2. Grand Theft Auto
First released in October 1997 it must have been hard to imagine just what kind of a future Grand Theft Auto would create. The simple idea of roaming a City as a criminal, stealing cars, committing crimes and evading the police changed both the PlayStation, the PS2 and the PS3 into a whole new concept. The game appealed to a subculture who didn't game before that and it invited expansion, discussion, debate and controversy. And although the original Grand Theft Auto didn't have the cultural significance or impact of its younger brothers (though was a commercial hit and did attract the same criticism), it still changed things in a big way on PlayStation, introducing the idea of a free roaming open space world where players were free to make their own rules and (to at least a minimal extent) play the game as they saw fit. The player is free to do whatever he or she wants. The player can gain points by causing death and destruction amid the traffic in the city, or steal and sell cars for profit. The sound effects, open world and music were used to an effect so that the player really felt like they were part of something they had complete control over - even if initial reviews of GTA in the UK infamously called it "a little plain". Expansion packs released in 1999, entitled GTA London, proved extremely successful and were one of the first times (alongside MGS VR Missions) that additional content for PlayStation games sold post release. Even finishing missions players were content to continue to play as, essentially, the game never ended. Where are we now? Well, the 29 million pounds recently earned in sales since GTA V's release should give you some idea of the franchise's impact.