After three straight weeks at No. 1, Avengers: Endgame has finally been dethroned at the box office.The latest weekend numbers are in, and John Wick: Parabellum made $57 million in the US/Canada this weekend to sit in the No. 1 position, according to Entertainment Weekly. Endgame was No. 1 with $29.4 million, while Detective Pikachu was No. 3 with $24.8 million.Parabellum's $57 million opening is the best-ever for the franchise, exceeding the first movie's opening-weekend haul of $14.4 million and the $30.4 million that John Wick 2 took in back in 2017. Parabellum made $92.2 million from overseas markets, which brings its total opening-weekend box office performance to performance to more than $150 million for a very strong start.As for Endgame, the movie has now made $2.62 billion worldwide, which remains behind the biggest movie of all-time: Avatar ($2.78 billion).Domestically, Endgame becomes the second-biggest film ever with $771 million in box office receipts; it surpassed Avatar ($761 million) but remains behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($937 million).Below you can see the Top 10 movies at the US/Canada box office for the past weekend.May 17-19 US/Canada Box Office:Via EWJohn Wick: Chapter Three -- Parabellum -- $57 millionAvengers: Endgame -- $29.4 millionPokemon Detective Pikachu -- $24.8 millionA Dog’s Journey -- $8 millionThe Hustle -- $6.1 millionThe Intruder -- $4 millionLong Shot -- $3.4 millionThe Sun Is Also a Star -- $2.6 millionPoms -- $2.1 millionUglydolls -- $1.6 millionInfo from Gamespot.com

Avengers: Endgame was finally dethroned at the US/Canada box office this weekend, with John Wick 3 taking the No. 1 spot. The Marvel movie, did, however reach $771 million to surpass James Cameron's Avatar as the No. 2 highest-grossing movie ever in the US and Canada. Endgame still trails Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which has made $937 million in the US and Canada to sit in the No. 1 position.On a worldwide basis, Endgame has now made $2.62 billion. It still trails Avatar, which is the biggest movie in the history of film with $2.78 billion globally. Endgame will stay in theatres presumably for a while longer, so it will be interesting to see if it's able to catch up to Avatar before its theatrical run comes to an end.Last week, Endgame surpassed Cameron's other box office smash, Titanic, to become the No. 2 movie of all time globally. Cameron released a nice statement in which he congratulated the team at Marvel for the incredible achievement that he says demonstrates that the film business is alive and thriving.The next MCU movie is Spider-Man: Far From Home, which is a Sony production made in partnership with Marvel, and it releases in July. After that, Marvel plans to reveal more details about MCU Phase 4.Info from Gamespot.com

Legendary author Stephen King has commented on the controversial final season of Game of Thrones. His post contains spoilers, so scroll down below the image to see what he had to say. SPOILERS FOLLOW BELOW THE IMAGE.Posting on Facebook, King said he's "loved" the final season of Game of Thrones, including Daenerys embracing her "Mad Queen" side in Episode 5 with the burning of King's Landing. King also addressed what seems to be a negative campaign against Game of Thrones in the final season. Bear in mind that King posted his comments on May 17, after Episode 5.Here is his full statement:"I've loved this last season of GoT, including Dani going bugshit all over King's Landing. There's been a lot of negativity about the windup, but I think it's just because people don't want ANY ending. But you know what they say: All good things..."The final episode of the final season of Game of Thrones airs tonight on HBO. It wraps up the story that began back in 2011, and we may finally learn who wins the Iron Throne. Keep checking back with GameSpot throughout the night for more coverage.Info from Gamespot.com

With Game of Thrones coming to an end, HBO wants to remind people that it has more shows in the pipeline. One of those is Westworld, which returns for a third season in 2020.The network has released the first trailer for it, and it's incredible. The trailer shows off Aaron Paul's character and so much more. There is seriously a lot to unpack. And as always with Westworld, this trailer seems to pose more questions than it answers. Check it out:The first Season 3 trailer premiered just ahead of the start of the Game of Thrones finale. We'll have lots more on Game of Thrones (and Westworld) coming up soon on GameSpot, so check back with us for more. Info from Gamespot.com

