10 Most Influential Video Gaming Characters Of All Time

Since barging out of the arcade and into our homes, video gaming has been responsible for the introduction of many popular characters. Ranging from the comical to the curvy, these digitized creations have made their way into popular culture in the form of merchandising, TV, Film and even music. From humble beginnings in which gaming characters were seen as 'geeky', they have since gone on to be some of the most instantly recognizable images, and have become responsible for the promotion of mainstream products as well as the commercial success of the hardware they were designed for. With this in mind, Whatculture.com takes a look at the most 10 most influential video gaming characters, spanning well over 30 years and multiple generations of consoles. Taking into account factors including longevity, social impact, popularity, the ability to evolve and the overall quality of the game(s) they featured in, this list is a who€™s who of video gaming characters from the past three decades! Bearing in mind that this is merely a list of 10, there are bound to be names that are excluded, especially those that have been more successful in certain marketplaces, for example online gaming. As always, feel free to make your own opinions known in the comments section.