There has never been a better time to game. Staying in and completing 30 hours of gameplay within three days isn’t unheard of since many began working from home.
This has led to a lot of people reminiscing about the nostalgia of gaming consoles throughout time, as well as memorable games that have cropped up in the last 50 years. As a result, Manyspins.com set out to investigate which was the best decade for gaming?
They collected data from 1700 gamers around the world asking them a number of questions regarding gameplay over the last 50 years to determine which decade was in fact the golden age for gaming.
ManySpins.com can reveal that the world’s favourite console from the last 50 years is the PlayStation 4 (PS4) released in 2013, receiving 18% of the votes.
In second place is the Xbox One, also released in 2013, with 17% of the vote. When this and the PS4 were both released, the ultimate gamer showdown between Sony and Microsoft began. This rivalry can now be put to rest as Sony takes the lead with 41% of people agreeing that the PlayStation 4 is the best console of all time.
The Nintendo Switch, released in 2017, takes 3rd place with 14% of the votes. Whether for a first-time gamer or an experienced one; the Switch is an all-round win. The change-up from portability to playing on the big screen makes this console an incredible two-in-one system.
Coming in last place is the Atari Pong. Released in 1972, its first successful video game was based on a two-dimensional graphic, often compared to a tennis-esque game. Despite perhaps being the gateway for many of the consoles we see today, it only received 1% of the vote.
The second to last console on the list is the Nintendo 64 (N64). With just under 33 million units sold globally from 1996-2001, it is surprising to see that the N64 has placed so low on the list with only 2% of people ranking it as the best console of all time.
Many of the consoles that made it to the top of the list were from the 2000s and 2010’s, with 6 out of 10 appearing consoles spanning both decades. Making it a tie between 2000’s and 2010’s for being the best decade for gaming consoles.
Which was the best game over the last 50 years?
Manyspins.com also wanted to find out, over the last 50 years, which decade had the best game releases? The company collated the highest grossing games from each decade and asked the same 1700 gamers to vote on their favourite games from the 5 decades listed.
The last 10 years have arguably been the golden age of gaming with the highest grossing games of all-time being released. Looking at games from 2010 to 2019, Manyspins.com found that Red Dead Redemption 2, was voted the best game of the decade with 56% of the votes.
The Sims comes in at number one for the 00’s with 61% of the votes.
Coming in at number one for the 90’s is Sonic the Hedgehog with 60% of people believing this was the best game to come from the era.
Players’ favourite game from the 1980s is Pac-Man! The game was released in 1980 and received 59% of the votes.
Voted the favourite release of the 1970s, is an at-home version of the arcade game ‘Pong’, receiving 64% of the votes. The at-home version was released in 1975, 3 years after its original release.
Which is the all-time best decade for the games?
Once participants had voted, they were shown the list of games and decades again and told to vote for which decade had the best games released. Interestingly, as well as having the best console, the survey shows that people think that the 2000s was the golden age for games, with 40% of the vote. Coming in last place was the 1970s with only 4% of people saying this was the best era for gaming.
