Killer application: Difference between revisions

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{{Redirect|Killer app|the video game|Tron 2.0: Killer App}}

A '''killer application''' (commonly shortened to '''killer app''') is a [[computer program]] that is so useful or desirable that it proves the value of some underlying technology, such as a [[video game console|gaming console]], [[operating system]], or piece of [[computer hardware]].

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}

{{Short description|Marketing term}}

A '''killer application''' (often shortened to '''killer app''') is any software that is so necessary or desirable that it proves the core value of some larger technology, such as its host [[computer hardware]], [[software platform]], or [[operating system]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Killer app|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/killer%20app|website=Merrian-Webmaster|publisher=Merriam-Webster, Incorporated|access-date=January 14, 2015}}</ref> Consumers would buy the host platform just to access that application, possibly substantially increasing sales of its host platform.<ref name = "Killer Application Feb 1989">{{Cite magazine | last = Scannell| first = Ed| title = OS/2: Waiting for the Killer Applications |magazine= InfoWorld | volume = 11 | issue = 8 | pages =41–45 | publisher = InfoWorld Publications | ___location = Menlo Park, CA | date = February 20, 1989 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=JzoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT40 | issn = 0199-6649}}</ref><ref name = "Killer App 1989">{{Cite magazine | last = Kask | first = Alex | title = Revolutionary Products Are Not in the Industry's Near Future |magazine= InfoWorld | volume = 11 | issue = 38 | page =68 | publisher = InfoWorld Publications | ___location = Menlo Park, CA | date = September 18, 1989 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=uTAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT83 | issn = 0199-6649}}</ref>

==Usage==

The definition is sometimes extended to include any instance of a general principle or feature that becomes so successful that people will assimilate the application and the principle. In that sense, the [[automobile]] could be a killer app for the [[reciprocating engine]], the [[light bulb]] for [[electricity]].

{{blockquote|One mark of a good computer is the appearance of a piece of software specifically written for that machine that does something that, for a while at least, can only be done on that machine.|[[Steven Levy]], 1985<ref name=levy198501>{{Cite magazine |last=Levy |first=Steven |date=January 1985 |title=The Life and Times of PC junior |url=https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-1985-01/page/n94/mode/2up/search/smell |magazine=Popular Computing |page=92 |access-date=2020-03-12}}</ref>}}

The earliest recorded use of the term "killer app" in print is in the May 24, 1988 issue of ''[[PC Week]]'': "Everybody has only one killer application. The secretary has a word processor. The manager has a spreadsheet."<ref>{{cite magazine | magazine=[[PC Week]] | title=PC Week | date=May 24, 1988 | volume=39 | issue=1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/103376|title=killer, n.|publisher=Oxford University Press|via=Oxford English Dictionary}}</ref>

[[Image:Visicalc.png|thumb|[[VisiCalc]], the earliest generally-agreed example of a killer application.]]

==History==

The first example of a killer application is generally agreed to be the [[VisiCalc]] [[spreadsheet]] on the [[Apple II]] platform (''e.g.'' <ref>D.J. Power, ''[http://www.dssresources.com/history/sshistory.html A Brief History of Spreadsheets]'', DSSResources.COM, v3.6, 08 August 2004</ref>). The machine was purchased in the thousands by finance workers (in particular, [[Bond (finance)|bond traders]]) on the strength of this one program. The next example is another spreadsheet, [[Lotus 1-2-3]]. Sales of [[International Business Machines|IBM]]'s [[Personal computer|PC]] had been slow until 1-2-3 was released, but only months later it became the best-selling computer.

The definition of "killer app" came up during the deposition of [[Bill Gates]] in the ''[[United States v. Microsoft Corp.]]'' [[antitrust]] case. He had written an email in which he described [[Internet Explorer]] as a killer app. In the questioning, he said that the term meant "a popular application," and did not connote an application that would fuel sales of a larger product or one that would supplant its competition, as the Microsoft Computer Dictionary defined it.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeLBQCpCi9c&t=592|title=Bill Gates - Deposition Part 1 of 12|date=September 18, 2012|via=YouTube}}</ref>

A killer app can provide an important [[niche market]] for a non-mainstream platform. [[Aldus]] [[Adobe PageMaker|PageMaker]] and [[Adobe Systems|Adobe]] [[PostScript]] gave the [[graphic design]] and [[desktop publishing]] niche to the [[Apple Macintosh]] in the late [[1980s]], a niche it retains to this day despite the fact that [[IBM PC compatible|PC]]s running [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] have been capable of running versions of the same applications since the early [[1990s]].

