What was the Best Year in Gaming History?

There can always be made arguments that better games have been released other years, but I can't imagine a single year that so many revolutions in gaming happened. 1998 changed how stories were told in games, it changed how multiplayer was experienced and it  marked the end of the LucasArts adventure games (Escape from Monkey Island doesn't count), and good adventure games in general.

1998, but 2007 was surprisingly good too. Bioshock, baby! 
 
And Jeff got fired, but we won't talk about that.

1. 1998
2. 2007
3. 2004
4. 2011? If all the announced games comeout this year, (I'm thinking Mass Effect 3 gets pushed to early 2012 but still) It will be the 4th best year. I don't see anything topping '98 though.

" I say 2007.  Mass Effect Bioshock Assasions Creed etc. "

I doubt '98 will be beaten anytime soon, but this year could give '07 a run for its money.

Abe's Oddysee is '97.
 
I'd like to submit 1990
 

• Super Mario Bros. 3
• Duck Tales
• Mega Man 3 (my personal favorite of the series)
• The Secret of Monkey Island
• Wing Commander
• Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
• Final Fantasy
• Final Fight

1998 and 2007.

"

2007:

 Assassin's Creed CRYSIS Call of Duty 4 Medal of Honor: Airborne  Mass Effect  Bioshock S.T.A.L.K.E.R Shadow of Chernobyl The Orange Box The Witcher World in Conflict "

1998 was an epic year for N64 owners but I only had a PS1 then. For me it had to be in 2007,  awesomely overwhelming year...

• Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation
• Assassin's Creed
• Bioshock
• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
• Crackdown
• Forza Motorsport 2
• Halo 3
• Mass Effect
• Rock Band
  
• The Darkness
  
• The Elder Scrolls IV: The Shivering Isles
  
• The Orange Box

why are people saying 07 and adding ASSassins creed. that game was super hot garbage

" @Jahandar: This is highly subjective.  I thought last year was a pretty damn good year in games.  Why are people failing to include downloadable titles and PC games? "

" why are people saying 07 and adding ASSassins creed. that game was super hot garbage "

" @Ahmad_Metallic said:

"

2007:

 Assassin's Creed CRYSIS Call of Duty 4 Medal of Honor: Airborne  Mass Effect  Bioshock S.T.A.L.K.E.R Shadow of Chernobyl The Orange Box The Witcher World in Conflict "

yes "

1998 or 2007

Damn 1998 was amazing and if you count Mario Party (December 1998 for Japan, early 1999 for NA) it was definitely the best year in gaming. I also found 2000, and 2001 to be pivotal years but thats just my opinion.

" Yep 1998  /thread "

"

2007:

 Assassin's Creed CRYSIS Call of Duty 4 Medal of Honor: Airborne  Mass Effect  Bioshock S.T.A.L.K.E.R Shadow of Chernobyl The Orange Box The Witcher World in Conflict "

" @gamb1t said: 

" why are people saying 07 and adding ASSassins creed. that game was super hot garbage "

Assassin's Creed, my friend, was a groundbreaking masterpiece. what i cant compute is how a game whose only real flaw is having a certain pattern in its missions makes it super hot garbage. truly cant compute.  
The story, the graphics and textures and visual style, the sexy climbing around, the combat mechanics, the evasion mechanics, the horse riding, the brilliant historic setting and significance, the leap of motherfucking faith, the compelling stealth feel, the dialogue, the AI, Altair and his ultimate fucking badassery and agility..... 
 
the only flaws that jizz inducing masterpiece had were the missions not being so diverse which is okay because A) it was a new brilliant IP and couldnt be perfect in every aspect and B) it was the POINT of the games to assassinate nine bad leaders..  and the only other flaw i can think of is the occasional irritating climbing mistakes/Altair running up a wall in vain, or the combat shittiness which only occurs when you're surrounded by 100 guards.  
 
The Assassin's Creed haters, is it that when they bought the game they expected more in the missions and were disappointed which built hate inside them, or is it that they think the game is good but overrated, or what ?? whats their problem ? 
 
 
@armaan8014 said:

" @Ahmad_Metallic said:

"

2007:

 Assassin's Creed CRYSIS Call of Duty 4 Medal of Honor: Airborne  Mass Effect  Bioshock S.T.A.L.K.E.R Shadow of Chernobyl The Orange Box The Witcher World in Conflict "

yes "

  "

I came here to argue but holy shit, 1998 it is.
The last 3-4 years have been nothing to complain about at all, though. There were definitely some dry spells in the early 00s.

I gotta say, 2007 was pretty amazing. having Portal Mass Effect and Bioshock (among other greats) was fantastic and all of them new franchises. Although 1998 was fantastic as well. 

1998 really just has Pokémon and Banjo Kazooie for me. MGS was still too imperfect a game for me to really consider it; it NEEDED that first-person perspective The Twin Snakes eventually got. Then again, I have a huge axe to grind with Ocarina of Time, as I've played that game recently and I believe it to not be very good at all.
 