Elizabeth Olsen, who is perhaps best known for playing Scarlet Witch in the MCU movies, has revealed that she auditioned for the role of Daenerys in the HBO series Game of Thrones. She didn't get the part, and it ultimately went to Emilia Clarke.Olsen recalled her audition in a new interview with Vulture. She explained that she performed a monologue, and she used two different accents. Whatever the case, she acknowledged that she was "terrible." Overall, she called it the "most awkward audition" she ever had."When I first started working, I just auditioned for everything, because I like auditioning. And I auditioned for Khaleesi. I forgot that," she said. "It was the most awkward audition I'd ever had."Regarding the audition itself, Olsen recalled that it was a monologue for what would eventually air at the end of Season 1 where Daenerys is making a speech to thousands of people. "They didn’t know if they wanted a British accent or not. So, you did it in both," she said. "It was terrible. Anytime someone says, 'Bad audition story.' That's one I remember."Other actors who auditioned for Game of Thrones characters include Jared Harris (The High Sparrow), Mahershala Ali (Xaro Xhoan Daxos), and Sam Claflin (Jon Snow).While the current Avengers storyline might have wrapped up with Endgame, Olsen will play Scarlet Witch again in the Disney+ streaming TV show WandaVision.Info from Gamespot.com

Ahead of the Game of Thrones finale tonight, Daenearys actress Emilia Clarke has posted an emotional goodbye to the franchise. Writing on Instagram, Clarke said she was overcome with emotion with putting her thoughts into words about the end of Game of Thrones"Finding the words to write this post has left me overwhelmed with how much I want to say but how small words feel in comparison to what this show and Dany have meant to me," she said. "The mother of dragons chapter has taken up the whole of my adult life. This woman has taken up the whole of my heart. I've sweated in the blaze of dragon fire, shed many tears at those who left our family early, and wrung my brain dry trying to do Khaleesi and the masterful words, actions (and names) I was given, justice." View this post on InstagramFinding the words to write this post has left me overwhelmed with how much I want to say but how small words feel in comparison to what this show and Dany have meant to me. The mother of dragons chapter has taken up the whole of my adult life. This woman has taken up the whole of my heart. I’ve sweated in the blaze of dragon fire, shed many tears at those who left our family early, and wrung my brain dry trying to do Khaleesi and the masterful words, actions (and names) I was given, justice. Game of Thrones has shaped me as a woman, as an actor and as a human being. I just wish my darling dad was here now to see how far we’ve flown. But to you, dear kind magical fans, I owe you so much thanks, for your steady gaze at what we’ve made and what I’ve done with a character that was already in the hearts of many before I slipped on the platinum wig of dreams. Without you there is no us. And now our watch has ended. @gameofthrones @hbo #love #motherofdragonsoverandoutA post shared by @ emilia_clarke on May 19, 2019 at 9:37am PDT She said Game of Thrones shaped her as an actor, a woman, and a human being. "I just wish my darling dad was here now to see how far we've flown," she said.And to her fans, Clarke said she owes them "so much thanks" for supporting the show over the years. "Without you there is no us. And now our watch has ended."Clarke also shared some nice behind-the-scenes images of Game of Thrones, including her fellow castmates, writers D.B. Weiss and David Benioff, and her braided her. You can scroll through the images in the Instagram embed above.The Game of Thrones series finale airs tonight on HBO, and it is expected to be a dramatic affair. Among other things, we may learn who wins the Iron Throne once and for all. Check back with GameSpot soon for lots more in the hours ahead.Info from Gamespot.com

