Majesty
Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force
Clive Barker´s Undying
Earth 2150
Axis & Allies
Escape from Monkey Island
Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns
FreeSpace 2

 

   

Take me to the Question of the Week Archive What is popular isn't necessarily good, and what is good doesn't necessarily achieve popularity. There have indeed been many good games in the last year, games that have gotten the attention and commercial success they deserved, but not every game can be a Diablo II or The Sims. Some really great games often go unnoticed and sit on store shelves while other games that enjoy a big marketing budget, more media exposure, and even a flashy, attractive box design sell like hotcakes. Furthermore, some really good games don't originate in the US, and although they're high-quality entertainment, the critical recognition they receive doesn't always translate into retail success due to possible international distribution problems. Every year, oft-deserving games go unknown or little appreciated by the masses because of certain factors or a combination of factors: bad timing, lack of marketing money, saturation in a genre, media neglect, a difficult subject matter, dated graphics, or lack of fan support. These games rely on word of mouth and a small, dedicated following to garner more attention. Whether they're unsung heroes, hidden gems, or games that are ahead of their time, they definitely should be more popular than they are.

To give attention where attention is due, this week we're asking, "Which game should have been more popular?" We're limiting the scope to the games of this past year. If you'd like to read about the best games no one played in PC game history, you'll find those in our TenSpot feature. If you think the games in our Instant Poll should have been more popular, please vote! And if you'd like to tell us about one of the games you think should have been more popular in the last year, send us an e-mail. Your letter could appear in next week's feature.

As always, if you have a burning question about games or the game industry, please submit your question ideas today! Your idea might be chosen as our next Question of the Week.

First: A lesser-known fantasy sim