There are so many different genres and mixes of genres that it’s difficult to put each game into a specific category. In the following sections we’ll cover the basic genres that differentiate between games.

The First-Person Shooter (FPS) and Action genre of games is currently the most popular. Games like Half-Life 2, DOOM 3, Halo 2, Medal of Honor, and Call of Duty are the most popular games in the FPS category. For Action, innovative titles like the GTA series, Max Payne, and BloodRayne are huge successes.

The Role-Playing Game (RPG) has remained strong throughout the entire history of console and PC gaming. Current hits like Fable, Final Fantasy, Knights of the Old Republic, and X-Men Legends are all based on RPG roots. The recent development of MMORPGS (massively multiplayer online RPGs) have been made possible by widespread broadband access, allowing gamers to play with thousands of people across the world in a ’persistent’ virtual world.

Adventure and Puzzle games remain strong despite being limited in scope and technology. The new concept of ’party’ games has recently injected new life into this genre. Titles like Myst 4 and Wario-Ware are familiar names.

Sports games are an increasingly popular portion of the gaming industry. Franchise titles from Electronic Arts (EA) have been making games licensed from the NHL, NBA, NFL, and MLB for over a decade. Another sector of the sports industry is the entire racing sub-genre. Huge hits like Burnout 3, Gran Tourismo, and Need for Speed have been turning many knuckles white.

The simulation category of games has enjoyed wild successes, including the best selling PC game of all time: The Sims & The Sims 2. The entire ’Sim’ series designed by Maxis is dominant in this genre. Jet fighter and flying sims are also important mainstays in simulation.

Strategy is a genre mainly restricted to PC. That’s because the mouse and keyboard are central to smooth playing. There are a few good strategy games for console, however. Big names in strategy include Warcraft III, Starcraft, Command and Conquer, and Warhammer 40,000.

Rounding out the categories that I’ll be covering is the Fighting genre.  Developed from early monsters like Street Fighter II, fighting games have enjoyed a renaissance as they’ve received updates to fully 3-D characters and arenas.  Big titles like Dead or Alive, Tekken, Soul Calibur, and WWE Smackdown are big favorites.

So what kind of genre player are you?  Chances are if you’re a computer gamer that you prefer FPS, RPG, Simulation, and Strategy games.  The console gamer typically enjoys Sports, Racing, Fighting, RPGs, and a few FPS titles. Of course, many people own both a console and a PC, thus marrying the best of both worlds.