Editing Shooter game

{{short description|Action video game genre}}
{{About|the video game genre|electro-mechanical shooting games|Arcade game|carnival shooting gallery games|Carnival game}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{More citations needed|date=June 2018}}
{{Unreliable sources|date=October 2020}}
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[[File:Bloodfrontier secure-the-flag warground.png|thumb|Gunfire in the [[first-person shooter]] ''Blood Frontier'']]
{{VG Action}}
'''Shooter video games''', or '''shooters''', are a subgenre of [[action video game]]s where the focus is on the defeat of the character's enemies using ranged weapons given to the player. Usually these weapons are [[firearm]]s or some other long-range weapons, and can be used in combination with other tools such as [[grenade]]s for indirect offense, [[Body armor|armor]] for additional defense, or accessories such as [[telescopic sight]]s to modify the behavior of the weapons. A common resource found in many shooter games is [[ammunition]], armor or health, or upgrades which augment the player character's weapons.

Shooter games test the player's spatial awareness, reflexes, and speed in both isolated single player or networked [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]] environments.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}} Shooter games encompass many subgenres that have the commonality of focusing on the actions of the [[Avatar (computing)|avatar]] engaging in combat with a weapon against both code-driven NPC enemies or other avatars controlled by other players.

== Subgenres ==

=== Shoot 'em up ===
{{Main|Shoot 'em up}}

{{See also|Side-scrolling video game|Vertically scrolling video game}}
<!-- Image with inadequate rationale removed: [[Image:Gradius 04.png|thumb|right|''[[Gradius]]'', a pioneering [[shoot 'em up]]]] -->
[[File:Space Invaders - Midway's.JPG|thumb|''[[Space Invaders]]'' (1978), an [[arcade video game]] that defined the [[shoot 'em up]] genre]]

Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups) are a subgenre of shooters wherein the player may move, up, down, left or right around the screen, typically firing straight forward.

Shoot 'em ups share common gameplay, but are often categorized by viewpoint. This includes '''fixed shooters''' on fixed screens, such as ''[[Space Invaders]]'' and ''[[Galaxian]]''; '''scrolling shooters''' that mainly [[Scrolling|scroll]] in a single direction, such as ''[[Xevious]]'' and ''[[Darius (series)|Darius]]''; '''top-down shooters''' (sometimes referred to as '''twin-stick shooters''') where the levels are controlled from an [[Top-down perspective|overhead]] viewpoint, such as ''[[Bosconian]]'' and ''[[Time Pilot]]''; '''rail shooters''' where player movement is automatically guided down a fixed [[2.5D|forward-scrolling]] "rail", such as ''[[Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom]]'' and ''[[Space Harrier]]''; and '''isometric shooters''' which use an [[Isometric graphics in video games|isometric]] perspective, such as ''[[Zaxxon]]'' and ''[[Viewpoint (video game)|Viewpoint]]''.

==== Run and gun ====
{{Main|Run and gun video game}}

Run and gun video games are 2D [[scrolling]] action games in which the protagonists fight on foot, often [[Platform game#Run-and-gun platformer|with the ability to jump]]. Run and gun games may use [[side-scrolling]], [[vertical scrolling]] or [[Isometric video game graphics|isometric viewpoints]] and may feature multidirectional movement.<ref name="bloodywolf2">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/bloody-wolf-review/1900-6173769/ |title=Bloody Wolf Review |first=Frank |last=Provo |date=July 6, 2007 |access-date=June 17, 2008 |website=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref><ref name="Dunham">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/07/27/first-look-alien-hominid-2 |title=First Look: Alien Hominid |first=Jeremy |last=Dunham |website=[[IGN]] |date=July 27, 2004 |access-date=June 17, 2008}}</ref><ref name="ysguide2">Bielby, Matt, [https://worldofspectrum.org/archive/magazines/your-sinclair/56#19 "The YS Complete Guide To Shoot-'em-ups Part II"], ''Your Sinclair,'' August 1990 (issue 56), p. 19</ref>

Top-down run and gun games use an overhead camera angle that shows players and the areas around them from above. Notable games in this category include ''[[Commando (video game)|Commando]]'', ''[[Ikari Warriors]]'', ''[[Shock Troopers]]'' and ''[[Shock Troopers: 2nd Squad]]''.

Side-scrolling run and gun games combine elements of both shoot 'em up and [[platform games]], while the [[player characters]] move and jump around shooting with various guns and other long-range weapons. These games emphasize greater maneuvering or even [[Platform game|jumping]], such as ''[[Rush'n Attack|Green Beret]]'', ''[[Thexder]]'', ''[[Contra (series)|Contra]]'' and ''[[Metal Slug]]''.<ref name="bloodywolf2"/><ref name="Dunham"/><ref name="CU30">{{cite magazine |title=Konami's Barmy Army |magazine=[[Commodore User]] |date=26 February 1986 |issue=30 (March 1986) |page=13 |url=https://archive.org/details/commodore-user-magazine-30/page/n12}}</ref>{{citation needed|reason=The cited sources barely define the one category they both discuss and don't even mention any of the others, nor give examples. Is this original research?|date=January 2014}}