GameStop Pro members, that annual membership is about to come in handy big time. GameStop just launched a one-day Pro Day Sale in stores and online today, May 18, with some pretty solid deals on PS4, Switch, and Xbox One games; consoles; Funko figures; and more. Plus, you'll get extra credit when trading in consoles, games, and accessories. Here's an overview of all the deals available now.There's quite a good selection of PS4 and Xbox One games on sale, such as Devil May Cry 5 for $40, Spyro Reignited Trilogy for $25, and Monster Hunter World for $20. On PS4, you can grab Tetris Effect for $20, Nier: Automata's Game of the Yorha Edition for $25, and Marvel's Spider-Man for $30. As usual, the pickings are slim for Nintendo Switch, but Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is an excellent purchase for only $20. All pre-owned games are buy one, get one 50% off.If you were planning to purchase a Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, or PS4 soon, you'll save some money at GameStop in the form of a $25 gift card (Switch), $50 gift card (Xbox One), or $20 off (PS4, if you bundle it with PS Plus). Various gaming accessories are also discounted, including headsets, controllers, chairs, and blue light-blocking glasses. Funko Pop Vinyl figures are $9 each, and collector's boxes are 50% off.Finally, Pro members can receive 10% more trade-in credit for games and accessories (that bumps it to 20% credit for Pro members, and 30% credit for any existing Elite Pro members). You'll also get $300 trade credit for a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X, $225 credit for a Switch or PS4 Slim, $175 credit for an original PS4 or Xbox One S, and $125 credit for an original Xbox One.As a reminder, GameStop PowerUp Rewards Pro membership costs $15 per year and doubles your points earned with every purchase, boosts your trade-in credit by an additional 10%, decreases the cost of pre-owned games and accessories by 10%, and more. If you're interested in any of these Pro Day deals and don't have a membership, you can always enroll during checkout.SHOP GAMESTOP'S PRO DAY SALE »See more of the available deals below, and browse the full offering of deals at GameStop.GAMESNintendo Switch:Ark Survival Evolved -- $30Diablo III: Eternal Collection -- $40The Incredibles -- $20Just Dance 2019 -- $20L.A. Noire -- $15Lego DC Super-Villains -- $20Lego Harry Potter Collection -- $20The Lego Movie 2 Video Game -- $20Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle -- $20NBA 2K19 -- $20Rocket League - Ultimate Edition -- $30Sid Meier's Civilization VI -- $30PS4:Assassin's Creed III - Remastered -- $20Astro Bot Rescue Mission VR -- $20Battlefield V -- $30Bethesda 2-Pack: Dishonored 2 and Prey -- $20Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition (GameStop exclusive) -- $20Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 -- $30Dead or Alive 6 -- $40Devil May Cry 5 -- $40Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age -- $25The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Special Edition -- $20The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR -- $30The Evil Within 2 -- $20Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition -- $25Far Cry New Dawn -- $20For Honor - Marching Fire Edition -- $15God of War -- $30Grand Theft Auto V - Premium Online Edition -- $15Just Cause 4 - Day One Steelbook Edition (GameStop exclusive) -- $30Marvel's Spider-Man -- $30NBA 2K19 -- $20Need for Speed: Payback -- $10Nier: Automata: Game of the Yorha Edition -- $25Metro Exodus -- $40Monster Hunter World -- $20Red Dead Redemption 2 -- $40Red Dead Redemption 2 - Ultimate Edition -- $60Resident Evil 2 -- $40Spyro Reignited Trilogy -- $25Tetris Effect -- $20Tom Clancy's The Division 2 -- $40Wolfenstein II -- $20Xbox One:Assassin's Creed III - Remastered -- $20Battlefield V -- $30Bethesda 2-Pack: Dishonored 2 and Prey -- $20Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition (GameStop exclusive) -- $20Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 -- $30Dead or Alive 6 -- $40Devil May Cry 5 -- $40The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Special Edition -- $20The Evil Within 2 -- $20Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition -- $25Far Cry New Dawn -- $20For Honor - Marching Fire Edition -- $15Grand Theft Auto V - Premium Online Edition -- $15Metro Exodus -- $40Need for Speed: Payback -- $10Monster Hunter World -- $20NBA 2K19 -- $20Red Dead Redemption 2 -- $40Red Dead Redemption 2 - Ultimate Edition -- $60Resident Evil 2 -- $40Spyro Reignited Trilogy -- $25Tom Clancy's The Division 2 -- $40Wolfenstein II -- $20PC:Quake Champions Scalebearer Edition -- $40CONSOLES & ACCESSORIESGameCube-style wireless controller for Nintendo Switch (Gold) -- $35GameCube-style wireless controller for Nintendo Switch (Silver) -- $35Gunnar Vertex gaming glasses -- $30Gunnar Maverick gaming glasses -- $40Nintendo 2DS bundles -- save $10Nintendo Labo Robot Kit -- $40Nintendo Labo Variety Kit -- $40Nintendo Labo Vehicle Kit -- $40Nintendo Switch console -- get a $25 gift card with purchaseNintendo Switch SanDisk microSD 128GB memory card -- $45PlayStation Classic -- $40PlayStation Dualshock 4 wireless controllers -- $52PS4 console + one-year PS Plus -- save $20 on combo purchaseSelect gaming chairs -- save over $100Thrustmaster Pro limited edition gaming wheels -- save $50Turtle Beach Recon 60P wired gaming headset -- $28Xbox One black stereo headset -- $48Xbox One console -- get a $50 gift card with purchaseXbox One wireless controllers -- $56TOYS & COLLECTIBLESCollector's boxes -- save 50%Fallout 76 Pip-Boy 2000 Mk VI replica DIY kit -- $70Fallout Plasma Rifle replica (GameStop exclusive) -- $100Funko Pop cereals -- $5 eachJustice League: Aquaman Trident replica (GameStop exclusive) -- $30Pop Vinyl figures -- $9 eachTRADE-IN CREDIT BONUSESGames or accessories -- 10% more trade creditNintendo Switch or PS4 Slim -- get $225 trade creditOriginal PS4 or Xbox One S -- get $175 trade creditOriginal Xbox One -- get $125 trade creditPS4 Pro or Xbox One X -- get $300 trade creditInfo from Gamespot.com

