Line #103 BreakthroughHit/VideoGames


1	Video games and series that [[BreakthroughHit made their respective companies household names]].
2
3	%% Entries should be listed alphabetically by game series title whenever possible.
4	%% If listing multiple games that may be considered breakthroughs, list them in the order of release in the country where they were initially developed.
5	----
6	[[foldercontrol]]
7
8	!The Big Three
9	[[folder:Nintendo]]
10	* The ''VideoGame/GameAndWatch'' series for Creator/{{Nintendo}} and Creator/GunpeiYokoi. The success of these games started Nintendo's almost uncontested dominance of handheld gaming.
11	* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'' for Creator/ShigeruMiyamoto and Nintendo as an arcade game producer. Its success, [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff especially in international markets]], surprised the company to the point where it had to license TheMockbuster ''Crazy Kong'' for sale in some countries just to keep up with the demand.
12	* ''[[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1 Super Mario Bros.]]'' would later be Miyamoto and the company's breakthrough in the console games business, and due to some legal issues concerning ''Donkey Kong'', ''Super Mario Bros.'' tends to be considered the breakthrough by the company itself.
13	* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry1'' for Creator/{{Rare}} (as a second-party developer before they were bought by Microsoft).
14	* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight'' for Creator/IntelligentSystems in Japan, ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' worldwide. ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' would prove to be another breakthrough for them during the Platform/Nintendo64 days, and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' is what got them recognized for ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' worldwide.
15	* ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand'' for Creator/HALLaboratory and Creator/MasahiroSakurai. Sakurai would later get another breakthrough with ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros''
16	* ''VideoGame/KirbysEpicYarn'' for Good-Feel (as a second-party developer). While their previous effort for Nintendo, ''VideoGame/WarioLandShakeIt'', was critically acclaimed, it sold under expectations. Their ''Kirby'' spin-off on the other hand benefitted from Kirby's greater marketability and sold much better.
17	* The VideoGameRemake of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening'' for Creator/{{Grezzo}} (as a second-party developer). While they were already known for their remakes of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'' for the [[Platform/Nintendo3DS 3DS]], their remake of ''Link's Awakening'' had the benefit of being on a more mainstream console, granting it and Grezzo much more exposure.
18	* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' for Creator/EijiAonuma, although both it and its direct sequel ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'' were collaborations with other directors (particularly Creator/YoshiakiKoizumi), and Aonuma didn't take full, sole directorial control of the series until ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]''.
19	* ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga'' for Creator/AlphaDream (as a second-party developer).
20	* ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'' for Creator/RetroStudios.
21	* ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' (2009) and ''VideoGame/LuigisMansionDarkMoon'' for Next Level Games (as a second-party developer, who would eventually become a first-party developer).
22	* ''[[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1 Xenoblade Chronicles]]'' for Creator/MonolithSoft. They originally had a small fanbase for the ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'' and ''VideoGame/BatenKaitos'' games created under Namco, with some of its personnel also known for ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'' and ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'' created under [[Creator/SquareEnix Square Co.]] But it was ''Xenoblade'', made after their move to Nintendo, that got them fully recognized in the mainstream, leading to Nintendo heavily promoting their succeeding projects.
23	[[/folder]]
24
25	[[folder:Sony Interactive Entertainment (Sony Computer Entertainment)]]
26	* ''VideoGame/ApeEscape'' for Creator/SIEJapanStudio.
27	* ''VideoGame/AstroBotRescueMission'' for Team Asobi
28	* ''VideoGame/{{Crash Bandicoot\|1996}}'' for Creator/NaughtyDog.
29	* ''VideoGame/{{Everquest}}'' for Sony Online Entertainment.
30	* ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' for Creator/SIESantaMonicaStudio.
31	* ''VideoGame/GranTurismo'' for Polyphony Digital.
32	* ''VideoGame/{{Killzone}}'' for Guerilla Games.
33	* ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet'' for Creator/MediaMolecule.
34	* ''VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus'' for Team ICO.
35	* ''VideoGame/SlyCooperAndTheThieviusRaccoonus'' for Creator/SuckerPunch.