=== Shooting gallery ===
Shooting gallery games (also known as "target shooting" games) are a sub-genre of shooters where the player aims at moving targets on a stationary screen. They are distinguished from rail shooters, which move the player through levels on a fixed path, and first-person shooters, which allow player-guided navigation through a three-dimensional space.<ref name="routledge chp31"/>

Shooting gallery games can be [[light gun]] games and rail-shooters, although many can also be played using a regular [[Gamepad|joypad]] and an on-screen cursor to signify where the bullets are being aimed. When these debuted, they were typically played from a [[first-person perspective]], with enemy fire that occurred anywhere on the screen damaging or killing the player. As they evolved away from the use of light guns, the player came to be represented by an on-screen avatar, usually someone on the bottom of the screen, who could move and avoid enemy attacks while returning fire. These sorts of shooters almost always utilize horizontal scrolling to the right to indicate level progression, with enemies appearing in waves from predestined locations in the background or from the sides. One of the earliest examples is the 1985 arcade game ''[[Shootout (1985 video game)|Shootout]]'' produced by Data East.

As light gun games and rail shooters became more prevalent and started to make use of scrolling backgrounds, such as ''[[Operation Wolf]]'', or fully 3D backgrounds, such as the ''[[Time Crisis]]'' or ''[[The House of the Dead (series)|House of the Dead]]'' series, these sorts of games fell out of popular production, but many like ''Blood Bros.'' still have their fanbase today. Other notable games of this category include ''[[Cabal (video game)|Cabal]]'' and ''[[Wild Guns]]''.

=== Light gun shooter ===
{{Main|Light gun shooter}}

Light gun shooters are shooters designed for use with a gun-shaped controller, typically a [[light gun]] in [[arcade games]]; similar control methods include a positional gun, [[motion controller]], [[pointing device]] or [[analog stick]]. The first light guns appeared in the 1930s, following the development of light-sensing [[vacuum tube]]s. It was not long before the technology began appearing in mechanical shooting [[arcade games]], dating back to the Seeburg Ray-O-Lite in 1936. These early mechanical gun games evolved into shooting [[electro-mechanical games]] around the mid-20th century, and in turn evolved into light gun shooter video games in the 1970s.

Early mechanical light gun games used small targets (usually moving) onto which a light-sensing tube was mounted; the player used a gun (usually a rifle) that emitted a beam of light when the trigger was pulled. If the beam struck the target, a "hit" was scored. Modern screen-based video game light guns work on the opposite principle—the sensor is built into the gun itself, and the on-screen target(s) emit light rather than the gun. The first light gun of this type was used on the [[MIT Whirlwind]] computer, which used a similar [[light pen]]. Like rail shooters, movement is typically limited in light-gun games.

Notable games of this category include the 1974 and 1984 versions of ''[[Wild Gunman]]'', ''[[Duck Hunt]]'' for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]], ''[[Operation Wolf]]'', ''[[Lethal Enforcers]]'', the ''[[Virtua Cop]]'' series, ''[[Time Crisis]]'' series, ''[[The House of the Dead]]'' series, and ''[[Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles]]'' & ''[[Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles|Darkside Chronicles]]''.
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=== First-person shooter (FPS) ===
{{Main|First-person shooter}} 
[[Image:Doom ingame 2.png|thumb|right|265px|''[[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]]'' (1993), a [[PC game]] which defined the [[first-person shooter]] (FPS) subgenre]]

First-person shooters are characterized by an on-screen representation of the [[player character]]'s perspective within a [[three-dimensional space]], with the player having control and agency over the character's movement and action within that space. While many rail shooters and light-gun shooters also use a [[First person (video games)|first-person perspective]], they are generally not included in this category, as the player generally lacks agency to move their character within the game world.<ref name="routledge chp31"/>

Notable examples of the genre include ''[[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]]'', ''[[Quake (video game)|Quake]]'', ''[[Counter-Strike]]'', ''[[GoldenEye 007 (1997 video game)|GoldenEye 007]]'', ''[[Battlefield (video game series)|Battlefield]]'', [[Medal of Honor (video game series)|''Medal of Honor'']], ''[[Unreal (1998 video game)|Unreal]]'', ''[[Call of Duty]]'', ''[[Killzone]]'', ''[[TimeSplitters]]'', ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'' and ''[[Halo (video game series)|Halo]]'', while games such as ''[[Half-Life (video game)|Half-Life]]'', ''[[Deus Ex (video game)|Deus Ex]]'', and ''[[System Shock]]'' would combine shooter gameplay with narrative-focused or [[role-playing game]] elements to instead branch off into the [[immersive sim]] genre.

