#5: Half-Life 2
Sold: At Least 6 Million PC (12 Million Copies Across All Platforms)
(Source: Valve interview, NPD Annual Sale Reports)
Released in 2004 by the Valve Corporation, the sequel to Half-Life has won 39 Game of the Year Awards and is currently Metacritic's highest-rated first-person shooter of all time. The game features dynamic lighting, shadows, and realistic water effects.
#4: The Sims 2
Sold: At Least 6 Million PC (13 Million Copies Across All Platforms)
(Source: GameSpy, Amazon Reviews)
The Sims 2 is one of two sequels to Electronic Arts' family and neighborhood simulation game The Sims. Released in 2004, The Sims 2 features aging characters and greater customization than the original game, as well as vastly improved graphics (for what that's worth).
#3: Myst
Sold: 6 Million Copies
(Source: Wired Magazine)
Originally released by Brøderbund in 1993, Myst is a straightforward adventure game that featured stunning graphics for its time. It was the best-selling computer game of all time until The Sims was released nine years later. Together with its four sequels, the Myst franchise has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide.
#2: StarCraft
Sold: At least 7 Million PC (11 Million Copies Across All Platforms)
(Source: Edge Magazine)
StarCraft is a competitive multiplayer RTS that was released by Blizzard Entertainment in 1998. Based in a science fiction setting, StarCraft boasts three distinct factions and a well-balanced game structure. GameSpot hailed StarCraft as "the standard by which all real-time strategy games are judged".
#1: The Sims (Original)
Sold: At Least 7 Million Copies (16 Million Copies Across All Platforms)
(Sources: GameSpot, TMCnet, NPD Annual Sale Reports)
The Sims is a simulation game in which you create and control the lives of individuals, families, and neighborhoods. Released in 2000 by Electronic Arts, The Sims quickly topped global PC game sale charts from 2000 to 2004, taking over the record previously set by Myst. Together with The Sims 2 and 3 (and many expansions for all three games), the franchise has sold over 125 million copies worldwide across all platforms.