36	* ''VideoGame/{{Spyro the Dragon\|1998}}'' for Creator/InsomniacGames.
37	* ''VideoGame/SyphonFilter'' for Sony Bend Studio (originally known as Eidetic until the Platform/PlayStation2 era).
38	* ''VideoGame/{{Wipeout}}'' for Creator/{{Psygnosis}}.
39	[[/folder]]
40
41	[[folder:Xbox Game Studios (Microsoft Studios)]]
42	* ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresII'' for Creator/EnsembleStudios.
43	* ''VideoGame/{{Fable}}'' for Lionhead Studios. ''Black & White'' was nothing more than a cult hit at best.
44	* ''VideoGame/ForzaHorizon'' for Creator/PlaygroundGames.
45	* ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar'' for Creator/EpicGames.
46	* ''VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved'' for {{Creator/Bungie}} (and for [[Creator/MicrosoftStudios Microsoft's gaming division]]). Bungie did make several games before, most notably the ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}'' series, but didn't achieve mainstream popularity before ''Franchise/{{Halo}}''.
47	* ''VideoGame/RiseOfNations'' for Big Huge Games.
48	[[/folder]]
49
50	!Others
51	[[folder:Third-party developers with multiple (or region-specific) breakthroughs]]
52	* Creator/BandaiNamco:
53	** ''VideoGame/PacMan'' was this for Namco in the arcade era. While ''VideoGame/{{Galaxian}}'' was an early hit for them, it was a fairly standard ''VideoGame/SpaceInvaders'' clone, whereas ''Pac-Man'' stood out more and gave Namco their mascot.
54	** ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soulcalibur]]'' for Namco's team later known as Project Soul. While its predecessor ''Soul Edge'' was a modest success, it was ''VideoGame/{{Soulcalibur}}'' that launched the franchise in the stratosphere, and why it took the ''Soulcalibur'' name from then on.
55	** ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' for Namco's Tales Studio, the first in the series to become a major hit outside Japan.
56	** if ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' gave the series its cult following in the west, then ''VideoGame/TalesOfArise'' helped push the series into the Mainstream.
57	* Creator/IdeaFactory:
58	** Its RPG division (Creator/CompileHeart) had released numerous [=RPGs=] in the mid- to late-2000s, but ''VideoGame/HyperdimensionNeptunia'', despite being a critical flop, was the first series to really catch on with audiences, and Neptune and friends have become [[{{Mascot}} the face of the company]] ever since.
59	** On the visual novel (Otomate) side, there's ''VisualNovel/{{Hakuouki}}'', which was ported to multiple platforms and spawned an AnimatedAdaptation that ran for three seasons, an OVA, and two films.
60	* Creator/KoeiTecmo Games:
61	** ''VideoGame/NinjaGaidenNES'' for the Tecmo side of the company.
62	** ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive'' for Team Ninja, the most well-known studio of Tecmo after the days of the NES/Famicom.
63	** ''VideoGame/NobunagasAmbition'' for Koei in Japan, but the ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' games were this for Koei and its studio Omega Force worldwide.
64	* Creator/{{Sega}} had a couple of different breakthroughs in different regions:
65	** ''VideoGame/HangOn'', the first of their Super Scaler arcade games, was a mammoth success that cemented Sega as a forced to be reckoned with in the coin-op realm.
66	** ''Alex Kidd In Miracle World'' became a breakout hit in Europe, Australia and Brazil, where the Master System might even have outsold the NES.
67	** ''VideoGame/{{Sonic the Hedgehog\|1}}'' made Sega popular in the US and was the title that was most often packaged with the Platform/SegaGenesis.
68	** In its native Japan, it was ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter'', as it essentially launched the "3D arena fighter" genre, and its Platform/SegaSaturn port helped sell consoles there.
69	** Creator/RyuGaGotokuStudio for years had developed the ''VideoGame/LikeADragon'' series in Japan to commercial success, but its presence internationally was limited at best. Following the commercial flop of ''VideoGame/YakuzaDeadSouls'' Sega started to think that the ''Yakuza'' series had failed overseas and considered no longer releasing games internationally until Sony partnered with Sega and released ''VideoGame/Yakuza5'' digitally in the west to much greater success, convincing Sega to recommit to international releases. In 2017 ''VideoGame/Yakuza0'' was released internationally on the Platform/PlayStation4, receiving critical acclaim and smashing sales expectations, firmly establishing the series as an international franchise. Subsequent releases on the PC and Platform/XboxOne further expanded the audience for ''Like A Dragon'' and subsequent games in the series have enjoyed much greater exposure and sales internationally.