I like 2007 a LOT for Best Year in Gaming, but 2010 is honestly an AMAZING runner in this competition. Though there were a number of disappointments (as there were in 2007,) the best titles of this year largely make it into my best titles EVER. BioShock and Portal pretty much make 2007 my pick (as, aside from Resident Evil 4 and Red Dead Redemption, they are probably my favorite games ever,) but 2010 has to be my runner-up thanks to RDR, Super Meat Boy, Bayonetta, VanQuish, Amnesia, Mass Effect 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Deadly Premonition, and LIMBO.

every year duuuuuuuuuuuuuuh

I don't think 1998 is the "best" year in gaming so far, but you guys make a pretty good argument for it being "one of the most important." 
 
Current gen, though, 2010 KILLS. 2007 is very close, but man, 2010 was !!!!

While 2007 comes in a close second, I'd still have to go with 1998. I mean Half-Life was THE game that really got me into playing PC games.

" 1998 really just has Pokémon and Banjo Kazooie for me. MGS was still too imperfect a game for me to really consider it; it NEEDED that first-person perspective The Twin Snakes eventually got. Then again, I have a huge axe to grind with Ocarina of Time, as I've played that game recently and I believe it to not be very good at all. I like 2007 a LOT for Best Year in Gaming, but 2010 is honestly an AMAZING runner in this competition. Though there were a number of disappointments (as there were in 2007,) the best titles of this year largely make it into my best titles EVER. BioShock and Portal pretty much make 2007 my pick (as, aside from Resident Evil 4 and Red Dead Redemption, they are probably my favorite games ever,) but 2010 has to be my runner-up thanks to RDR, Super Meat Boy, Bayonetta, VanQuish, Amnesia, Mass Effect 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Deadly Premonition, and LIMBO. "

1998 was a strong year indeed. i think 2007 is the best of the past decade. i think 2011 has the potential to be a strong contender also. there is A LOT of games i want to play coming out this year compared to last.
 
i mean... uncharted 3, mass effect 3, deus ex 3, elder scrolls 5, arkham city, la noire, dead space 2, little big planet 2, bulletstorm, killzone 3, pokemon black/white, new zelda (doesn't really interest me but im sure millions of fanboys will be jizzing hard out / thus acknowledge its importance in the year's releases), dragon age 2, crysis 2, portal 2, resistance 3, rage + im sure there will be some great 3ds games out by the end of the year. sure its extremely optimistic i guess to be suggesting 2011 will be right up there before any of the games are out, as a lot of them probably wont live up to potential, but at this point it looks extremely optimistic as a top 3 years of gaming contender in my opinion.

I remember 1998, 1999, and 2007 as being particularly awesome. 

1998 in my opinion was the best overall year for gaming. 2007 would be 2nd overall and 2010 would be 3rd overall in terms of games that came out in their respective years.

" @armaan8014: hey one of the pics isnt showing so you fail  however im sure it was your usual 'put your hand on the screen' high five trap that makes me reach for my monitor and hurt my belly against the desk, you vile temptress, and therefore i laugh at you for failing to post it. ahahahah. "

1998 easily but 2011 can rival 2007 in terms of Quality. Mass Effect 3, Elder scrolls V, Diablo III, Uncharted 2, 3DS games, Skyward Sowrd, Gears 3, ittle Big planet 2, Dead Space 2, Batman Arkham City, Possibly Assassins Creed 3 and Modern warefare 3 plus many more!

I think 2007 is a pretty strong contender, probably even better than 2008.
 
The N64 got its first batch of really great games, including Goldeneye, Mario Kart 64, Star Fox 64, Turok, and some others.
 
PlayStation had one of its better years with FFVII, Castlevainia SOTN, Oddworld, Tomb Raider II, Crash Bandicoot 2...
 
PC had a ridiculous number of great games, including Fallout, Quake II, Age of Empires, Riven, Ultima Online, Dungeon Keeper, Hexen II, ect...

1998 and 2007 are equal in my book, and they both happen to possess the two greatest Nintendo games ever:  Ocarina of Time and Super Mario Galaxy.

As soon as I saw 98 I was like "yup, you're right. Discussion over." Seriously though, even if the only notable game from 98 was ocarina of time it would still be the best year, because that's the best game ever made. 

2000 
 
•Deus Ex 
•Deus Ex 
•Deus Ex

" I think 2007 is a pretty strong contender, probably even better than 2008.  The N64 got its first batch of really great games, including Goldeneye, Mario Kart 64, Star Fox 64, Turok, and some others.  PlayStation had one of its better years with FFVII, Castlevainia SOTN, Oddworld, Tomb Raider II, Crash Bandicoot 2...  PC had a ridiculous number of great games, including Fallout, Quake II, Age of Empires, Riven, Ultima Online, Dungeon Keeper, Hexen II, ect... "

What was the best year in cross-platform gaming history? 2007? Mass Effect, Orange Box, Assassins Creed, Bioshock, Call of Duty 4 and Rock Band comes to mind. Even if I don't think some of these games are really that great, their sequels have been superb.