Introducing the [[iPhone]] in 2007, [[Steve Jobs]] said that "the killer app is making calls".<ref name="Newton NYTimes">{{cite news |last1=Newton |first1=Cal |title=Steve Jobs Never Wanted Us to Use Our iPhones Like This |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/25/opinion/sunday/steve-jobs-never-wanted-us-to-use-our-iphones-like-this.html |website=New York Times |date=January 25, 2019 |access-date=June 27, 2020}}</ref> Reviewing the iPhone's first decade, David Pierce for ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'' wrote that although Jobs prioritized a good experience making calls in the phone's development, other features of the phone soon became more important, such as its data connectivity and the later ability to install [[third-party software]].<ref name="Pierce iPhone">{{cite magazine |last1=Pierce |first1=David |title=Even Steve Jobs Didn't Predict the iPhone Decade |url=https://www.wired.com/2017/01/apple-iphone-10th-anniversary/ |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |access-date=June 27, 2020}}</ref>

[[Image:Masterchiefshoot.jpg|thumb|right|[[Bungie Studios]]' ''Halo'' compelled many to purchase the Xbox.]]

There have been a number of new uses of the term. For instance the usefulness of [[e-mail]] drew many people to use [[computer network]]s, while the [[Mosaic (web browser)|Mosaic]] web browser is generally credited with the popularization of the [[World Wide Web]] and hence the [[Internet]]. The term has also been applied to [[computer and video games]] that cause consumers to buy a particular [[video game console]] or gaming hardware to play them; an example of this is the game ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved|Halo]]'', which turned the [[Xbox]] console into a commercial success that it may not have been otherwise. Likewise, the 1993 adventure game [[Myst]] compelled many PC users to add CD-ROM drives to their computers, as the game was not available on floppy disk. [[Sony]]'s [[PlayStation]] console saw increased sales when [[Final Fantasy VII]] was released. Nintendo 64 saw much success with the releases of Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. See "[[Killer application#Killer Games|Killer Games]]" below for more information.

The [[World Wide Web]] (through the [[web browser]]s [[Mosaic (web browser)|Mosaic]] and [[Netscape Navigator]]) is the killer app that popularized the [[Internet]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/12/08/business/business-technology-a-free-and-simple-computer-link.html?pagewanted=print&src=pm|title=BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY; A Free and Simple Computer Link|first=John | last=Markoff|date=December 8, 1993|work=[[New York Times]]}}</ref> as is the [[music sharing]] program [[Napster]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wired.com/2002/05/the-day-the-napster-died/|title=The Day the Napster Died|author=Brad King|date=May 15, 2002|publisher=Wired}}</ref>

Developers of new platforms now tend to put a lot of effort into discovering or creating the next killer "app" for their technology, in the hope that it will be the breakthrough needed to get the technology adopted. This has led to the burgeoning list of features on, for example, [[mobile telephone]]s, such as [[short message service]] (SMS), [[digital camera]]s, etc., though many maintain that the killer app for telephone technology is, and always has been, live [[peer-to-peer]] voice transmission. For mobile telephone it could be said that the pre-paid contract model actually acted as the killer application and the wide dissemination of mobile phones since up to 80% of mobile operator's customers are pre-paid customers.

==Examples==

Computer experts sometimes use the phrase with reference to other technologies to explain its significance to laypersons. In this context a killer application refers to a certain usage of that technology that makes the technology popular and successful. This usage of the term is especially prevalent when the technology existed before but did not take off before the introduction of the killer application. Examples for this:

[[File:Visicalc.png|thumb|[[VisiCalc]] was released in 1979, becoming the earliest generally agreed-upon example of a killer application.]]