70	** Creator/{{Atlus}} first gained recognition within their home country of Japan with the original ''VideoGame/{{Persona 1}}''. However, they had largely been ignored in the West for its first twenty years, with its flagship ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' games often either [[NoExportForYou getting the export shaft]][[note]]It's rather telling that the first ''Megami Tensei'' game of any sort with a US release was ''Jack Bros.'', a Platform/VirtualBoy title[[/note]] or becoming {{Cult Classic}}s at best. Tellingly, the studio by the late [[MediaNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames sixth generation of consoles]] was [[https://www.dexerto.com/gaming/persona-director-reveals-persona-3-saved-atlus-from-collapse-2274054/ on the verge of collapse]]. Many in the studio were told that ''VideoGame/Persona3'' would be their last game, so then-director Katsuya Hashino debated with the higher-ups to make the game more mainstream-friendly. It paid off, and the game was exported to the West and it really put Atlus on the map, with ''VideoGame/Persona4'' and subsequent ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' spinoffs practically [[CashCowFranchise printing money]] for Atlus's foreign branches. ''VideoGame/Persona5'' became not just Atlus's best-selling title to date, but bringing it a level of mainstream recognition that not even ''4'' received.
71	* For the two halves of Creator/SquareEnix:
72	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI'' for Square. After their previous games selling poorly, ''Final Fantasy'' not only sold well but kickstarted one of the longest-running series in video games. However, ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' was even more of a breakthrough, since that game took the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' franchise from popular-but-cult to international [[EasternRPG JRPG]] phenomenon (it was the first installment released in Europe, as the series had been virtually unknown in that territory up until that point). ''FFVII'' was also the breakthrough of character designer Creator/TetsuyaNomura.
73	** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestI'' for Enix, which like ''Final Fantasy'' for Square established Enix as one of the foundational developers of the EasternRPG. However, it would be ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIII'' that would take the franchise into the monster it is in Japan.
74	* Creator/TakeTwoInteractive:
75	** ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIII'' for T2's Rockstar Games branch, less than two months ahead of ''VideoGame/MaxPayne''. They've had many modest hits prior to ''GTA 3'' including [[VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto2 its direct predecessor]], ''VideoGame/EarthwormJim 64'', and the cult classic ''VideoGame/MidnightClub'', but none of them have made a fraction of ''3[='=]s'' cultural impact and making the company industry titans.
76	** ''VideoGame/BioShock1'' for the 2K Games branch as a developer. Prior to that, they were more known for publishing other developer's games, notably ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion''. This was their first self-developed hit.
77	[[/folder]]
78
79	[[folder:Other publishers and developers]]
80	* The ''Franchise/DotHack R1'' tetralogy for Creator/CyberConnect2.
81	* The ''ACA Platform/NeoGeo'' line for Hamster Corporation. The company had existed in profitable obscurity as a publisher of casual games and no-frills arcade ports since the late 90's, but their line of Neo Geo rereleases ended up being bigger sellers thanks to Creator/{{SNK}}'s resurgence in the video game market and being near-launch titles for the popular but then game-starved Platform/NintendoSwitch. The success of ''ACA Neo Geo'' allowed Hamster to ink deals with companies like Nintendo and Namco for its ''Arcade Archives'' brand as well as give the company the financial resources necessary to purchase the entire catalogue of defunct developers like Creator/VideoSystem, cementing Hamster as one of the big players in the retro rerelease market.
82	* ''VideoGame/AmnesiaTheDarkDescent'' for Creator/FrictionalGames.
83	* ''VideoGame/AngryBirds'' for Creator/RovioEntertainment.
84	* ''VideoGame/ApexLegends'' for Respawn Entertainment. The ''VideoGame/{{Titanfall}}'' games it spun off from garnered favorable reviews but not very large player bases. ''Apex's'' release as a free-to-play title and its unique (at the time) team-based battle royale gameplay greatly helped its popularity.