Overwatch is celebrating its three year anniversary event this month, with a special seasonal event that pays homage to the game's history. The event begins on May 21 and goes on through June 10 and during it players will be able to collect new cosmetics, participate in special events, and more.The star of any Overwatch event are the new skins, and this anniversary event will be no different. It will debut six new legendary skins and three epic skins, as well as new dances for the three most recent characters: Baptiste, Ashe, and Wrecking Ball.Seasonal brawls will be coming to the Arcade, and they'll be rotated daily. Those include the Overwatch Archives - Storm Rising brawls.During the duration of the event, logging in will get you one bonus Legendary Anniversary Loot Box, which guarantees one Legendary item. If you purchase a 50 Loot Box bundle, you'll get an extra Legendary Anniversary Loot Box as well. Previous seasonal event loots will also be included in loot boxes during the anniversary event.To kick off the event, Blizzard is offering a free trial from May 21-May 28. It will be debuting new cosmetics throughout that week as well. You can start pre-loading the trial on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One now, to be prepared for the free period. The Anniversary event lasts through June 10.Info from Gamespot.com

Sony has published a neat mini-documentary about the music of the latest big PlayStation 4 exclusive, Days Gone. In the video, composed Nathan Whitehead, who worked on the Purge film series before this, talks about how he went about creating the music for the game.He speaks about how the sounds he went for--acoustic, organic, folk, Americana--are rough around the edges just like main character Deacon St. John is. Another cool part of the video is Whitehead talking about how he came up with the musical expression for the Freakers."Scoring Days Gone is the same as scoring three movies, plus figuring out how the music can be interactive and how it can respond to what the player is doing," Whitehead says.GameSpot spoke to Whitehead recently, and he told us all about making the game's dark and grimy music. He also offered some thoughts on the kind of music that Deacon might like.You can listen to Days Gone's complete soundtrack through the Spotify embed below. Info from Gamespot.com

Crysis developer Crytek's new first-person, match-based survival/bounty hunting PvP game, Hunt: Showdown, is now available on Xbox One in beta. To get into the beta, you need to sign into the Xbox Insider Hub on your Xbox One. From there you'll see Hunt: Showdown. Click "Join" and then you'll be able to download it. Crytek notes that space in the beta is "limited," and spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so if you're interested you'll want to act quickly. The playtest runs until 6 AM PT on Monday, May 20. Since it's a beta/playtest, the game in unfinished and you may experience some bugs or other oddities. Crytek encourages player to report issues and other feedback through the Xbox One's built-in reporting tools. "There are a lot of ways to play Hunt. You can work alone, or you can work in pairs," Crytek says. "You can take a smaller risk and grind for XP, or you can risk it all and try to take out every enemy, every Hunter, and every boss you come across. And those are just a few of the options. There are so many strategic possibilities that players have a lot of space to make the experience theirs."Hunt: Showdown is currently in Early Access on PC as well.Info from Gamespot.com