==== Boomer shooter ====
Boomer shooter is a term used to describe newer FPS games (2010s and later) that are purposely designed to emulate the style and design principles of 1990s FPS games like ''Doom'' and ''Quake''. The name "boomer shooter" is derived from the [[baby boomer]] generation, where "boomer" has since become slang for anything old or antiquated.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gamesradar.com/boomer-shooters-are-now-an-official-genre-on-steam-as-classic-doom-inspires-more-and-more-fps-gems/ | title = Boomer Shooters are now an official genre on Steam, as classic Doom inspires more and more FPS gems | first = Kaan | last = Serin | date = January 5, 2024 | accessdate = January 5, 2024 | work = [[GamesRadar]] }}</ref> According to [[New Blood Interactive]] CEO Dave Oshry, the term originated following the release of ''[[Dusk (video game)|Dusk]]'' (2018), with fans of that game quickly coining the term.<ref name="inverse boomer"/> Newer triple-A games like ''[[Wolfenstein: The New Order]]'' (2014), ''[[Doom (2016 video game)|Doom]]'' (2016), and ''[[Doom Eternal]]'' (2020) helped to repopularize these styles of shooters in the mid-2010s, and [[Indie game|indie developers]] further contributed to the field with games like ''[[Amid Evil]]'', ''[[Ion Fury]]'', and ''[[Ultrakill]]''.<ref name="inverse boomer">{{cite web | url = https://www.inverse.com/gaming/boomer-shooter-definition-origin | title = Ok Boomer Shooter: How Indie Games Breathed New Life Into A Dying Genre | first = Tomas | last = Franzese | date = October 13, 2021 | accessdate = July 28, 2022 | work = [[Inverse (website)|Inverse]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.pcgamer.com/humbles-boomer-shooter-bundle-is-one-of-the-best-fps-collections-ive-seen/ | title = Humble's Boomer Shooter bundle is one of the best FPS collections I've seen | first = Andy | last= Chalk | date = March 4, 2022 | accessdate = July 28, 2022 | work = [[PC Gamer]] }}</ref>

=== Third-person shooter (TPS) ===
{{Main|Third-person shooter}}
[[File:Dead Justice-Cat Mother-Third-Person-Shooter.jpg|thumb|Gameplay view in a third-person shooter game]]

Third-person shooters are characterized by a [[Third-person (video games)|third-person camera view]] that fully displays the player character in their surroundings.

Notable examples of the genre include [[Fortnite Battle Royale|''Fortnite'']], the ''[[Tomb Raider]]'' series, several entries in the ''[[Resident Evil]]'' and ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'' franchises, ''[[Syphon Filter]]'', ''[[Max Payne (video game)|Max Payne]]'', ''[[SOCOM (series)|SOCOM]]'', ''[[Star Wars: Battlefront]]'', ''[[Gears of War]]'', and ''[[Splatoon]]''. Third person shooter mechanics are often incorporated into open-world adventure and sandbox games, including the ''[[The Elder Scrolls|Elder Scrolls]]'' series and the ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' franchise.

=== FPS/TPS variations ===

==== Arena shooter ====
{{Main|Arena shooter}}

Arena shooters are multiplayer games that feature fast paced gameplay that emphasize quick speed and agile movement, and played out on levels or maps of limited size (the "arena"). Many of these are presented as first-person shooters, and thus "arena FPS" may also be used to describe a subset of these games. Examples of these include the ''[[Quake (series)|Quake]]'' and ''[[Unreal (video game series)|Unreal]]'' series, more specifically ''[[Quake III Arena]]'' and ''[[Unreal Tournament]]'' which first pioneered the genre.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Miner|first=Phillip|title=Where have all the arena first-person shooters gone?|url=https://estnn.com/where-have-all-the-arena-fpss-gone/|website=ESTNN Esports|date=16 June 2019}}</ref> Arena shooters can also be played from other perspectives, such as via a top-down view in games like ''[[Robotron 2084]]'' and ''[[Geometry Wars]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-12-01-geometry-wars-3-dimensions-review | title = Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions review | first=  Christian | last= Donlan | date = December 2, 2014 | accessdate = April 3, 2021 | work = [[Eurogamer]] }}</ref> Arena shooters frequently emphasize multiplayer modes with few or no single-player modes outside of practice matches with computer-controlled opponents. The genre hit its peak in popularity in the late 90s and early 2000s.

==== Hero shooter ====
{{Main|Hero shooter}}

Hero shooters are a variation of multiplayer first- or third-person shooters, where players form into two or more teams and select from pre-designed "hero" characters, with each possessing distinctive abilities or weapons that are specific to them. Hero shooters strongly encourage teamwork between players on a team, guiding players to select effective combinations of hero characters and coordinate the use of hero abilities during a match. Outside of a match, players have the ability to customize the appearance of these characters, but these changes are usually cosmetic only and do not alter the game's balance or the behavior of the "hero". Hero shooters take many of their design elements from older class-based shooter, [[multiplayer online battle arena]] and [[fighting games]]. The class-based shooter ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'' is considered to be the codifier of the hero shooter genre. Popular hero shooters include ''[[Overwatch (video game)|Overwatch]]'', ''[[Paladins (video game)|Paladins]],'' ''[[Apex Legends]]'', and ''[[Valorant]]''. Hero shooters have been considered to have strong potential as [[esports]] games as a large degree of skill and coordination arises from the importance of teamwork.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/271933/Hero_Shooters_Charting_the_rebirth_of_a_genre.php | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160507142751/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/271933/Hero_Shooters_Charting_the_rebirth_of_a_genre.php | url-status = dead | archive-date = May 7, 2016 | title = Hero Shooters: Charting the (re)birth of a genre | work = [[Gamasutra]] | date = May 6, 2016 | access-date = May 6, 2016 | first = Alex | last = Wawro }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2016/06/17/video-game-trends-e3-2016/86021948/ | title = 5 big video game trends from E3 2016 | first = Brett | last = Molina | date = June 17, 2016 | access-date = June 17, 2016 | work = [[USA Today]] }}</ref><ref name="pcgamer history">{{cite web | url = https://www.pcgamer.com/what-the-strange-evolution-of-the-hero-shooter-tells-us-about-the-genres-future/ | title = What the strange evolution of the hero shooter tells us about the genre's future | first = Austin | last = Wood | date = October 25, 2016  |accessdate = July 6, 2021 | work = [[PC Gamer]] }}</ref>

