2. Shenmue
Two things cross your mind at this point. This game not being at Number 1 seems a glaring omission. The game was directed by Yu Suzuki and produced exclusively for Sega Dreamcast. The Dreamcast had suffered a difficult six months since released in Japan and this game was to help sales in the marketplace as well as be a launch title (and a pivotal gaming experience) for both the European and North American regions. Suzuki intended to achieve this by simulating aspects of real life through the game, such as the day and night system, real-time variable weather effects (unheard of in a game of this kind at the time), fully voiced non-player characters with their own daily schedules, quick time events, and various other interactive elements such as vending machines, arcades, and convenience stores. Given this list you'd imagine that a game of this ilk was received well and gave Dreamcast the success it needed. But you'd be wrong. People critical of the game called it self-indulgent and uninspiring. That's true, to a certain extent, because you won't get any "caps in asses" that you'd normally find on the streets of Los Santos. But what you will get is a game which has spearheaded a massive movement. As of 2011, the equivalent amount calculated to have made this game (and its sequel) was $95 million. Just like Crazy Taxi before it, however, the game appealed to a certain demographic in a certain region and gathered few sales beside. However, its legacy is firmly cemented, as only this month MSN UK named Shenmue as one of the "20 Greatest Video Games of All Time" - why it's never been given a release on either PSN or XBLA is beyond me personally. I imagine there must be some lost revenue to claim back.