In another 20 years, we went from these initial 3D games to amazing, open-world games with a level of photorealism that nobody could’ve predicted.

It is surprising, then, that some of the game franchises out there are 20 years old, or even older than that. CS, now under the title of CS2, is one of the most popular esports titles out there, so it is surprising to think that it has been around for over 23 years in some form or another and the original game has spawned a huge gaming community after it hit our screens in 2000.

Casino Games

Casino games first came to computers back in the 1990s and the world of casino gaming has continued to grow in popularity as well as providing more options for players in terms of the types of games, with different variations of games like poker or blackjack.

Games like these have shown tremendous longevity in the industry, partially because they’re relatively simple games, and the genius comes in the concept rather than relying on fancy graphics or a lot of new-world features.

Playing blackjack online has also become a much more faithful reproduction of the real-life game, sometimes even played with video dealers and social features to go along with the actual gaming interface. Though casino games don’t tend to franchise in the same way as other games, they’ve been going strong for a long time.

Counter-Strike

Most readers here know all about Counter-Strike, especially in its current version, CS2, and previous, CS: GO. The 2000 incarnation of the game was blocky, with fewer weapons and of course fewer features, but that doesn’t mean it was a bad game, it actually laid the foundations for what is now one of the biggest esports games in the world with many huge tournaments taking place in 2024.

The Sims

Be whoever you want in this American lifestyle simulator game, currently on its third sequel, The Sims 4, and is playable on some modern consoles as well as PC. Maxis launched The Sims in 2000, which means the majority of the features were developed using 1990s technology, which was limited, to say the least. This means that the project of creating a “life sim” was incredibly ambitious, especially one with so much humor involved.

In early reviews, people struggled to believe the social side that had been incorporated into the game and how people could manage relationships with so much detail, most reviews were at least 9/10, and it didn’t take long for The Sims to start adding expansion packs and sequels.

The Sims 4 allows people to be self-employed, even to be landlords of properties, and have both friends and enemies in this virtual world. The game has also proven to be a hit with those who love home design, letting them take on all aspects of designing houses from scratch.

Prince of Persia

Prince of Persia is one of the few gaming franchises that can boast that it has survived since the 1980s, which is some level of longevity.

The first game was developed by Jordan Mechner and came out in 1989, playable on the now-defunct Apple II. It gained a lot of plaudits for the animation style and quality but it was a shadow of what the more modern adaptations of games have become.

Those who have played console games in recent years will know that there haven’t actually been any new installments since 2010, but that changed in January 2024 with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown being released by gaming giants Ubisoft. Critics have generally loved the game, so we could be seeing more of the prince moving forward.

Grand Theft Auto

GTA was always going to make the list, and the franchise is still going strong, having come from relatively humble beginnings of a quirky top-down game that focused mainly on the automotive side of things. Now, it is a fully immersive game with loads of online play modes and a huge gaming community that buys the game and plays it regularly, even though the most recent edition, GTAV, was released over a decade ago. Fans have plenty to be excited about now as there is not just a new GTA in the works, they even have a trailer to get excited about and to speculate on.

There are a surprising number of franchises and characters we have seen for over 20 years now, and it is amazing to think that the formulas still work, but once there is a good idea for a game, it tends to have the staying power to survive generations of play.