==== Tactical shooter ====
{{Main|Tactical shooter}}

Tactical shooters are shooters that generally simulate realistic [[squad]]-based or [[Man to Man wargames|man-to-man]] skirmishes. Notable examples of the genre include Ubisoft's ''[[Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (video game)|Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six]]'' and ''[[Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon|Ghost Recon]]'' series and Bohemia Software's ''[[Operation Flashpoint]]''. A common feature of tactical shooters that is not present in many other shooters is the ability for the player character to lean out of cover, increasing the granularity of a player's movement and stance options to enhance the realism of the game. Tactical shooters also commonly feature more extensive equipment management, more complex healing systems, and greater depth of simulation compared to other shooters. As a result of this, many tactical shooters are commonly played from the first person perspective. Tactical shooters may combine elements from other shooter genres, such as ''[[Rainbow Six Siege]]'', ''[[Valorant]]'', and [[Squad (video game)|Squad]], which combine the traditional tactical shooter style with the class-based gameplay of hero shooters.

{{anchor|Extraction shooter}}
A further variant of the tactical shooter is the extraction shooter, generally defined by the gameplay style of ''[[Escape from Tarkov]]''.<ref name="extraction shooter">{{cite web |url= https://www.polygon.com/23604742/extraction-shooter-battle-royale-pubg-fortnite-call-of-duty-dmz |title= The people behind PUBG believe the extraction shooter is the next big thing |first= Owen |last= Good |date= February 19, 2023 |accessdate= July 9, 2023 | work = [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] }}</ref> These games are often "player versus player versus environment" (PvPvE), where players are grouped into teams and placed on a map with the goal to reach an extraction point elsewhere on the map while avoiding the opposing team and non-player character enemies. During their attempt to reach the extraction point, the players may try to loot the opposing team or other features on the map for gear, which if they successfully reach the extraction point, they can keep and use to improve their character. Alternatively, they may have other assigned objectives to complete before extraction for better rewards. Gameplay is more slow and tactical for survival rather than straightforward run-and-gun. Other examples of extraction shooters include ''[[Hunt: Showdown]]'', ''[[The Cycle: Frontier]]'' and the [[Marathon (2025 video game)|upcoming revival]] of the ''[[Marathon Trilogy|Marathon]]'' series.<ref name="extraction shooter"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/the-cycle-frontier-producer-has-bet-career-on-making-extraction-shooters-more-welcoming-3413267 |title='The Cycle: Frontier' producer has "bet career" on making extraction shooters more welcoming |first=Andy |last=Brown |website=[[NME]] |date=14 March 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/23735830/bungie-marathon-sci-fi-pvp-extraction-shooter |title=Bungie announces Marathon, a new sci-fi PVP extraction shooter |website=[[The Verge]] |first=Tom |last=Warren |date=24 May 2023 }}</ref>

==== Looter shooter ====
{{Main|Looter shooter}}
Looter shooters are shooter games where the player's overarching goal is the accumulation of [[Loot (video games)|loot]]: weapons, equipment, armor, accessories and resources. To achieve this players complete tasks framed as quests, missions or campaigns and are rewarded with better weapons, gear and accessories as a result, with the qualities, attributes and perks of such gear generated randomly following certain rarity scales (also known as loot tables).<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theguardian.com/games/2021/oct/11/modern-video-game-genres-explained-metroidvania-dungeon-crawler |title = Dungeon crawler or looter shooter? Nine video game genres explained | first = Keith | last= Stuart | date = October 11, 2021 | accessdate = October 12, 2021 | work = [[The Guardian]] }}</ref> The better gear allows players to take on more difficult missions with potentially more powerful rewards, forming the game's [[compulsion loop]].<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2019/12/12/godfall-new-loot-grind-with-melee-combat-is-coming-playstation-pc/ | title = Godfall, a new loot grind with melee combat, is coming to PlayStation 5 and PC | first = Gene | last = Park | date = December 12, 2019 | access-date=  December 15, 2019 | newspaper = [[The Washington Post]] }}</ref> Loot shooters are inspired by similar loot-based [[action role-playing game]]s like ''[[Diablo (video game)|Diablo]]''. Examples of loot shooters include the ''[[Borderlands (series)|Borderlands]]'' franchise, ''[[Warframe]]'', ''[[Destiny (video game)|Destiny]]'' and its [[Destiny 2|sequel]], and ''[[Tom Clancy's The Division]]'' and its [[Tom Clancy's The Division 2|sequel]].<ref>{{cite magazine | url = https://www.gamesradar.com/the-top-seven-looter-shooters-of-all-time/ | title=  The top six looter shooters of all time | date = June 29, 2018 | access-date = February 27, 2019 | magazine = [[Games Radar]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.pcgamer.com/investigating-the-origin-of-the-looter-shooter/ | title = Investigating the Origin of the Looter Shooter | date = June 29, 2019 | access-date = February 27, 2019 | work = [[PC Gamer]] }}</ref>

