn's legacy of being a home for [[ArcadePerfectPort Arcade Perfect Ports]] of fighting games, such as the aforementioned ''Soulcalibur'', ''VideoGame/PowerStone'', ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive 2'', and especially ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom2'', to the point where it's even been this after both the Dreamcast and the game have gone out of circulation, due to the Dreamcast version being the standard for tournament play. Beyond fighting games, ''VideoGame/CrazyTaxi'' was another well-done port, and popular enough that one of its sequels was console-only.

** VideoGame/{{Patapon}} was undoubtedly a pillar of the system for about as long as the PSP's lifespan.

** 2018 saw not one but two major {{Killer App}}s for the [=PS4=].

** ''VideoGame/AstroBotRescueMission'' and ''VideoGame/{{BloodAndTruth}}'' are this to Sony's [=VR=] headset. Releasing in 2018 and 2019 respectively, the former is Sony's highest-rated VR title as of 2020, and the latter was heavily praised for its blockbuster-like quality. ''VideoGame/IronManVR'' is this to a lesser extent.

** ''VideoGame/MassEffect'', published by Microsoft and developed by Creator/BioWare, was released as an exclusive for the Xbox 360, and received near-universal adoration for its scale, both in terms of exploration and storytelling, and is regarded as a landmark in the WRPG genre, completing [=BioWare=]'s rise to superstardom that began with ''Knights of the Old Republic'', and the game remained exclusive for years even after [=BioWare=] was acquired by Creator/ElectronicArts.

* The first five ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' games spurred Western interest in the UsefulNotes/PC98.

** ''VideoGame/{{Starfield}}'' was the one game that everyone had their eyes on after Microsoft's acquisition of Creator/BethesdaGameStudios went through, something Microsoft capitalized on almost immediately; starting from E3 2021, ''Starfield'' was featured in every big showcase from Microsoft up until its release on September 6, 2023. Even after the divisiveness of ''VideoGame/HaloInfinite'' and the disastrous launch of ''VideoGame/{{Redfall}}'', ''Starfield'' still kept enough people interested to prevent them from completely writing off the Xbox Series X/S, and it paid off big-time come release; it resulted in a 1056% increase in sales of the console on Amazon ahead of the game's launch, easily becoming its biggest exclusive up until that point, and finally providing Microsoft with a game that could stand toe-to-toe with games like ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'' or ''VideoGame/GodOfWarRagnarok'' in terms of sales numbers.

** A major non-gaming killer app among techies for CD-ROM was Linux distributions, where floppy-based installs were already becoming unwieldy by the mid-90s. Most people also had slow dialup internet connections. There was a cottage industry of people selling Linux distributions on CD-ROM for little more than the cost of the media. This made installing Linux much easier than trying to download it over a phone line and having to go through several boxes of floppies. Linux also proved to be a major reason to get a CD burner when they became affordable.

* The 1991 Gulf War was [[GallowsHumor proverbially]] the killer app for 24-hour cable news, specifically Creator/{{CNN}}. Where national networks had to eventually return to their regularly scheduled programming after Iraqi phone lines were cut off, CNN had previously had a permanent line installed and continued broadcasting round-the-clock. Four years earlier, the "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_McClure Baby Jessica In The Well]]" story was another killer app for CNN, and possibly the TropeMaker for the whole "24-hour breaking news" concept.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', despite also seeing release on the Wii U. Nintendo reported at the end of the launch month that they'd sold more copies of ''Zelda'' for Switch than they did ''actual Switches'' -- there were significant amount of people who had bought ''Breath of the Wild'' for a Switch they ''didn't yet own''. After a year, the combined sales of the Switch and Wii U versions have made ''Breath of the Wild'' the best-selling game in the franchise, surpassing ''Ocarina of Time'' and ''Twilight Princess'' by a wide margin. As of December 2022, the Switch version sold 29 million copies.
** ''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe'' continues to be a killer app even beyond the Wii U, as it's the bestselling Switch game to date, being listed at around 52 million copies sold as of December 2022, meaning that combined sales of both versions of the game equal to around 60.5 million copies being sold in total.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'' received universal acclaim from both critics, casual audiences, and longtime ''Mario'' fans, and managed to sell ''two million'' copies within its first three days. Almost immediately, it ended up reaching more than a quarter of the install base for the Switch. Within two months it became the best-selling game on the console, reaching heights of ''nine million''. It held the title of the bestselling game on the Switch until little more than a year later, when it was surpassed by ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' (more on that below). It since has been become the best selling 3D ''Mario'' installment with 25 million copies sold by the end of December 2022.
** ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'' sold less than other titles, similar to ''Kid Icarus: Uprising'' on the 3DS, but it managed to surpass one million units in just one month, and was released within the first year of the Switch's life, allowing for it to fill a void for JRPG games that had yet to be filled by other titles at the time. It ended up becoming the bestselling game made by Creator/MonolithSoft, elevating the ''Xeno'' series from being [[AcclaimedFlop acclaimed flops]] to being one of Nintendo's and Monolith's most valued franchises. Notably, the ''Torna'' DLC received a physical release, a rare occurrence for a Nintendo game, and a [[VideoGameRemake remake]] of the [[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1 first game]] was announced in 2019 for a release the following year, with ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'' following up on the successes of ''2'' and ''Definitive Edition'' in 2022 by surpassing the amount of units sold in either game's launch month.

** ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' is not only the most successful installment in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series, but also the fastest-selling Nintendo game yet for its time, moving over 12 million units in its first month (''Pokemon Sword and Shield'' dethroned it). For comparison, the ''lifetime'' sales of the previous best-selling ''Smash'' title (Brawl) is 13.29 million. By its first year in the market, it eventually became the best-selling fighting game in history, and dethroned ''Melee'' as the ''Smash'' game for tournament play in the UsefulNotes/FightingGameCommunity. By December 2022, it has sold 30.44 million copies.

** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'' marked another breakthrough for the ''Fire Emblem'' franchise, receiving lots of attention and advertising from Nintendo, leading to it becoming the bestselling game in the series at 2.29 million copies sold in its first three months alone, introducing a [[NewbieBoom very sizable amount of new players]] to the series. and winning the Player's Voice Award at the Game Awards 2019, the only award that is 100% decided upon by the fans. Bear in mind that it went up against ''VideoGame/StarWarsJediFallenOrder'', ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', and ''VideoGame/DeathStranding'' in order to win that award, and that was only in the final round.
** ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'' broke a new sales record for the Switch, with 6 million copies sold worldwide on its opening weekend. Unsurprising as Pokémon is always a system seller for Nintendo, though this is the first time it did so with a home console (or at least a portable that can function as one). The Switch saw a significant sales jump upon ''Sword and Shield'''s release too, suggesting that many people bought a Switch just for it. It quickly dethroned ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' as the fastest-selling Nintendo game ever. As of December 2022, it has become the second-best selling game in the series at 25.68 million copies.

** ''VideoGame/RingFitAdventure'' ended up being a surprise SleeperHit for the Nintendo Switch, only being announced one month prior to release and still being an [[{{Exergaming}} exercise game]] after the casual game craze of the Wii had died out - yet it managed to sell 15 million units across its lifespan and ended up appealed to both dedicated gaming audiences for its RolePlayingGame mechanics and to the same casual audience that was responsible for the massive success of ''VideoGame/WiiFit'' a decade prior.
** ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewHorizons'' was the long-awaited followup to the series after 2012/2013's ''New Leaf'' for the 3DS. It lead to the Switch's best sales outside of the holiday season, with sales in the US during March 2020 being the best for any console for the month of March. As of December 2022, it was the second best selling game on the Switch at around 41 million copies, second only to ''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe''.

** As the UsefulNotes/PlayStation5 and UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesXAndS made their way into the market from 2020 onwards, the Nintendo Switch was still able to maintain relevancy despite being dwarfed in power thanks to high-profile releases like ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'', ''VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus'', ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand'', the aforementioned ''Xenoblade Chronicles 3'' and ''Splatoon 3'', ''VideoGame/Bayonetta3'', and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemEngage'', some of which became the bestselling games of the series, and '''especially''' ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'', which sold 10 million units within three days.

** Nintendo pushed ''VideoGame/MarioKart8'' as this, to an almost aggressive extent. In addition to releasing a premium Wii U bundle in many regions [[note]]The North American bundle included the game, a complete Wii U Deluxe system, a Mario-themed Wii Remote Plus and Wii Wheel; Europe got a similar bundle plus two special Mario and Luigi-themed bundles that included some additional goodies such as a strategy guide[[/note]], they also had a program where ''every'' copy that had been purchased in the two months after the game's release --including those that came in the bundle-- could be registered on Club Nintendo[[note]](their consumer loyalty program prior to My Nintendo)[[/note]] and redeemed for one ''free Wii U game of your choice''. North America had 4 options to choose from[[note]]''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosU'', ''Wii Party U'', ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker HD'', and ''VideoGame/Pikmin3''[[/note]], while Europe and Australia got 10[[note]]The four aforementioned games plus ''VideoGame/TheWonderful101'', ''[[VideoGame/MonsterHunter3Tri Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate]]'', ''VideoGame/SonicLostWorld'', ''[[VideoGame/WarioWare Game and Wario]]'', ''VideoGame/NintendoLand'', and ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndSonicAtTheOlympicGames Mario and Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games]]''[[/note]]. As a result, ''Mario Kart 8'' sold 1.2 million copies in its first weekend alone and boosted the console's sales in every region. Wii U sales in Europe, for example, rose by ''666 percent''. The game would go on to be the best-selling game on the system, with '''a 3:5 attach rate'''.

** The earliest release to seriously entice people towards [=CDs=] was ''Music/TheNightfly'' by [[Music/SteelyDan Donald Fagen]]. Recorded and mixed digitally and based in [[JazzFusion a genre]] that leaned heavily into audiophilia, the album's rich, clear sound made it a popular demonstration title and a must-buy among audiophiles. So much so, in fact, that Creator/WarnerBrosRecords had trouble keeping up with the demand and initially sourced CD copies from safety tapes, to the consternation of buyers and even engineer Roger Nichols. After Nichols published a scathing essay against this practice, Warner started using the digital master for CD reissues of ''The Nightfly'' in 1984, which, again, quickly became popular among audiophiles.

** The NES also featured many third-party exclusives outside of the aforementioned ''Dragon Quest'', such as Creator/{{Capcom}}'s ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'', ''VideoGame/GhostsNGoblins'', and ''VideoGame/DuckTales'', Creator/{{Konami}}'s ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'', ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}'', and ''VideoGame/{{Castlevania}}'', [[Creator/KoeiTecmo Tecmo's]] ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' trilogy and ''VideoGame/TecmoBowl'', and Creator/{{Squaresoft}}'s first three ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games.

-->--'''Company Man''', "Activision - Why They're Hated"

** In terms of games, Creator/{{Cinemaware}} was responsible for a lot of Amiga killer apps, such as ''VideoGame/DefenderOfTheCrown'', ''VideoGame/ItCameFromTheDesert'', ''VideoGame/{{Wings}}'' and the ''TV Sports'' games, with Creator/{{Psygnosis}} also providing its fair share such as ''VideoGame/ShadowOfTheBeast'' and ''VideoGame/{{Lemmings}}''.\\