The decade of decline, though it started off somewhat respectable, if not epic. 2003 is the inarguable decline point, see:
Best-selling video games worldwide in 2003
| Game | Platform | Publisher | Sales | | | |
|---|
| Japan[4] | USA | Europe | Worldwide | | | |
|---|
| Pokémon Ruby / Sapphire | GBA | Nintendo | 1,704,458 | 2,200,000+[5] | 1,500,000+[6] | 6,120,000[7] |
| Mario Kart: Double Dash | GameCube | Nintendo | 567,849 | 1,000,000+[8] | Unknown | 3,580,000[7] |
| Final Fantasy X-2 | PS2 | Square Enix | 2,000,000+[9] | 1,000,000[10] | Unknown | 3,400,000[10] |
| Pro Evolution Soccer 3 (World Soccer Winning Eleven 7) | PS2 | Konami | 1,160,000[11] | — | 1,550,000[11] | 2,710,000[11] |
| Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros 3 | GBA | Nintendo | 457,095 | 1,100,000+[12][5] | Unknown | 2,590,000[7] |
| Madden NFL 2004 | PS2 | EA Sports | — | 2,300,000+[13] | Unknown | 2,300,000+ |
| Mario Party 5 | GameCube | Nintendo | 481,053 | Unknown | Unknown | 1,640,000[7] |
| Enter the Matrix | PS2 | Infogrames | 92,459[14] | 1,000,000+[15] | 300,000+[16][17] | 1,392,459+ |
| The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker | GameCube | Nintendo | 252,064 | 1,100,000+[5] | Unknown | 1,352,064+ |
| Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | | | | | | |
the Pokemans were decline over the prior, FFX-2 wasn't a bad game but it was rehashy as hell, Mario Bros 3 will always be goated but this is just a rerelease, Enter The Matrix meh, Vice City was fairly good but it came out the prior year, and so forth. Then there was a ton of decline elsewhere like Tomb Raider Angel of Darkness, Deus Ex 2, Unreal 2, Devil May Cry 2, the Eyetoy, The Sims normalizing 100 micro-expansion packs, as well as the GBA just existing as the port machine (exceptions apply) etc, multiplatform releases becoming the new normal, shitty military shooters & movie tie-ins galore, PC gaming producing absolutely nothing GOATED (unless you think Call of Duty, Max Payne 2, Kotor etc is amazing lol).
You see
Lemming42 the decline is not quite so subjective.
Here's my list:
2000
Deus Ex
Final Fantasy 9
Hogs of War
2001
Devil May Cry
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
Return to Castle Wolfenstien
2002
Arx Fatalis
Morrowind
GTA: Vice City
2003 - The year of decline's beginnings.
Manhunt
Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven
Final Fantasy X-2
2004
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Ninja Gaiden
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
2005
The Punisher
Resident Evil 4
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
2006 - decline of course but contrary to popular opinion here there is still some good games if you really look!
Hitman: Blood Money
Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
2007 - the year of
ULTIMATE Decline Established
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
Dragonball Z; Boudokai Tenkiachi 3
Manhunt 2 (mediocre but I have to put something)
2008
Dead Space
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Fallout 3 (mediocre but I have to put something)
2009
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat
Demon's Souls
Resident Evil 5
I made the same joke about Titan Quest in the last thread and ended up putting it on my own list.
