There are many games that have gone down in history as world-changing and their influence has been clear for all to see. Temple Run was one of the earliest smartphone titles, and it helped kickstart the most successful subsector of the gaming industry the world has ever seen. After the release of the 2011 title, developer Imangi Studios shot to worldwide fame and was buoyed to create other titles in the series. Temple Run’s legacy lives on in its own franchise, but it is also seen across the wider gaming industry
Temple Run Kickstarted the Mobile Gaming Industry
The mobile gaming industry barely existed when Temple Run was first released in August 2011. Back then, it was worth just over $1 billion. In 2022, it’s over $153 billion in value. Those figures highlight how Imangi Studios got into the game at just the right time, and its title was able to have a heavy influence on the mobile gaming industry.
Back then, the focus of mobile games was on simplicity and ease of access, with titles designed to appeal to as broad a demographic as possible. Temple Run’s endless runner concept had never been seen before, and all players had to do was turn corners and avoid obstacles. The game was incredibly well received by critics and was also a commercial success. It became the number one app in the world at one point and has since been downloaded over one billion times.
Influence of Temple Run is Seen Far and Wide
The influence of Temple Run is obvious for all to see, and it forged the way for a brand-new mobile genre. Now, there are innumerable endless runner games to choose from, all with similar mechanics to the 2011 title. These include Temple Jump, Zombie Run, and Pyramid Run. There are also plenty of well-loved offerings that piggybacked on Temple Run’s success, such as Subway Surfers.
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It’s not just the mobile gaming market that saw an influx of similar titles to Temple Run. The influence was also visible in the online casino market. For example, Temple Tumble Megaways is a prime example of a slot that drew ideas from Temple Run. The game is available at MrQ, where there are various online casino promotions. These include first deposit spins, and bonuses for referring your friends.
Possibility of a Hollywood Movie
Temple Run’s success led to other games in the series, and then the franchise started to expand from there. The first sequel was Temple Run: Brave, which was followed by Temple Run 2 in 2013. There was also another spinoff, Temple Run: Oz, which was based on Oz the Great and Powerful. In 2014, Imangi Studios released Temple Run VR, which helped add to the franchise’s legacy.
Temple Run is so notorious that there has even been talk of turning it into a Hollywood movie. Warner Bros. Pictures had apparently held talks with Imangi Studios about this possibility back in 2013, but nothing has come to fruition yet. Recent reports suggest it could be a TV series now instead.
Temple Run became one of the most influential games of all time thanks to getting into the smartphone gaming market at the perfect time. It brought about a new concept that caught on quickly, and its developer cemented the game’s legacy by creating sequels.