What truly new genres developed in the last 10 years?

[Limewater]

I agree that the sandbox genre, if we can even call it that, is the most notable new genre of the past few years. As for others......

I don't think I buy "sandbox" as a genre. They're just action/adventure games with a little more pointless stuff to do. They're just like a Zelda game, only a little more linear and cops can chase you.

I think the Tower Defense people may be onto something, if you're willing to distinguish that from "strategy".

But if we're going to slice so narrowly to look for something new, here are a few more suggestions: Bullet-time shooters, style-attack shooters, 3D skateboarding trick-attack (just over ten years), pretend guitar (just over ten years), free running platformer, flailing sports, etc...

[BlackDS]

[...Bullet-time shooters, style-attack shooters, 3D skateboarding trick-attack (just over ten years), pretend guitar (just over ten years), free running platformer, flailing sports, etc...

flailing sports?

[AmishSamurai]

[...Bullet-time shooters, style-attack shooters, 3D skateboarding trick-attack (just over ten years), pretend guitar (just over ten years), free running platformer, flailing sports, etc...

flailing sports?

He probably means Wii Sports and the like.

[Limewater]

He probably means Wii Sports and the like.

Exactly.

[Haoie]

The Roll-Em-Up

And nobody's even copied it yet!

[AmishSamurai]

The Roll-Em-Up

And nobody's even copied it yet!

Katamari is of the genre "Goddammit Japan".

[Jrecee]

I wouldn't consider it a complete genre since it was rather unique, but Mirror's Edge brought us the first-person platformer. Half-Life played with it a bit, but it was a shooter with some platforming elements, whereas ME was a platformer with some shooting elements.

I was thinking of writing something about MIrror's Edge just before I saw your post. While it's not a genre yet, I hope it will be. I would call it First Person Parkour, since first person games with platforms have traditionally been really bad at platform jumping (see Turok series). Mirror's Edge felt truly original though in how perfectly they nailed it. The only disappointing thing about the game was actually the shooting. I wished all of the stages were just about running.

Jumping Flash

[MrEco]

This may be cutting it pretty close. But I do believe Devil May Cry (2001) was the first example of a "spectacle action game." So would that genre count?

[dsheinem]

This may be cutting it pretty close. But I do believe Devil May Cry (2001) was the first example of a "spectacle action game." So would that genre count?

Yeah, I brought this up on Page 1 (I called it a 3D hack n' slash), but everyone has ignored the comment! Certainly there have been many games in this genre in the past decade - but I can't think of any that come close from the 90s or earlier.

[Gamerforlife]

This may be cutting it pretty close. But I do believe Devil May Cry (2001) was the first example of a "spectacle action game." So would that genre count?

Yeah, I brought this up on Page 1 (I called it a 3D hack n' slash), but everyone has ignored the comment! Certainly there have been many games in this genre in the past decade - but I can't think of any that come close from the 90s or earlier.

I always just viewed them as beat'em ups mixed with other genre elements, but the "style" aspect is a notable point. It's something many notable games have focused on. God of War is about brutality, Devil May Cry is just plain stylish action based heavily on japanese anime while Ninja Gaiden is samurai movie style action like Lady Snowblood or Kill Bill. To me though, it's just the same as any old beat'em up from Double Dragon to Final Fight. They're games where you are surrounded by enemies and engage them in melee combat.

I really don't know if it's possible to make any new genres really. Everything's been done. Now it's juat all about taking these genres and evolving them, which various games mentioned in this thread have done. I will say though, I have no idea what genre Katamari Damacy is