=== Artillery game ===
{{Main|Artillery game}}

Artillery games have been described as a type of "shooting game",<ref>{{cite web | last =Barton | first =Matt | title =Scorched Parabolas: A History of the Artillery Game | url =http://armchairarcade.com/neo/node/427 | access-date =2007-11-25 | archive-date =2010-11-16 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20101116021037/http://www.armchairarcade.com/neo/node/427 | url-status =dead }}</ref> though they are more frequently classified as a type of [[Strategy video game|strategy game]].{{citation needed|date=January 2014}}

=== Battle royale ===
{{Main|Battle royale game}}

[[Battle royale game]]s are a subgenre of action games that combine [[Last man standing (video games)|last-man-standing]] gameplay with survival game elements, and frequently includes shooter elements. It is almost exclusively multiplayer in nature, and eschews the complex crafting and resource gathering mechanics of survival games for a faster-paced confrontation game more typical of shooters. The genre is named after the [[Japanese film]] ''[[Battle Royale (film)|Battle Royale]]'' (2000) which itself was based on the [[Battle Royale (novel)|1999 novel of the same name]], and was popularized in video games with ''[[PUBG Battlegrounds]]'' and ''[[Fortnite Battle Royale]]''.

==History==
The concept of shooting games existed before [[video game]]s, dating back to shooting gallery [[carnival game]]s in the late 19th century,<ref name="routledge chp31">{{cite book | title = The Routledge Companion to Video Game Studies | editor-first = Bernard | editor-last = Perron | publisher = [[Taylor & Francis]] | date = 2014 | isbn = 9781136290503 | chapter = Chapter 31: Shooting | first = Gerald | last=  Voorhees | pages=251–258 }}</ref> as well as [[target sports]] such as [[shooting sports]], [[bowling]], [[cue sports]], [[archery]] and [[Dart (missile)|darts]]. Mechanical gun games first appeared in [[England]]'s [[amusement arcades]] around the turn of the 20th century,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Williams |first1=Andrew |title=History of Digital Games: Developments in Art, Design and Interaction |date=16 March 2017 |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |isbn=978-1-317-50381-1 |page=10}}</ref> before appearing in America by the 1920s.<ref name="ashcraft145">{{citation | last=Ashcraft | first=Brian | year=2008 | title=Arcade Mania! The Turbo Charged World of Japan's Game Centers | publisher=[[Kodansha|Kodansha International]] |page=145}}</ref> The British cinematic shooting gallery game ''Life Targets'' (1912) was a mechanical [[interactive film]] game where players shot at a cinema screen displaying film footage of targets.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cowan |first1=Michael |title=Interactive media and imperial subjects: Excavating the cinematic shooting gallery |journal=NECSUS. European Journal of Media Studies |date=2018 |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=17–44 |doi=10.25969/mediarep/3438}}</ref> The first [[light guns]] appeared in the 1930s, with the Seeburg Ray-O-Lite. Games using this toy rifle were mechanical and the rifle fired beams of light at targets wired with sensors.<ref name="ashcraft145"/>

Shooting gallery games eventually evolved into more sophisticated shooting [[electro-mechanical game]]s (EM games) such as [[Sega]]'s influential ''[[Periscope (arcade game)|Periscope]]'' (1965). Contemporary shooting video games have roots in older EM shooting games.<ref name="routledge chp31"/> Another influential Sega EM shooting game was ''Gun Fight'' (1969), where two players control [[cowboy]] figurines on opposing sides of a playfield full of obstacles, with each player attempting to shoot the opponent's cowboy.<ref name="Smith">{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=Alexander |title=They Create Worlds: The Story of the People and Companies That Shaped the Video Game Industry, Vol. I: 1971-1982 |date=19 November 2019 |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |isbn=978-0-429-75261-2 |pages=188–95 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cxy_DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT188}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=GUN FIGHT（ガンファイト） |url=https://sega.jp/history/arcade/product/11529/ |website=[[Sega]] |access-date=2 May 2021 |language=ja}}</ref> It had a [[Western (genre)|Western]] theme and was one of the first games to feature competitive head-to-head shooting between two players, inspiring several early Western-themed shooter video games.<ref>{{cite news |title=Arcade Dreams' Forgotten Classics: Sega Gun Fight |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCYBBxQDWXs  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/dCYBBxQDWXs |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|access-date=7 May 2021 |work=[[IGN]] |date=October 21, 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===1960s to mid-1970s===
''[[Spacewar!]]'' (1962), recognized as one of the first video games, was also the first shooter video game; it featured two players controlling spacecraft trying to fire onto the other player.<ref name="smithsonianmag history"/> ''Spacewar!'' was the basis for the first [[arcade video game]]s, ''[[Computer Space]]'' and ''[[Galaxy Game]]'', in 1971.<ref name="routledge chp31"/> In the 1970s, EM [[gun game]]s evolved into [[light gun shooter]] video games.<ref name="retrogamer153">{{cite magazine|title=Operation Wolf|magazine=[[Retro Gamer]]|issue=153|pages=34–1|first=Martyn|last=Carroll|date=April 2016|url=https://issuu.com/michelfranca/docs/retro_gamer____153}}</ref> The first [[home video game console]], the [[Magnavox Odyssey]], shipped with a light gun for a shooting gallery game in 1972.<ref name="routledge chp31"/> In 1974, ''[[Tank (video game)|Tank]]'' by [[Kee Games]] adapted the concept of ''Computer Space'' into a more grounded tank combat game with simplified physics and [[maze game]] elements, becoming a hit in arcades.<ref name="Smith"/> ''[[Spasim]]'' and ''[[Maze War]]'' (1974) were effectively [[first-person shooter]] (FPS) games, but had wireframe graphics and lacked the free-roaming character movement of later FPS titles.