Although the term was coined in the late 1980s<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Dvorak |first=John |author-link=John C. Dvorak |date=1989-07-01 |title=Looking to OS/2 for the next killer app is barking up the wrong tree. Here's where they really come from. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CbsaONN5y1IC&pg=PP75 |magazine=[[PC Magazine]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |access-date=2023-03-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/killer-app |title=killer app |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=dictionary.com |access-date=2023-03-26 |quote=Origin of killer app 1985-1990}}</ref> one of the first [[Retronym|retroactively]] recognized examples of a killer application is the [[VisiCalc]] [[spreadsheet]], released in 1979 for the [[Apple II]].{{r|levy198501}}{{r|sullivan19850520}}<ref>D.J. Power, ''[http://www.dssresources.com/history/sshistory.html A Brief History of Spreadsheets]'', DSSResources.COM, v3.6, August 30, 2004</ref> Because it was not released for other computers for 12 months, people spent {{US$|100|1979|round=-2}} for the software first, then $2,000 to $10,000 (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|2000|1979|r=-3|fmt=c}} to ${{Inflation|US|10000|1979|r=-3|fmt=c}}) on the requisite Apple II.<ref name="mcmullen19840221">{{cite magazine | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UCIvSU6Y2GAC&pg=PA126 | title=Apple Charts The Course For IBM |magazine=PC Magazine | date=February 21, 1984 | access-date=October 24, 2013 | author=McMullen, Barbara E. and John F. |page=126}}</ref> ''[[Byte (magazine)|BYTE]]'' wrote in 1980, "VisiCalc is the first program available on a microcomputer that has been responsible for sales of entire systems",<ref name="ramsdell198011">{{cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1980-11/1980_11_BYTE_05-11_High-Resolution_Graphics#page/n247/mode/2up | title=The Power of VisiCalc |magazine=BYTE | date=November 1980 | access-date=October 18, 2013 | author=Ramsdell, Robert E | pages=190–192}}</ref> and ''[[Creative Computing]]''{{'}}s VisiCalc review is subtitled "reason enough for owning a computer".<ref name="green198008">{{cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/stream/creativecomputing-1980-08/Creative_Computing_v06_n08_1980_Aug#page/n29/mode/2up | title=VisiCalc: Reason Enough For Owning A Computer |magazine=Creative Computing | date=August 1980 | access-date=October 18, 2013 | author=Green, Doug |page=26}}</ref> Others also chose to develop software, such as [[EasyWriter]], for the Apple II first because of its higher sales, helping Apple defeat rivals [[Commodore International]] and [[Tandy Corporation]].{{r|mcmullen19840221}}

{| class="wikitable"

! technology !! killer application

|-

| [[Electric power industry|electricity]] || [[electric lighting]]

|-

| [[internal combustion engine]] || the [[automobile]] (though [[motorboat]] "one-lunger" [[engines]] were the first widespread [[sales]])

|-

| [[Internet]] || [[e-mail]], [[World Wide Web]]

|}

The co-creator of [[WordStar]], [[Seymour I. Rubinstein|Seymour Rubinstein]], argued that the honor of the first killer app should go to that popular [[word processor]], given that it came out a year before VisiCalc and that it gave a reason for people to buy a computer.<ref name="bergin2006" /> However, whereas WordStar could be considered an incremental improvement (albeit a large one) over smart typewriters like the [[IBM Selectric#Electronic Selectric Composer|IBM Electronic Selectric Composer]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Baron |first=Dennis |author-link=Dennis Baron |date=2012 |title=A Better Pencil: Readers, Writers, and the Digital Revolution |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-m9nDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA94 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |page=94 |isbn=9780199914005}}</ref> VisiCalc, with its ability to instantly recalculate rows and columns, introduced an entirely new paradigm and capability<ref>{{cite book |last=Campbell-Kelly |first=Martin |author-link=Martin Campbell-Kelly |date=2003-10-02 |title=The History of Mathematical Tables: From Sumer to Spreadsheets |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ihRREAAAQBAJ&pg=PA328 |___location=Oxford |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |page=328 |isbn=9780191545214}}</ref> unavailable on larger computers.<ref name="rumelt2003">{{Cite book |last=Rumelt |first=Richard P. |author-link=Richard Rumelt |url=https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/faculty/dick.rumelt/Docs/Cases/Visicorp.pdf |title=VisiCorp 1978-1984 (Revised) |publisher=The Anderson School at UCLA |year=2003 |id=POL-2003-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031101141127/https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/faculty/dick.rumelt/Docs/Cases/Visicorp.pdf |archive-date=2003-11-01}}</ref>