85	* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamAsylum'' for Rocksteady Studios. It was also the title that got Creator/WarnerBros Interactive Entertainment to shake off the label of TheProblemWithLicensedGames.
86	* ''VideoGame/Battlefield1942'' for DICE.
87	* ''VideoGame/{{Bastion}}'' put Creator/SupergiantGames in the spotlight within the early indie game scene, but ''VideoGame/{{Hades}}'' put them in an even bigger spotlight that rivaled AAA titles.
88	* ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' for Creator/PlatinumGames.
89	* ''VideoGame/{{Bejeweled}}'' and ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies'' for Creator/PopCapGames.
90	* ''VideoGame/BlazBlueCalamityTrigger'' for Creator/AksysGames[[note]]the series' North American distributor; the games themselves were developed by Arc System Works (see below)[[/note]].
91	* ''VideoGame/{{Bomberman}}'' for Creator/HudsonSoft.
92	* ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'' for Creator/GearboxSoftware.
93	* ''VideoGame/BrokenSword: Shadow of the Templars'' for Creator/RevolutionSoftware.
94	* ''VideoGame/Burnout3Takedown'' for Criterion.
95	* ''Franchise/TheChroniclesOfRiddick: VideoGame/EscapeFromButcherBay'' for Starbreeze Studios.
96	* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'' for Westwood Studios.
97	* ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}'' for Creator/{{Konami}} on home consoles, its fame owed mainly to [[KonamiCode a certain cheat code]] in the NES version. ''VideoGame/{{Castlevania\|I}}'' was a cult hit at the time, and [[Franchise/{{Castlevania}} the franchise]] never became super-popular until long after ''Contra.''
98	* ''VideoGame/CrashTeamRacingNitroFueled'' for Beenox.
99	* ''VideoGame/{{Crysis}}'' for Creator/{{Crytek}}. ''VideoGame/FarCry1'', the studio's previous game, was also a hit, but ''Crysis'' made Crytek well-known for [[TechDemoGame pushing the boundaries of PC graphical hardware.]]
100	* ''VideoGame/DarkCloud'' and ''VideoGame/ProfessorLayton'' for Creator/{{Level 5}}. The former was their first successful game, but the latter is the first series they're really ''known'' for.
101	* ''[[VideoGame/DarkSoulsI Dark Souls]]'' for Creator/FromSoftware. Though its [[SpiritualSuccessor spiritual predecessor]] ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'' was critically acclaimed, it was only a mildly cult hit that was exclusive to the Platform/PlayStation3, while ''Dark Souls'' was MultiPlatform and able to ride the positive word-of-mouth afterwards to monstrous success.
102	* ''VideoGame/DeadByDaylight'' for Creator/BehaviourInteractive.
103	* ''VideoGame/{{Dishonored}}'' for Arkane Studios.
104	* ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'' for Creator/NipponIchi Software.
105	* ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSin'' for Creator/LarianStudios.
106	* ''[[VideoGame/DonPachi DoDonPachi]]'' for Creator/{{Cave}}.
107	* ''VideoGame/DragonBallFighterz'' for Creator/ArcSystemWorks. In terms of original IP, their next game, ''VideoGame/GuiltyGearStrive'', would be this, massively outselling every previous game in the franchise within a year. Previous games were only really known to hardcore fighting game players.
108	* ''VideoGame/DragonSlayer'' for ''Creator/{{Falcom}}'', establishing their brand as an ActionRPG developer. Later, the ''VideoGame/{{Ys}}'' series became their most recognizable titles internationally.
109	** While ''The Legend of Heroes'' games were respected EasternRPG titles in their own right, it would be ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky FC'' that won them critical acclaim and spun off the more well-known ''[[VideoGame/TrailsSeries Kiseki/Trails series]]'', becoming their new flagship property in Japan.
110	* ''VideoGame/DukeNukem3D'' for [=3D=] Realms.
111	* ''VideoGame/EarthDefenseForce'' for Sandlot.
112	* ''VideoGame/EarthwormJim'' for Shiny Entertainment.
