First-person shooter games have a pretty long history in the game industry, and the first one officially known to be released way back to around 1973-1974 on a PDS-1 Mini-Computer that practically only the computer geeks (and their kids) from the big Science, Military and Educational institutions had access to. It was called Maze (later Maze War), and it became the forerunner of the FPS genre. By the 1980s and with the popularity of the home micro-computer (Apple, Commodore, TRS-80, etc.), first-person shooting was primarily popularized with vehicle combat games. Air combat like HellCat Ace in 1982 and MigAlley Ace (1983) and the first-person tank games like Stellar 7 (1983) and Arctic Fox in 1986. It was, however, in the 1990s, when PC technology had achieved considerable improvement in speed and graphics, that First-Person Shooters as we know them today started to solidify. Catacomb 3D (1991) and Castle Wolfenstein 3D (1992) became the practical forbearers of a genre that would grow to incredible heights in the coming years. Then in 1993, DooM was released, and all hell broke loose. Two more games worth noting also released were Blake Stone (1993) and Rise of the Triad (1984).

After the crew of Carmack and Romero at id had made their mark with DooM in the gaming world, other contenders began to follow, and a sort of unofficial rivalry had formed between id and Epic around five years later with the release of Unreal, which kind of gave the DooM series the run for the money. Unreal was an awesome game with technological graphics and programming achievements that really rivaled DooM in the game engine and gameplay category. These two FPS games started what we may call the institutionalization of First-Person shooter games. In short, they both grew over time with one sequel after the other, popularity, sales, gaming communities, merchandize, player reviews, market-wise competition, etc. In the ever-growing FPS race from the early 90's onward, id also released Quake, which added to more variety of titles for the then-growing FPS playing crowd.

Both Epic and id were not the only game companies competing at the time. Soon, Valve joined the fray as other developers/publishers like Activision, Bungie, and the rest. Half-Life was released in 1998, and at the turn of the century, Halo CE officially came out in 2001 and Call of Duty in 2004. Many other game series can be classified as both iconic and institutional, but in place of time and space constraints, we will turn our attention to five of the very best.

DooM

DooM was first released by id as a downloadable demo in 1993 at the University of Wisconsin. At the time of its release, the game boasted of a game engine that had outstanding 3D graphics and game features that could run on current consumer PC hardware very well. Both Carmack, Romero, and the DooM development team came out with a pretty unique and scary 3D shooter game that was not only technically advanced for the time but immersive and addictive as well. Features include varying ceiling height, non-orthogonal walls, complete texture mapping, which included variations in light in relation to light sources, interactive but straightforward map designs with moving walls, platforms, stairs that can form, moving bridges, hidden rooms, among quite a few others. Also, the game employed directional stereoscopic sound design so the player could distinguish the direction and distance of the grunting and growling monster. Game play-wise, DooM had both solo mission and network play where players could either help each other get through the levels or engage in all-out last man standing combat via Deathmatch. In 1995, the game was commercially released, and from 1993 to 1998, Doom was considered unparalleled, growing in popularity and sales until competing game companies came out with their brand of innovations. Regardless, id and their game DooM is deemed to be the utmost forerunner that started the FPS game craze.

Unreal

Unreal is well known today because of the prevalent use of the versions of its game engine in the development of both 3D and FPS games. Epic MegaGames started the actual development of Unreal Engine as early as 1994, but it was only in 1998 that they could officially launch their FPS game. Working in concert with both Digital Extremes and GT Interactive, and despite the various setbacks that considerably delayed the game's release, Unreal and its subsequent iterations turned out to be a technically challenging developed game that started to rival DooM in terms of the player base and popularity. Maps and levels were well made, and the game's performance was more than at par with the level of technology at the time of release. Unreal also boasted its Unreal Tournament series with excellent maps and super competitive (and violent) gameplay. Characters, weapons, incredible cool sounds, and the introduction of women in the game made Unreal an FPS that fans of the genre were thrilled to play.

Half-Life

While Epic MegaGames took to developing a game engine of their own, Valve, on the other hand, decided to license and use the Quake game engine created by id and continually improved on it. Taking main inspiration from Doom, Quake, and the Stephen King 1980 novel "The Mist" and a 1963 episode of The Outer Limits called "The Borderland," the story of theoretical physicist Gordon Freeman and Half-Life was created. Officially released also in 1988, the difference between Half-Life and the other FPS games of the time was in the detail of the storyline. Not only did the game deliver an immersive, fun, and scary 3D shooter, but the game was designed to pull the gamer into an intriguing sci-fi story based on the invasion of Earth from dangerous creatures from another dimension called Xen as well as a secret government plot to take advantage of the situation and cover it up. Playing Half-Life at the time was like reading an interactive novel while solving puzzles, listening to conversations and statements given by the game's NPC, and...shooting your way out through all of it. Half-Life was an FPS with such an innovative game design which led to many coming FPS titles adapting and implementing a plot-focused gameplay scheme.

Call of Duty

Released by Act5ivision in 2004, the Call Of Duty FPS franchise is well known because of probably the most number of games in a game series. The first game was about a US soldier and his heroic actions in WW2. This was followed by two more sequels. By the fourth installment in 2007, Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare was released. From that point on, the game iterations take place across a wide range of timelines from the 1960s to the near future. Most of the games are linked to each other, creating an interconnected storyline about the heroic adventures and sacrifices of the main characters as they heed their Call Of Duty as true soldiers of freedom and democracy. The introduction and story of the (Chuck Norris-like) Capt. Price and his gallant team of commandos have drawn a lot of players and fans into the immersive and addictive quality of the game. From its first release to date, Call Of Duty has become an FPS gaming institution the world over.

Halo

As far as FPS story-based games go, many gamers believe there is no other as memorable as Halo. Originally released for the X-Box in 2001, the game started as a project of Bungie for both the PC and Mac platforms, but when the company was acquired by Microsoft in 2000, the game was shifted as a leading title for the X-Box 360. One of the features that made Halo the phenomenal success it is today is definitely its dynamic and dramatic storyline. The inter-relation between the main characters involved from the UNSC Administrators, Navy Personnel, the Marines and ODST, the Spartans and the special bond and love between John 117 and Cortana, as well as the overall struggle of humanity against the Covenant, the Flood, and the madness of the Forerunners, have made the game series a formidable experience that will continue to touch the hearts of fans and players alike not to mention, best soundtrack ever for a game. The games (Halo1-6) are but a part of the entire Halo success, but it is the continual story that has drawn the gaming crowd in making Halo more than just an FPS game. On behalf of all the fans of Halo… long live the Chief!

These are but five of the best FPS games that can be considered Iconic and Institutional. As the years have gone by, these games have reached a point where they have spilled into other forms of media due to their immense sales and popularity. Films, comic books, novels, audiobooks, soundtracks, offshoot games, and various productions have all spawned and flooded the entertainment market by the longevity and intensity of these games. However, looking forward, with the continual advances in game-focused hardware and content, there will be more of these kinds of games to come, and it is because of this very reason that these institutional games should never be forgotten.