==Killer Application Games==

A Killer Application game is a [[video game]] that is popular to the extent that many buy a particular [[video game console]] or upgrade their [[computer]] [[hardware]] simply to play it. "Killer Application game" is a marketing term used to describe the commercial success of a game in causing sales of hardware, not a colloquial term to describe popularity. Like other types of "killer apps," it is frequently difficult to determine whether it is the popularity of a particular game title that causes sales of a system to rise &ndash; the rise of console or hardware sales may often be attributed to extraneous factors (see also the [[correlation implies causation (logical fallacy)|"correlation implies causation" logical fallacy]]).

[[Lotus 1-2-3]] similarly benefited sales of the [[IBM Personal Computer|IBM PC]].{{r|levy198501}}{{r|sullivan19850520}} Noting that computer purchasers did not want [[PC compatibility]] as much as compatibility with certain PC software, ''[[InfoWorld]]'' suggested "let's tell it like it is. Let's not say 'PC compatible', or even '[[MS-DOS]] compatible'. Instead, let's say '1-2-3 compatible'."{{r|mcmullen19840221}}<ref name="clapp19840227">{{cite magazine | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gy4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA22 | title=PC compatibility |magazine=InfoWorld | date=February 27, 1984 | access-date=January 18, 2015 | author=Clapp, Doug |page=22}}</ref>

===Examples of Killer Application Games===

*[[Links (computer game)|Links 386 Pro]] - for [[Intel 80386|Intel 80386 processor]] [[MS-DOS]] [[personal computers|PC's]]

*[[Myst]] - for [[CD-ROM]] equipped [[personal computers|PC's]]

*[[Super Mario Bros.]] - for [[NES]]

*[[Tetris]], [[Pokemon Red and Blue|Pokemon Red/Blue]]/[[Pokemon Yellow|Yellow]] - for [[Game Boy]]

*[[Sonic the Hedgehog (16-bit)|Sonic the Hedgehog]] and [[Mortal Kombat]] - for [[Sega Mega Drive/Genesis]]

**Mortal Kombat was released on the SNES, but the Megadrive version contained blood and gore which the SNES version lacked.

*[[Street Fighter II]], [[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]] and [[Super Metroid]] - for [[Super NES]]

**Although Street Fighter II was released for other home consoles as well as in the arcades, the superior graphics and sound on the Super NES prompted many consumers to buy the Super NES just to play Street Fighter II.

*[[NiGHTS into Dreams...]] - for [[Sega Saturn]]

*[[Super Mario 64]], [[GoldenEye 007]] and [[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]] - for [[Nintendo 64]]

*[[Final Fantasy VII]], [[Gran Turismo]], [[Tekken 3]] and [[Metal Gear Solid]] - for [[PlayStation]]

*[[Resident Evil 4]], [[Super Smash Bros. Melee]], [[The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker]] and [[Metroid Prime]] - for [[GameCube]]

*[[Soul Calibur (game)| Soul Calibur]], [[Shenmue]] and [[Sonic Adventure]] - for [[Sega Dreamcast]]

*[[Grand Theft Auto III]], [[Metal Gear Solid 2]], [[Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec]], [[Devil May Cry]] and [[Final Fantasy X]] - for [[PlayStation 2]]

*[[Halo: Combat Evolved]] and [[Ninja Gaiden (Xbox)| Ninja Gaiden]] - for [[Xbox]]

*[[New Super Mario Bros.]] and [[Mario Kart DS]] for [[Nintendo DS]]

*[[Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories]] and [[Ridge Racer (PSP)|Ridge Racer]] for [[PlayStation Portable]]

*[[Gears of War]] for [[Xbox 360]]

*[[Resistance: Fall of Man]] for [[PlayStation 3]]

*[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess]] for [[Wii]]