113	* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'' for Creator/BethesdaSoftworks. ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' took [[Franchise/TheElderScrolls the franchise]] to even greater fame afterwards.
114	* ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' for Creator/TypeMoon.
115	* ''VideoGame/{{Frequency\|Harmonix}}'' and ''Amplitude'' (2003) brought Creator/{{Harmonix}} into the gaming business, but it was their first entry in the ''VideoGame/GuitarHero'' franchise that made them a {{household name\|s}} in the RhythmGame genre.
116	* ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'' for Creator/MiHoYo.
117	* ''VideoGame/{{Gex}}'' for Crystal Dynamics.
118	* ''VideoGame/GoatSimulator'' for Creator/CoffeeStainStudios.
119	* ''VideoGame/GunstarHeroes'' for Creator/{{Treasure}}.
120	* ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'' for Creator/ValveSoftware.
121	* ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'' for Natsume.
122	* ''VideoGame/{{Homeworld}}'' for Relic Entertainment.
123	* ''VideoGame/IL2Sturmovik'' for 1C Company.
124	* ''VideoGame/JustCause2'' for Creator/AvalancheStudios.
125	* ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters94'' for Creator/{{SNK}}. Its popularity [[MorePopularSpinoff surpassed the games it was spun off from]] (''VideoGame/FatalFury'', ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'') and quickly became a recognizable franchise of its own.
126	* ''VideoGame/KingsQuest'' for Creator/{{Sierra}} and Roberta Williams.
127	* ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' for Creator/{{Bioware}}. BioWare had already enjoyed critical and commercial success with ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'', ''[[VideoGame/BaldursGateII Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn]]'' and ''VideoGame/MDK2'' but ''Knights of the Old Republic'' blew them up and fully established them as a top tier RPG developer, as well as establishing the signature BioWare format that would be used in subsequent releases.
128	* ''VideoGame/LayersOfFear'' for Bloober Team.
129	* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' for Riot Games. For more than a decade, ''League'' was the ''[[OneBookAuthor only]]'' game Riot was known for, but its continued popularity years after its initial release allowed it to branch out into other genres like CardBattleGame (''VideoGame/LegendsOfRuneterra''), auto-battler (''Teamfight Tactics''), and FirstPersonShooter (''VideoGame/{{Valorant}}'').
130	* ''VideoGame/LEGOStarWars The Video Game'' for Creator/TravellersTales.
131	* ''Lineage'' for Creator/NCSoft in its native South Korea, and ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' and ''VideoGame/GuildWars'' overseas.
132	* ''VideoGame/LifeIsStrange'' for Creator/DontnodEntertainment.
133	* ''VideoGame/TheLongestJourney'' for Funcom.
134	* ''VideoGame/LunarTheSilverStar'' for Creator/WorkingDesigns.
135	* The ''VideoGame/MaddenNFL'' series eventually became this for Creator/ElectronicArts, as it wasn't until [[TheNoughties the 2000s]] that the series became synonymous with [[UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball football]] in video games.
136	* ''VideoGame/{{Magicka}}'' for Creator/ParadoxInteractive. For fans of the company's more traditional grand strategy fare, ''VideoGame/CrusaderKingsII'' also counts.
137	* ''VideoGame/ManiacMansion'' for Creator/LucasArts and Ron Gilbert.
138	* ''VideoGame/MapleStory'' for Creator/{{Nexon}}.
139	* ''VideoGame/MarioPlusRabbidsKingdomBattle'' for [[Creator/{{Ubisoft}} Ubisoft Milan]].
140	* ''VideoGame/MarkOfTheNinja'' and ''VideoGame/DontStarve'' for Creator/KleiEntertainment. The former is Klei's most critically acclaimed game, and the latter is their longest-lasting IP, inspiring numerous expansions.
141	* ''VideoGame/MaxPayne'' for Remedy Entertainment.
142	* ''VideoGame/MegaMan2'' for Creator/{{Capcom}} and Creator/KeijiInafune on home consoles, and ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' in arcades.
143	** ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' for Creator/IntiCreates, a studio created by former Capcom employees.