Next-generation consoles from Microsoft and Sony are coming, and Capcom says it is prepared in at least one way. One potential development issue when moving from one generation of consoles to the next can be related to game engines, or the tools used to make games.Capcom's proprietary engine, the RE Engine that is used for the Resident Evil games, was specifically designed from early on to be able to be tweaked for new consoles, management said during a recent earnings report. As such, Capcom sees its engine as one of its strengths heading into the new wave of systems."The games we developed using the RE Engine during this current hardware generation have received critical acclaim, and from the early stages of building this engine, we kept the ability to augment it for next-generation development in mind; as such, we view the RE Engine as one of our strengths that will contribute to next-generation game creation," management said.As one of the biggest publishers in the world, and one that has a close relationship with Microsoft with the Dead Rising series, it seems likely that Capcom would be among those companies who are briefed on next-generation plans ahead of time.Microsoft is expected to announce at least one next-generation console at E3 in June. You can read GameSpot's breakdown of the new Xbox console rumors here to find out more. Sony, meanwhile, will not be at E3, but the company has already shared the first details of the PS5. For its part, Nintendo is rumored to be working on new consoles but it won't announce them at E3.One company that has created a new game engine recently is Microsoft. The Halo team created a brand-new engine called Slipspace that is powering the ambitious Xbox One and PC game Halo Infinite. According to a report, Microsoft might have spent around $500 million to develop Halo Infinite, a figure that also includes the cost of creating the Slipspace engine.Info from Gamespot.com

London Studio is a perhaps overlooked, but definitely vital part of Sony's Worldwide Studios group. Over the years it's made games such as The Getaway, the EyeToy series, the Singstar series, Wonderbook, and PSVR Worlds. The developer is about to release Blood & Truth, the spiritual successor to PSVR Worlds' London Heist mini-game, and it says it's happy to be one of the studios at the forefront of Sony's development group."I think we've created a niche for ourselves in [that] we are innovators," the studio's senior principal designer, Simon Hermitage, told GameSpot. "We will take hardware and do the difficult legwork to prove that thing can work."That relationship goes both ways. When we get a new bit of hardware, we get to feed into its development. It's the reason why I work at London Studio, I love that side of things. It is a speciality of London Studio."He adds: "As a first-party studio, our job is to grow that [PSVR] market. You can't look at the numbers and go, 'They're small because we just released this [for PSVR rather than for non-VR PS4 owners].' PSVR has grown consistently, and titles like Blood & Truth are so important to invest in and make so that people can see, 'Wow, that's what VR is.'"On Blood & Truth, Hermitage claims it's the ideal next step for PSVR. "We've brought the triple-A game quality and polish--we knew that was what VR needed next: a full, feature-length, amazing blockbuster game. That's what Blood & Truth is."Finally, when looking to the future, Hermitage is excited by the possibilities future technology will offer developers. "I was excited, as everyone was, to read [lead system architect] Mark Cerny's article with Wired, and the potential of that system means I'll be sticking around here to get my hands on that as soon as possible. We'll do what we always do: push that as hard as it can possibly go."Sony has already confirmed that the PS5 will support PSVR, but it refused to comment further on whether it's working on a successor to its existing virtual reality headset. For now, Blood & Truth launches for PSVR on PS4 on May 28.Info from Gamespot.com

E3 2019 is just weeks away, and publishers are preparing to announce and show off some of the year's biggest games. There will be a lot of surprises in store, but we already know some games that won't be there. Through expectation-setting announcements and financial disclosures, we already know a good deal about games that won't be appearing at the show.Skull & BonesIn its financial earnings, Ubisoft said it has three unannounced games coming early next year. But at the same time, it delayed another of the games that was already known. Skull & Bones, the high seas pirate combat game, has been pushed back to 2020, and it won't be shown at this year's conference. Ubisoft told GameSpot, "For new IPs, it is common to have evolutions of creative vision and this requires more development time."Elder Scrolls 6 or StarfieldBethesda is holding its games showcase once again this year, but two of the most intriguing teases from the last one aren't ready to show in more detail quite yet. Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield were both announced last year as long-term projects, so it's not too surprising that they aren't making an appearance--especially since Bethesda tends to focus its conferences on games that are releasing in the fall.The Last of Us 2, Dreams, Or Anything Else From SonyOne of the biggest changes to this year's show is the total absence of PlayStation, which announced that it wouldn't be at this year's show at all. That means no press conference, no booth, and no first-party Sony games. PlayStation boss Shawn Layden said the show hasn't kept up with the needs of the industry, calling it "a trade show without a lot of trade activity." Sony has suggested it will use other avenues to make its announcements, including its new State of Play videos. The company also began to detail its plans for the next-generation PlayStation.A New Nintendo Switch ConsoleRumors have been circulating for months that Nintendo is planning at least one and possibly two hardware revisions for the Nintendo Switch. One, a simpler model to reduce costs, and the other, an upgrade for power-users. The cheaper version is still said to be aiming for this year. But Nintendo has ruled out announcing any new hardware at E3 this year, and its Nintendo Direct showcase announcement specifically says it will focus on Nintendo Switch software through 2019.EA Games, TechnicallyWhile not pulling out of the event altogether, Electronic Arts has made itself more E3-adjacent than a part of the show proper. For the fourth straight year, EA will be holding its own event called EA Play at the Hollywood Palladium the weekend before E3. It won't be holding a formal press conference this year, but it will be holding multiple live streams that are likely to house any of the company's announcements. As always EA Play is free, and those in town for E3 are likely to attend it as well, so it's essentially just extended the event. But if you're only going to the actual show floor, you won't see any EA games represented.Info from Gamespot.com