The [[Unix|UNIX Operating System]] became a killer application{{citation needed|date=March 2023}} for the [[PDP-11|DEC PDP-11]] and [[VAX-11]] minicomputers during roughly 1975–1985. Many of the PDP-11 and VAX-11 processors never ran DEC's operating systems (RSTS or VAX/VMS), but instead, they ran UNIX, which was first licensed in 1975. To get a virtual-memory UNIX ([[Berkeley Software Distribution#3BSD|BSD 3.0]]), requires a VAX-11 computer. Many universities wanted a general-purpose timesharing system that would meet the needs of students and researchers. Early versions of UNIX included free [[compiler]]s for [[C (programming language)|C]], [[Fortran]], and [[Pascal (programming language)|Pascal]], at a time when offering even one free compiler was unprecedented. From its inception, UNIX drives high-quality [[typesetting]] equipment and later [[PostScript]] printers using the [[nroff]]/[[troff]] typesetting language, and this was also unprecedented. UNIX is the first operating system offered in source-license form (a university license cost only $10,000, less than a PDP-11), allowing it to run on an unlimited number of machines, and allowing the machines to interface to any type of hardware because the UNIX I/O system is extensible.{{Original research inline|date=March 2023}} {{asof|1985}} Unix's lack of a killer app, however, prevented its widespread adoption by companies, industry analyst Jean Yates said: "I hope [Unix creator] [[AT&T]] will go down on its knees to Lotus".<ref name="sullivan19850520">{{Cite magazine |last=Sullivan |first=Kathleen |date=1985-05-20 |title=Unix needs push to win in corporate micro market |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ygHfUXZWXlcC&pg=PA42 |access-date=2025-06-07 |magazine=Computerworld |page=42 |volume=XIX |issue=20}}</ref>

===Importance===

<!-- Please do not include additional examples unless they contribute something new to help convey the meaning of "Killer game". (see also talk page) -->

To a video game console manufacturer, having such a game available for its platform is critical to a platform's market success. The failure of home video game systems such as the [[3DO Interactive Multiplayer|3DO]], as well as handhelds like the [[Atari Lynx]] and the [[Game.com]] can be attributed to the fact that no killer game emerged for those systems. Conversely, the early success of the [[Nintendo]] [[Game Boy]] is almost universally regarded as a result of the killer game [[Tetris]] [http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/july03/25smartest/index23.shtml] [http://www.4colorrebellion.com/archives/2005/05/23/gameboy-retrospective/], which analysts say was a game with universal appeal that suited the [[Game Boy]]'s strengths and limitations.

===Applications and operating systems===

A killer game can also have great impact on competing hardware in the market. If a killer title is available for one console or set of hardware but not the other, consumers may be unlikely to purchase the second console in anticipation of the killer game on the first console, even if there are other reasons to purchase the second console.

* 1979: [[Apple II]]: [[VisiCalc]] (first spreadsheet program and killer app)<ref name="vaughannichols201305" />

* 1979: [[CP/M]] systems: [[WordStar]]<ref name="bergin2006" /> 1982: ported to [[CP/M-86]] and [[IBM PC compatible]]/[[MS-DOS]]

* 1983: [[IBM PC compatible]]/[[MS-DOS]]: [[Lotus 1-2-3]] (spreadsheet)<ref name="vaughannichols201305" />

* 1985: [[Macintosh 128K|Macintosh]]: [[Adobe PageMaker|Aldus (now Adobe) PageMaker]] (first desktop publishing program)<ref name="robinson199203">{{cite news |last=Robinson |first=Phillip |date=March 2, 1992 |title=Next's Giant Step |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1992/03/02/nexts-giant-step/f32f275a-740a-49da-ad51-e2401995ba01/ |access-date=January 24, 2022}}</ref>

* 1985: [[AmigaOS]]: [[Deluxe Paint]], [[Video Toaster]], [[Prevue Guide]]

* 1993: [[Acorn Archimedes]]: [[Sibelius (scorewriter)|Sibelius]]<ref>

{{cite news

| first = Derek

| last = Bourgeois

| title = Score yourself an orchestra

| date = November 1, 2001

| url = https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2001/nov/01/onlinesupplement3

| work = The Guardian

| access-date = May 10, 2011

| quote = Many composers bought an Archimedes simply to have access to the program.