144	* ''[[VideoGame/StreetPassMiiPlaza Monster Manor/StreetPass Mansion]]'' for Prope. It was so successful that Prope has since become a recurring contributor for ''[=StreetPass=] Mii Plaza''.
145	* ''VideoGame/{{Mortal Kombat\|1992}}'' (1992) for Creator/MidwayGames, Ed Boon, and John Tobias. It was one of the most popular and best-selling games of the [=1990s=], and also one of the most controversial, directly leading to the creation of the Entertainment Software Ratings Board. While Midway was earlier known for publishing several arcade games from other companies as well as overseeing the development of ''Ms. Pac-Man'' with Namco's blessing, ''Mortal Kombat'' was the first homegrown property Midway became known for.
146	* ''VideoGame/NoOneLivesForever'' for Creator/MonolithProductions (not to be confused with Monolith Soft above).
147	* ''VideoGame/OdinSphere'' for Creator/{{Vanillaware}}.
148	* ''VideoGame/OperationFlashpoint''[[note]]later retitled ''ARMA: Cold War Assault'', as the "Operation Flashpoint" trademark was given to Creator/{{Codemasters}}[[/note]] for Bohemia Interactive.
149	* ''VideoGame/{{Pitfall}}'' for Creator/{{Activision}} in the Platform/{{Atari 2600}} era, and ''VideoGame/TonyHawksProSkater'' in the Platform/PlayStation era. ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' provided the company with yet another breakthrough.
150	* ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'' for Creator/GameFreak. Most of the games they produced before (and some after) ''Pokémon'' have faded into obscurity, while ''Pokémon'' went on to become a global pop-culture juggernaut.
151	* ''VideoGame/{{Pong}}'' for Creator/{{Atari}}.
152	* ''VideoGame/PuzzleAndDragons'' for [=GungHo=] Online Entertainment.
153	* ''VideoGame/RagnarokOnline'' for Gravity Interactive.
154	* ''VideoGame/{{Rayman}}'' for Creator/{{Ubisoft}} and Creator/MichelAncel.
155	* ''VideoGame/RType'' for Irem.
156	* The ''VideoGame/SamAndMaxFreelancePolice'' episodic series proved to be very successful for Creator/TelltaleGames, inspiring two additional "seasons." A few years later, their award-winning adaptation of ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead'' would give them even further recognition beyond being "the Creator/LucasArts franchise reviver."
157	* ''VideoGame/{{Scribblenauts}}'' for 5th Cell.
158	* ''VideoGame/SeriousSam'' for Croteam, which before then had produced an handful of Amiga titles.
159	** ''VideoGame/SeriousSam3BFE'' also helped establish Creator/DevolverDigital as a publisher, along with ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami'' the following year.
160	* ''VideoGame/ShadowrunReturns'' for Harebrained Schemes.
161	* ''VideoGame/{{Shantae}}'' for Creator/WayForwardTechnologies, though the series as a whole was strictly a niche hit until going multiplatform with ''VideoGame/ShantaeAndThePiratesCurse'', the third entry in the series.
162	* ''VideoGame/ShiningForce'' for Camelot Software Planning[[note]]The company was known as Sonic! Software Planning when it worked with Sega on the early ''Shining Force'' games, changing its name to Camelot around the start of the [=PlayStation=]/Saturn generation[[/note]].
163	* ''VideoGame/ShogunTotalWar'' for The Creator/CreativeAssembly.
164	* ''VideoGame/{{SMITE}}'' for Hi-Rez Studios. While games like ''VideoGame/{{Tribes}} Ascend'' and ''VideoGame/GlobalAgenda'' were modest successes for the company, ''SMITE'''s popularity easily eclipsed those, owing a lot to its unique take on the MultiplayerOnlineBattleArena genre dominated by ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' and ''VideoGame/{{Dota 2}}''.
165	* ''VideoGame/SniperGhostWarrior'' for CI Games (formerly City Interactive). While not particularly well-received, [[CriticProof the game sold very well]] and shifted City Interactive from publishing a large number of low-budget PC games to investing in fewer but bigger budget games.
166	* ''[[VideoGame/SegaSuperstars Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing]]'' for Sumo Digital.