So that Minecraft AR game that's been teased for a while--that we touch on in our explanation as to why the survival game is one of the 21st century's most influential titles--has been officially revealed. Microsoft revealed a new trailer for the game, called Minecraft Earth, which can be watched below. The free-to-play iOS and Android game lets you explore the real world and build within it with Minecraft blocks. A closed beta is scheduled for this summer.As you explore in Minecraft Earth, you can find treasure chests, clusters of blocks, or mobs that the company has nicknamed "Tappables." You can also stumble across Adventures, which overlay a full Minecraft-like area with resources to collect and mobs to dispatch. As you take on Adventures, you'll gain experience to progress in your career. The studio also promises new mobs and variants especially for Minecraft Earth.Obviously it wouldn't be Minecraft without building, and in Minecraft Earth you can build permanent structures on Build Plates. These let you make small environments on your tabletop or expand them to life-size scale when placed on the ground. It also promises multiplayer.You can sign up for a chance to participate in the beta through the official site. Signing up gets you an Earth skin that can be claimed within 24 hours. In a FAQ, Microsoft says the game will not use loot boxes. It also addresses safety concerns."We take safety seriously and are taking measures to make Minecraft Earth an enjoyable and reliable experience for all our players," the FAQ states. "Players and parents will be able to use Account Management to adjust safety and privacy settings. A reporting system will allow players to report any concerns in-game and on our website. In addition, we will also have a moderation team working 24/7 to manage and respond to reports."Info from Gamespot.com