}}</ref>

* 1995: [[Windows 95]]

==References=Video games===

The term applies to [[video game]]s that persuade consumers to buy a particular [[video game console]] or accessory, by virtue of platform exclusivity. Such a game is also called a "system seller".

<references />

* ''[[Space Invaders]]'', originally released for [[Arcade game|arcades]] in 1978, became a killer app when it was ported to the [[Atari 2600|Atari VCS]] console in 1980, quadrupling sales of the three-year-old console.<ref name="RG-41">{{Cite magazine|date=September 2007| title= The Definitive Space Invaders|magazine= [[Retro Gamer]]| publisher= [[Imagine Publishing]]|issue= 41| pages= 24–33 | url= http://www.nowgamer.com/features/152/the-definitive-space-invaders-part-1 | access-date=April 20, 2011}}</ref>

* ''[[Star Raiders]]'', released in 1980, was the first killer app computer game.<ref name=fulton20080821>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080827205200/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3766/atari_the_golden_years__a_.php?page=13|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3766/atari_the_golden_years__a_.php?page=13|title=Atari: The Golden Years -- A History, 1978-1981|last=Fulton|first=Steve|date=August 21, 2008|work=Gamasutra|archive-date=August 27, 2008|access-date=July 11, 2023}}</ref> ''[[BYTE]]'' named it the single most important reason for sales of [[Atari 8-bit computers|Atari 400 and 800 computers]].<ref name="williams198105">{{cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1981-05/1981_05_BYTE_06-05_Software_Piracy#page/n107/mode/2up | title=Star Raiders |magazine=BYTE | date=May 1981 | access-date=October 18, 2013 | author=Williams, Gregg |page=106}}</ref><ref name="feigel198209">{{Cite magazine |last=Feigel |first=Curtis P. |date=September 1982 |title=Videosyncrasies |url=https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1982-09/page/n384/mode/1up?view=theater |magazine=BYTE |pages=386–390}}</ref> Another was ''[[Eastern Front (1941)]]'', released in 1981.<ref name="greenlaw19811112">{{cite magazine | title=Eastern Front | magazine=Computer Gaming World | date=November–December 1981 | access-date=October 31, 2013 | author=Greenlaw, Stanley | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1981&pub=2&id=1 | pages=29–30 | type=review}}</ref>

* In 1996, ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' wrote that ''[[Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord]]'' (1981) "sent ''[[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons|AD&D]]'' fans scrambling to buy [[Apple II]]s".<ref name="cgw150">{{cite magazine | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1996&pub=2&id=148 | title=150 Best Games of All Time | magazine=Computer Gaming World | date=November 1996 | access-date=March 25, 2016 | pages=64–80}}</ref>

* The [[Famicom]] home port of ''[[Xevious]]'' is considered the console's first killer app, which caused system sales to jump by nearly 2 million units.<ref>{{Cite magazine |author = 遠藤昭宏 |title = ユーゲーが贈るファミコン名作ソフト100選 アクション部門 |date = June 2003 |publisher = キルタイムコミュニケーション |magazine = ユーゲー |issue = 7 |pages = 6–12 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Kurokawa |first1=Fumio |title=ビデオゲームの語り部たち 第4部：石村繁一氏が語るナムコの歴史と創業者・中村雅哉氏の魅力 |url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/999/G999905/20180313040/ |website=[[4Gamer.net]] |access-date=August 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801205701/https://www.4gamer.net/games/999/G999905/20180313040/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 1, 2019 |date=March 17, 2018}}</ref>

* ''Computer Gaming World'' stated that ''[[The Legend of Zelda (video game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'' on the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]], ''[[Phantasy Star II]]'' on the [[Sega Genesis]], and ''[[Far East of Eden]]'' for the NEC [[TurboGrafx-16]] were killer apps for their consoles.<ref name="adams199011">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1990&pub=2&id=76 |title=Westward Ho! (Toward Japan, That Is) |magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] |date=November 1990 |access-date=November 16, 2013 |author=Adams, Roe R. III |page=83}}</ref>

* The ''[[Super Mario]]'', ''[[Final Fantasy]]'', and ''[[Dragon Quest]]'' series were killer apps for Nintendo's Famicom and [[Super Famicom]] consoles in Japan.<ref name="Computing-Japan" />