In 1975, [[Taito]]'s [[Tomohiro Nishikado]] adapted the concept of Sega's EM game ''Gun Fight'' into a video game, ''[[Gun Fight|Western Gun]]'' (1975), with the cowboys represented as character [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprites]] and both players able to maneuver across a landscape while shooting each other, making it a milestone for depicting human shooting targets. ''Western Gun'' became an arcade hit, which, along with ''Tank'', popularized a subgenre of one-on-one dueling video games.<ref name="Smith"/> Midway's North American localization of ''Western Gun'', called ''Gun Fight'', also introduced the use of a [[microprocessor]].<ref name="Williams">{{cite book |last1=Williams |first1=Andrew |title=History of Digital Games: Developments in Art, Design and Interaction |date=16 March 2017 |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |isbn=978-1-317-50381-1 |pages=68–74}}</ref> In 1976, Midway had another hit shooting video game, ''[[Sea Wolf (video game)|Sea Wolf]]'' (1976), which was adapted from another Sega EM game, ''Periscope''.<ref>[[Steve L. Kent]] (2001), ''[[The ultimate history of video games: from Pong to Pokémon and beyond: the story behind the craze that touched our lives and changed the world]]'', p. 102, [[Prima Games|Prima]], {{ISBN|0-7615-3643-4}}</ref>

===Late 1970s to 1980s===
The genre gained major attraction in popular culture with the release of [[Taito]]'s ''[[Space Invaders]]'' arcade video game in 1978. It established the basis of the [[shoot 'em up]] subgenre, and became a cultural phenomenon that led into a [[golden age of arcade video games]] that lasted until around 1983.<ref name="smithsonianmag history">{{cite web | url = https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/original-space-invaders-icon-1970s-America-180969393/ | title = The Original 'Space Invaders' Is a Meditation on 1970s America's Deepest Fears | first = Lindsay | last = Grace | date = June 19, 2018 | accessdate = April 22, 2021 | work = [[Smithsonian Magazine]] }}</ref> In contrast to earlier shooting games, ''Space Invaders'' has targets that fire back at the player, who in turn has multiple [[Life (video games)|lives]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2015 |date=6 November 2014 |publisher=[[Guinness World Records]] |isbn=978-1-908843-71-5 |page=68 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8OUkBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA68}}</ref> Designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, who combined elements from his earlier ''Western Gun'' (such as [[destructible environment]]al objects) with elements of [[Atari]]'s ''[[Breakout (video game)|Breakout]]'' (1976) and [[science fiction]] media, ''Space Invaders'' established a formula of "shoot or be shot" against numerous enemies.<ref name="Williams"/> Space shooters subsequently became the dominant genre in arcades from the late 1970s up until the early 1980s.<ref name="RG80s">{{cite magazine |last1=Thorpe |first1=Nick |title=The 80s: The Golden Age of the Arcade |magazine=[[Retro Gamer]] |date=March 2014 |issue=127 |pages=28–31 |url=https://archive.org/details/retro_gamer/RetroGamer_127/page/28/mode/2up}}</ref> Most of these shooting games were presented from a 2D top-down-style perspective, with either a fixed or [[scrolling]] field. Games like ''[[Space Wars]]'' (1977) by [[Cinematronics]] and ''[[Tempest (video game)|Tempest]]'' (1981) by Atari used [[vector graphics]] displays rather than [[raster graphics]], while Sega's ''[[Zaxxon]]'' (1981) was the first video game to use an [[Isometric video game graphics|isometric playfield]].<ref name="routledge chp31"/>

