EverQuest
EverQuest is the first 3D massively-multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), where the game world is constantly online. Sony has sold more than four million copies since its release in 1999. Today, there are more than 19 expansion packs available.
Far Cry
According to Crytek, Far Cry sold more than 2.5 million units. This FPS launched in 2004 and was generally well-received by the press. In the storyline, an American soldier is lost on an island while looking for a journalist.
Guild Wars
Guild Wars is an RPG released in 2005 that sold more than 6.5 million copies. The game features a collaborative mode and PvP combat. The player must choose between six professions and develop multiple talents.
Half-Life 2
By 2008, Valve announced that had sold 6.5 million copies of Half-Life 2. This was a case were the sequel was more successful than the original, which itself sold 10 million units. The successor is now up to 12 million sales, not counting online sales.
Half-Life 2 was released in 2004 after a 40 million-dollar investment and five years of development. It was created at the same time as Valve’s Steam engine, and was the first solo game to require online activation.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Flight Simulator sold more than five million copies and popularized the series, which was shuttered in 2009. This version became available in 1996 under the title Microsoft Flight Simulator for Windows 95, and it was especially a hit in North America.
Minecraft
According to the statistics published on the Minecraft website, it has sold more than 14 million copies, putting it right behind Diablo III. In this game, you have to build and gather as many resources as possible in order to survive. Creative mode allows players to use their imaginations and build impressive structures.
Myst
Myst is one of the few adventure games in this list. It was published in 1993 and sold more than six million copies. The player takes on the persona of “the Stranger” and uses a magical book to travel several to different worlds. It's an artistically captivating title, and unlike other adventure games of the time, it adopted a first-person point of view.
Populous
Released in 1989, Populous sold more than four million units according to Lionhead's old website. This real-time strategy game had 500 levels, each one representing a piece of land the player had to conquer. The player is a deity of sorts, and uses supernatural powers to encourage the multiplication of his or her people.
Portal 2
Valve has announced that more than four million copies of Portal 2 have been sold. This puzzle-oriented FPS is a sequel, of course. It was published in 2011 and is based on the same principle as its predecessor. The protagonist uses an Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device to create teleportation doors, or portals through which he can attempt to escape a malevolent artificial intelligence.
RollerCoaster Tycoon
RollerCoaster Tycoon is one of the most popular amusement park simulators. Released in 1999, the game sold more than four million copies in North America alone. Like many other strategy games, the version for Xbox enjoyed considerably less success.