* ''[[John Madden Football (1990 video game)|John Madden Football]]''{{'}}s popularity in 1990 helped the Genesis gain market share against the Super NES in North America.<ref name="thefranchise">{{cite web |url=http://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=100805/madden&redirected=true |title=The Franchise |publisher=ESPN |date=August 5, 2010 |access-date=January 23, 2015 |author=Hruby, Patrick}}</ref><ref name="IGN_History">{{cite web |last=Fahs |first=Travis |title=IGN Presents the History of Madden |website=IGN |date=August 6, 2008 |url=http://retro.ign.com/articles/896/896893p1.html |access-date=March 30, 2009}}</ref>

** ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'', released in 1991, was hailed as a killer app as it revived sales of the three-year-old Genesis.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Creation of Sonic The Hedgehog|url=https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/the-creation-of-sonic-the-hedgehog/|last=Gates|first=James|website=Culture Trip|date=May 4, 2018|access-date=May 21, 2020}}</ref>

** ''[[Mortal Kombat (1992 video game)|Mortal Kombat]]'' helped pushed the sales of the Genesis due to being uncensored unlike the Nintendo version.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/78QA-H54H2o Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20210518214857/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78QA-H54H2o Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78QA-H54H2o| title = Icons - Mortal Kombat - Part 2 | via=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

** ''[[Streets of Rage (video game)|Streets of Rage]]'' became a system seller for the Mega Drive/Genesis in the UK.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-47896612|title = Sonic, Street Fighter and the 'golden age' of gaming magazines|work = BBC News|date = September 4, 2019}}</ref>

* ''[[Street Fighter II]]'', originally released for arcades in 1991, became a system-seller for the Super NES when it was ported to the platform in 1992.<ref name="egm_influential_sf2">{{cite magazine|last=Patterson|first=Eric L.|title=EGM Feature: The 5 Most Influential Japanese Games Day Four: Street Fighter II|url=http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/egm-featurethe-5-most-influential-japanese-gamesday-four-street-fighter-ii/|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|access-date=April 17, 2012|date=November 3, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314064721/http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/egm-featurethe-5-most-influential-japanese-gamesday-four-street-fighter-ii/|archive-date=March 14, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

** ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'' for the SNES helped Nintendo's comeback against Sega.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27373587 | title=Sega v Nintendo: Sonic, Mario and the 1990's console war | work=BBC News | date=May 12, 2014 }}</ref>

* ''[[Myst]]'' and ''[[The 7th Guest]]'', both released in 1993, drove adoption of [[CD-ROM]] drives for [[personal computer]]s.<ref name="ign retro">{{cite web|date=August 1, 2000|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/082/082913p1.html|title=PC Retroview: Myst|website=IGN|access-date=April 21, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120054557/http://pc.ign.com/articles/082/082913p1.html|archive-date=January 20, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

*''[[Virtua Fighter 2]]'', ''[[Nights into Dreams]]'', and [[Sakura Wars (1996 video game)|''Sakura Wars'']] are the killer apps for the Sega Saturn.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Hickman |first=Sam |title=Virtua Sell Out!|magazine=[[Sega Saturn Magazine]]|issue=3 (January 1996)|publisher=[[Emap International Limited]]|date=December 15, 1995|page=7|url=https://archive.org/details/Official_Sega_Saturn_Magazine_003/page/n6}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.sega.com/news/releases/prices.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961220011108/http://www.sega.com/news/releases/prices.html | archive-date=December 20, 1996 | title=SEGA Central }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/10/19/sakura-wars-strikes-the-dreamcast|title=Sakura Wars Strikes the Dreamcast|author=IGN Staff|date=October 19, 1999|website=IGN}}</ref>

**[[UEFA European Championship video games|''Euro 96'']] and ''[[Sega Rally Championship]]'' are major system-sellers for the [[Sega Saturn]] in the United Kingdom, with the latter becoming the fastest selling CD game.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Tonight We're Going to Party like it's 1996!|magazine=[[Sega Saturn Magazine]]|issue=16 |publisher=[[Emap International Limited]]|date=February 1997|page=10}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Sega go to the Top of the Charts!|magazine=[[Sega Saturn Magazine]]|issue=5 |publisher=[[Emap International Limited]]|date=March 1996|page=6}}</ref>