In the early 1980s, Japanese arcade developers began moving away from space shooters towards character [[action games]]. On the other hand, American arcade developers continued to focus on space shooters during the early 1980s. According to [[Eugene Jarvis]], American arcade developers were greatly influenced by Japanese space shooters but took the genre in a different direction from the "more deterministic, scripted, pattern-type" gameplay of Japanese games, towards a more "programmer-centric design culture, emphasizing algorithmic generation of backgrounds and enemy dispatch" and "an emphasis on random-event generation, particle-effect explosions and physics" as seen in arcade games such as his own ''[[Defender (video game)|Defender]]'' (1981) and ''[[Robotron: 2084]]'' (1982) as well as [[Atari]]'s ''[[Asteroids (video game)|Asteroids]]'' (1979).<ref name="RG80s"/> Nevertheless, Japanese developers occasionally released defining space shooters in the early 1980s, such as Sega's [[isometric shooter]] ''Zaxxon''<ref name="RG80s"/> and [[pseudo-3D]] [[rail shooter]] ''[[Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom]]'' (1982) demonstrating the potential of [[3D computer graphics|3D]] shoot 'em up gameplay.<ref name="VideoGames">{{cite magazine | magazine = Video Games| volume = 1 | publisher = Pumpkin Press | issue = 7 | page = 66 | title = Top Ten Hits | date=March 1983 | url=https://archive.org/stream/Video_Games_Volume_1_Number_06_1983-03_Pumpkin_Press_US#page/n65/mode/2up}}</ref>

Shooter games diversified by the mid-1980s, with first-person light gun shooting gallery games such as [[Nintendo]]'s ''[[Duck Hunt]]'' (1984), pseudo-3D third-person rail shooters such as Sega's ''[[Space Harrier]]'' (1985) and ''[[After Burner]]'' (1987), and military-themed scrolling [[run and gun video game]]s such as [[Capcom]]'s ''[[Commando (video game)|Commando]]'' (1985), [[Konami]]'s ''[[Rush'n Attack|Green Beret]]'' (1985) and [[SNK]]'s ''[[Ikari Warriors]]'' (1986). In the late 1980s, Taito's ''[[Operation Wolf]]'' (1987) popularized military-themed first-person light gun rail shooters.<ref name="denofgeek">{{cite news |last1=Lambie |first1=Ryan |title=Operation Wolf: The Ultimate '80s Military Gun Game |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/games/operation-wolf-the-ultimate-80s-military-gun-game/ |access-date=23 April 2021 |work=[[Den of Geek]] |date=1 March 2015}}</ref><ref name="retrogamer153"/>

===1990s to present===
''[[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]]'' (1993) by [[id Software]] is considered the first major popular [[first-person shooter]] (FPS), and it was a major leap forward for three-dimensional environments in shooter games as well as action games in general. While first-person perspectives had been used by rail shooter and shooting gallery games, they lacked player-guided navigation through a three-dimensional space, a defining feature of FPS games.<ref name="routledge chp31"/>

The use of [[Texture mapping|texture-mapped]] [[3D computer graphics|3D polygon graphics]] in shooter games dates back to [[Sega AM2]]'s light gun rail shooter ''[[Virtua Cop]]'' (1994),<ref name="flyer">{{cite web |title=Virtua Cop: The World's First Texture Mapped, Polygon Action Game With New "Model 2" 3-D Computer Graphics! |url=https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=flyer&db=videodb&id=2207&image=1 |publisher=[[Sega Enterprises]] |website=The Arcade Flyer Archive |access-date=24 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Virtua Cop: SEGA's arcade shooter franchise makes a surprise appearance on N-Gage |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/07/08/virtua-cop |access-date=23 April 2021 |work=[[IGN]] |date=8 July 2004}}</ref> followed by Sega's [[mech simulation]] shooter ''[[Metal Head]]'' (1995)<ref name="NRCa-m1995">{{cite magazine|url=https://segaretro.org/images/5/52/NewReleasesCatalogueApril-May1995AU.pdf#page=28|title=April Release on 32X - Metal Head|magazine=New Releases Catalogue|publisher=[[Sega]]|date=April 1995|page=28|access-date=2019-12-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191214222238/https://segaretro.org/images/5/52/NewReleasesCatalogueApril-May1995AU.pdf |archive-date=2019-12-14|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Parallax Software]]'s FPS game ''[[Descent (1995 video game)|Descent]]'' (1995).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cifaldi |first1=Frank |title=The Gamasutra Quantum Leap Awards: First-Person Shooters |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/the-gamasutra-quantum-leap-awards-first-person-shooters |website=[[Gamasutra]] |date=September 1, 2006 |access-date=24 April 2021 |page=4}}</ref> ''[[GoldenEye 007 (1997 video game)|GoldenEye 007]]'' (1997) for the [[Nintendo 64]] later combined the FPS sub-genre with light gun rail shooter elements from ''Virtua Cop'', popularizing FPS games on consoles.<ref name="hollis-speech">{{cite web |url= http://www.zoonami.com/briefing/2004-09-02.php |title=The Making of GoldenEye 007 |publisher= Zoonami |author=Martin Hollis |date=2004-09-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718160021/http://www.zoonami.com/briefing/2004-09-02.php |archive-date=2011-07-18 |access-date=2011-12-22|url-status= usurped |author-link=Martin Hollis (video game designer) }}</ref> In the late 1990s, FPS games became increasingly popular while rail shooters declined in popularity, as FPS games were generally able to offer more variety, depth and sophistication than rail shooters.<ref name="denofgeek"/> One of the last mainstream light gun rail shooter franchises was ''[[The House of the Dead]]'' [[horror game]] series in the late 1990s, which along with ''[[Resident Evil]]'' had a significant cultural impact on [[zombie]] media including [[zombie films]] by the 2000s.<ref name="Newman">{{cite book |last1=Newman |first1=Kim |title=Nightmare Movies: Horror on Screen Since the 1960s |date=2011 |publisher=[[A&C Black]] |isbn=9781408805039 |pages=559–566 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fNMz3tGZVvAC&pg=PA559}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Weedon |first1=Paul |title=George A. Romero (interview) |url=http://paulweedon.co.uk/george-romero-transcript/ |website=Paul Weedon |date=17 July 2017 |access-date=2 June 2019 |archive-date=20 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220182956/http://paulweedon.co.uk/george-romero-transcript/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=josh>{{cite web|last=Levin |first=Josh |url=http://www.slate.com/id/2180271/ |title=How did movie zombies get so fast? |publisher=Slate.com |date=2007-12-19 |access-date=2013-11-05}}</ref>

