[astar]

Halo was a standout because of it brought multiplayer to console, wasn't it the first console game to have 16 players? The coop campaign was also really fun.

Maybe the article-writer thinks that Halo made FPS too mainstream? Unlike Doom/Quake, it was cleaned up enough in a pretty blockbuster-wrapper to make it the new model of gaming to follow?

[brudgers]

In 1996, my wife would call my pager Tuesday night because I hadn't come home from the office. We were playing Quake over the Novell on our CAD workstations. It's easier now, but there hasn't been a quantum change.

[DanBC]

Saturn Bomberman had 10 players for multiplayer.

I'm not quite sure I follow OPs point. Playstation had a bunch of thoroughly unfun uncute games.

[hnal943]

Absolutely. It was the PlayStation that first marketed itself as the system for hardcore gamers.

[shiftpgdn]

Genesis does what Nintendon't. Sega was the system for 'hardcore' console gamers of the 90s. Just take a look at this ad: http://www.eidolons-inn.net/segabase/G-32XPromoAd1.jpg

The gaming industry has /always marketed to that crowd, it's not something Microsoft invented.

[thenonsequitur]

Tangentially, have you seen bombermine? It's an online bomberman clone that generally has several hundred people playing simultaneously, a ton of fun. Obviously not a console game, but your Saturn Bomberman reference made me think of it.

[laumars]

> Halo was a standout because of it brought multiplayer to console

I must have imagined all those hours spent online with my Dreamcast :p