167	* ''VideoGame/SpaceInvaders'' for Creator/{{Taito}} Corporation.
168	* The ''VideoGame/StarOcean'' series for Creator/TriAce. Since [[VideoGame/StarOcean the first game]] wasn't released outside of Japan until its PSP remake, ''First Departure'', [[VideoGame/StarOceanTheSecondStory the second game]] was the one to achieve this status in North America and Europe.
169	* ''VIdeoGame/SteamworldDig'' for Thunderful Games (then known as Image & Form).
170	* ''VideoGame/SuperStardustHD'' for Creator/{{Housemarque}}.
171	* ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesShreddersRevenge'' for Creator/TributeGames.
172	* ''VideoGame/TombRaiderI'' for Eidos Interactive.
173	* The ''VideoGame/{{Unreal}}'' series, specifically ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament'', for Creator/EpicGames.
174	* ''VideoGame/UntilDawn'' for Creator/SupermassiveGames.
175	* ''VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe'' for Creator/CloverStudio.
176	* ''VideoGame/WarcraftOrcsAndHumans'' for Creator/BlizzardEntertainment.
177	* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerTheEndTimes: [[VideoGame/TheEndTimesVermintide Vermintide]]'' for Fatshark.
178	* ''Wrestling/{{WCW}} vs. [[Wrestling/NewWorldOrder nWo]]: World Tour'' for Creator/{{THQ}}.
179	* ''VideoGame/TheWitcher'' for Creator/CDProjektRED, though it would be ''VideoGame/TheWitcher3WildHunt'' that would make them a household name.
180	* ''VideoGame/Wolfenstein3D'' and ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' for Creator/IdSoftware and two of its producers, John Romero and John Carmack.
181	* ''VideoGame/WorldOfTanks'' for Wargaming.net.
182	* ''VideoGame/{{Worms}}'' for [=Team17=].
183	* The ''VideoGame/ZenPinball''/''Pinball FX'' collection for Creator/ZenStudios.
184
185	[[/folder]]
186
187	[[folder:Individual creators/producers]]
188	* ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'' for Koji Igarashi. ''Symphony'' singlehandedly [[GenrePopularizer popularized]] the {{Metroidvania}} genre, and dictated the direction of almost all future ''Castlevania'' games from that point on.
189	* ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}'' for Sid Meier.
190	* ''VideoGame/{{Defender}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Robotron 2084}}'' for Creator/EugeneJarvis.
191	* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry1'' for Creator/HidekiKamiya.
192	* ''VideoGame/{{Drakengard}}'' may have been what got people to start noticing Creator/YokoTaro, but it was ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'' that propelled him to mainstream recognition.
193	* ''VideoGame/EternalDarkness'' for Denis Dyack.
194	* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' for Naoki Yoshida.
195	* ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' for Scott Cawthon.
196	* ''VideoGame/GabrielKnight'' for Jane Jensen.
197	* ''VideoGame/{{Killer7}}'' for Creator/{{Suda51}}.
198	* ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUs'' for Neil Druckmann.
199	* ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry'' for Creator/AlLowe.
200	* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' for Creator/HideoKojima.
201	* ''VideoGame/NinjaGaidenNES'' for Masato Kato.
202	* ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden2004'' for Tomonobu Itagaki.
203	* ''VideoGame/{{Populous}}'' for Creator/PeterMolyneux.
204	* ''VideoGame/SimCity'' for Will Wright.
205	* ''VideoGame/{{Syberia}}'' for Benoît Sokal.
206	* ''Super VideoGame/MeatBoy'' and ''VideoGame/TheBindingOfIsaac'' for Creator/EdmundMcMillen.
207	* ''VideoGame/TwistedMetal'' for David Jaffe.
208	* ''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}'' for Richard Garriott.
209	* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' for Creator/TobyFox. Granted, Toby is more of a musician than a game developer by trade, as seen by his contributions to ''WebComic/{{Homestuck}}'' and an ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'' tribute album.
210	* ''VideoGame/{{Wasteland}}'' for Brian Fargo.
211	* ''VideoGame/WingCommander'' for Chris Roberts.
212	[[/folder]]

Context BreakthroughHit / VideoGames