== Controversy ==
Due to its violent nature, some{{Vague|date=May 2022}} consider the shooter game genre to be a representation of real world violence. Debates regarding [[Violence and video games|video games causing violence]] were exacerbated by the 1999 [[Columbine High School massacre]], whose perpetrators, [[Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold]], were fans of the game ''Doom.''<ref>{{Cite web|last=Disis|first=Jill|date=2018-03-08|title=The long history of blaming video games for mass violence|url=https://money.cnn.com/2018/03/08/media/video-game-industry-white-house/index.html|access-date=2021-05-01|website=[[CNN Business]]}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|date=2011-01-01|title=The effect of violent video games on aggression: Is it more than just the violence?|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S135917891000073X|journal=Aggression and Violent Behavior|language=en|volume=16|issue=1|pages=55–62|doi=10.1016/j.avb.2010.12.002|issn=1359-1789|last1=Adachi|first1=Paul J.C.|last2=Willoughby|first2=Teena|s2cid=143649264 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> Similarly, in Germany, [[school shooting]]s such as those at [[Erfurt massacre|Erfurt]], [[Emsdetten school shooting|Emsdetten]] and [[Winnenden school shooting|Winnenden]], resulted in conservative politicians accusing violent shooter games, most notably ''[[Counter Strike]]'', of inciting young gamers to run amok.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2007/02/72619  |magazine=[[Wired_(magazine)|Wired]] |title=German Past Haunts Gamers' Future |first=Bruce |last=Gain |date=February 5, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090917024807/https://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2007/02/72619 |archive-date=September 17, 2009}}</ref> Several attempts were made to ban the "Killerspiele" (killing games) in Germany and the European Union.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2006/12/8433.ars|title=EU may regulate development and sale of violent video games|first=Eric|last=Bangeman|work=[[Ars Technica]]|date=15 December 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.infoworld.com/d/security-central/germany-seeks-common-eu-rules-violent-video-games-933|title=Germany seeks common EU rules on violent video games|first=Paul|last=Meller|date=17 January 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608070445/http://www.infoworld.com/d/security-central/germany-seeks-common-eu-rules-violent-video-games-933 |archive-date=8 June 2011}}</ref> Shooter games were further criticized when [[Anders Behring Breivik]], perpetrator of the [[2011 Norway attacks]], claimed that he developed target acquisition skills by playing ''[[Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Pidd|first1=Helen|title=Anders Breivik 'trained' for shooting attacks by playing Call of Duty|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/apr/19/anders-breivik-call-of-duty|website=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=2 December 2017|date=19 April 2012}}</ref> This has led to a plethora of experimental research to determine the true effects. Experimental Research, focusing on the short term effects, found that playing violent games can increase the player's aggression.<ref name=":0" /> In a [[Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association|2011 Supreme Court case]] involving a California law, Justice Antonio Scalia stated that there was some correlation between violent video games and increased aggression, but very little real-world effects.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Do Violent Video Games Lead to Violence?|first=Philip M. |last=Boffey |url=https://dana.org/article/do-violent-video-games-lead-to-violence/|access-date=2021-05-01|website=Dana Foundation|language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501213903/https://dana.org/article/do-violent-video-games-lead-to-violence/ |archive-date=2021-05-01}}</ref> An experiment by C.A. Anderson and K.E. Dill, in which they had undergraduates randomly play either a violent or non-violent game, determined that the students who played the violent game were more susceptible to primed aggressive thoughts.<ref name=":0" /> Further studies have shown that there are some limitations with the research.<ref name=":0" /> Many{{Vague|date=May 2022}} research studies have not taken into account that violent video games tend to be more competitive, have a higher playing difficulty, and are more fast paced than non-violent games.<ref name=":0" /> Past research also shows that the way aggression was measured in the studies could be compared to the way competitiveness is measured, leaving open the question of whether or not the effects of violent video games are forms of aggression or competitiveness.<ref name=":0" />

== See also ==
* [[Combat flight simulation game]]s, many of which contain shooter game elements

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Video game genre}}

[[Category:Shooter games| ]]
[[Category:Video game genres]]

[[id:Shoot'em up]]