Join GameSpot as we celebrate gaming history and give recognition to the most influential games of the 21st century. These aren't the best games, and they aren't necessarily games that you need to rush out and play today, but there's no question that they left an indelible impact on game developers, players, and in some cases, society at large.If anything, the success of Lego should have foretold how popular Minecraft would become. Both Lego and Minecraft are built on the same idea: the joy of creating something extraordinary from many pieces of ordinary blocks. Today, Minecraft has grown beyond this simple premise to become one of the best-selling video games of all time, with nearly a dozen versions existing across PC, console, handhelds, mobile, and VR platforms.Of course, it takes more than popularity to be influential, and we wouldn't have included Minecraft in this list if all it was known for was being well-known. Minecraft launched into a gaming industry that was mostly devoid of standout successes from solo developers. Months before Jonathan Blow's 2009 Braid sparked the push for indie games to enter the mainstream limelight, Minecraft released in beta and helped lay the kindling. Many individual indie developers found success in the wake of Minecraft, Braid, Super Meat Boy, and other 2009-2010's indie game success stories. The popularity of these indie games at the turn of the decade pushed indie gaming into the mainstream and created a new demand that continues to exist alongside the triple-A market. Years later, this push for more indie games would create spaces for major indie titles to thrive, such as Stardew Valley, Undertale, Iconoclasts, Gone Home, and Return of the Obra Dinn--the latter of which is even one of GameSpot's best games of 2018.But even before indie gaming took off, Minecraft had a more immediate effect on the gaming industry. Though in no way easy (anyone who tells you different has never tried to make a complex redstone circuit), Minecraft remains one of the most accessible games out there. When Minecraft first launched, it offered a means for plenty of people to pick up and play a video game for the first time. You don't need fine motor skills or perfect vision to play Minecraft, and the game doesn't require a high-end PC to run. Younger players could easily jump into Minecraft, both because you could play it on most low-end PCs and because there wasn't a huge learning curve to it. Plus, Minecraft has no definitive end. It's a game designed to appeal to people's innate creativity, allowing them to play in open sandboxes and continue building for as long as they want. There wasn't much like Minecraft before it--accessible enough for pretty much anyone and yet complex enough to keep you playing for years. But thanks in large part to its popularity, it would not be the last. Other games would emulate Minecraft's mechanics and features, or promise similar experiences.Perhaps it goes without saying, considering its popularity, but Minecraft has been a hit with critics since its release. In GameSpot's initial Minecraft review, published when the title left beta and officially launched in 2011, Nathan Meunier gave the game an 8.5/10, writing, "Visual glitches pop in at regular intervals, and some game elements seem incomplete or thrown together in haste. What's amazing is that the core game is so ridiculously absorbing that these flaws matter little in the grand scheme of things. Even in its current form, Minecraft remains one of the most conceptually impressive indie games out there. It's a game changer to be sure and one that will live on in the annals of gaming history for a long time to come." We'd continue to critically praise Minecraft as it evolved and released on different platforms, with additional reviews devoted to the Xbox 360 version in 2012 and PS3, Xbox One, and PS4 versions in 2014.While Minecraft evolved and became more complex, it continued to influence the rest of the gaming industry. Survival games that relied on complex crafting systems, like 7 Days to Die, emerged in the wake of Minecraft, as did sandbox games that focused on crafting better tools to build structures, such as Terraria. Scavenging, hunting, crafting, and base building snuck their way into more mainstream genres as well. The first-person shooter Far Cry series began restructuring itself around crafting as a means of survival with 2012's Far Cry 3, for example, and you can find elements of base building in games like Gears of War 3 (specifically trap placement in horde mode) and the battle royale game Fortnite.The impact Minecraft has had on the industry for the past decade is irrefutable, even if the game's influence has changed and evolved over the years.Minecraft helped create some of gaming's first social media stars, too--a role that, today, we call "influencer." Halo: Combat Evolved is largely responsible for the resurgence of machinima in the 21st century, but people also found success creating step-by-step build instructions for complex structures in Minecraft--which went on to inspire "how to" and guide videos in other games. The "Let's Play" community latched onto Minecraft as well, as the game offers an easy way to play with friends in a variety of ways for a very long time. And with the rise of game influencers, more developers realized curating experiences that could last for months or years through near-constant updates and expansions, like Minecraft, is an important part of getting free marketing from popular YouTubers and Twitch streamers.Today, Minecraft is still changing. It has a battle royale-inspired mode called Hunger Games, and an Education Edition of the game is included in some classrooms to help teachers explore a variety of topics with their students, such as STEM and liberal arts. Minecraft even has a story now, with credits that roll once you've completed the lengthy quest of tracking down and slaying the Ender Dragon. Both official expansions and fan-created mods continue to add new content to the PC version of the game, ranging from space travel to Pokémon. Minecraft is one of the strongest examples that, if made with the idea of longevity in mind, certain games can just stubbornly last and evolve to fit the current market. Consoles? Minecraft is there. Handhelds? Minecraft thrives on both Switch and mobile devices. Virtual reality? Not only does Minecraft exist on VR headsets but an AR version has been revealed as well. Minecraft will surely make the jump to cloud gaming too.And despite being 10 years old, Minecraft still manages to inspire the inclusion of new features in other games. Alongside games like Rocket League and Fortnite, Minecraft is at the forefront of the charge to include cross-platform play in games. One of the first major games to ever support cross-platform play, Minecraft's PC, Switch, mobile, and Xbox One versions all support the feature with each other.The impact Minecraft has had on the industry for the past decade is irrefutable, even if the game's influence has changed and evolved over the years. In its humble beginnings, Minecraft stood as a counterpoint to developers' worries that releasing an indie game in beta against triple-A giants might be a mistake. Minecraft reminded the 21st century that games didn't need detailed narratives, challenging gameplay, or HD graphics to be popular. A game that's accessible for all can create a community built to last, and one that's open to updates and expansions can endure for a decade. Since officially launching in 2011, Minecraft has changed how we experience games as well, helping create a community of internet personalities and building support for cross-platform play. And, of course, Minecraft has also just had a huge effect on how survival games work--creating an emphasis on crafting and building to outlast threats. Minecraft may not have inspired brand-new ways to experience games like 2006's Wii Sports or created and popularized an entirely new subgenre like 2011's Dark Souls, but the influence it has had in the 21st century is no less prevalent.For a look at the rest of our features in this series, head over to our Most Influential Games Of The 21st Century hub.Info from Gamespot.com