**''[[Die Hard Arcade]]'' and ''[[Fighters Megamix]]'' boosted the Sega Saturn's sales in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sega.com/buzz/press_releases/june97/pricedrop.html |title=Sega Online: Buzz (Press Releases) |website=www.sega.com |access-date=January 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970630063324/http://www.sega.com/buzz/press_releases/june97/pricedrop.html |archive-date=June 30, 1997 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

*''[[Ridge Racer (1993 video game)|Ridge Racer]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine|first1=Stuart|last1=Levy|first2=Ed|last2=Semrad |title=Rage Racer |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=90|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|date=January 1997|page=112}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://uk.psx.ign.com/articles/080/080401p1.html | title=Top 25 Games of All Time: Complete List |website=IGN |date=January 23, 2002 |access-date=January 6, 2012 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100504134205/http://uk.psx.ign.com/articles/080/080401p1.html |archive-date=May 4, 2010 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> ''[[Tekken]]'',<ref name="auto" /> ''[[Wipeout (video game)|Wipeout]]'',<ref name="SatMag5">{{cite news|last=Hickman |first=Sam |title=The Thrill of the Chase!|work=[[Sega Saturn Magazine]]|issue=5|publisher=[[Emap International Limited]] |date=March 1996|pages=36|quote=And if there was one game that sold Playstation on launch, it was WipEout}}</ref><ref name="eurogamer1">{{cite web |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2014-20-years-of-playstation-the-making-of-wipeout |title=20 years of PlayStation: the making of WipEout |last=Leadbetter |first=Richard |date=December 4, 2014 |work=[[Eurogamer]] |publisher=Gamer Network |access-date=December 11, 2014}}</ref> ''[[Tomb Raider (1996 video game)|Tomb Raider]]'',<ref name="GS-History">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/tombraider_hist/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090306100124/http://www.gamespot.com/features/tombraider_hist/index.html |archive-date=March 6, 2009 |title=GameSpot's History of Tomb Raider |website=[[GameSpot]] |author1=Blache, Fabian |author2=Fielder, Lauren |date=October 31, 2000 |access-date=June 1, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and ''[[Crash Bandicoot (video game)|Crash Bandicoot]]''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/crash-bandicoots-jeans-look-super-realistic-in-remastered-trilogy/|title=Crash Bandicoot's Jeans Look Super Realistic in Remastered Trilogy |last=Kotzer |first= Zack|date=December 3, 2016 |website=Vice|access-date= February 24, 2023|quote= Taking the classic 2D platformer 3D in a more literal fashion, jumping around obstacles along zany corridors, the [Crash Bandicoot series] quickly became PlayStation's killer app.'}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author1=Jaime Banks |author2=Robert Mejia |author3=Aubrie Adams |date=2017 |title=100 Greatest Video Game Characters |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7qmSDgAAQBAJ |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |page=45 |quote=...Moreover, Crash was one of the first 3D characters to feature highly expressive facial animations, helping the game to serve as a "killer app" for PlayStation. |isbn=9781442278134}}</ref> are the killer apps for the [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]]. ''Tomb Raider'' was released for the Sega Saturn first and for [[MS-DOS]] at the same time, but the games contributed substantially to the original PlayStation's early success.

**''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'' is another killer app for the [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]]. ''Computing Japan'' magazine said that it was largely responsible for the PlayStation's global [[installed base]] increasing 60% from {{nowrap|10 million}} units sold by November 1996 to {{nowrap|16 million}} units sold by May 1997.<ref name="Computing-Japan" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cgmagonline.com/articles/features/the-road-to-playstation-5-feature/ |title=The Road to PlayStation 5: A CGM Story|last= Goh |first=Clement |date=November 16, 2020 |website=CGMagazine Online |access-date=February 24, 2023 |quote=...Called Final Fantasy VII, its combination of real-time 3D graphics and rich movie-quality storytelling gave Sony a permanent formula. [...] The PlayStation also found its killer app, selling 10 million copies worldwide and put more systems in households.}}</ref>

*''[[Super Mario 64]]'' and ''[[GoldenEye 007 (1997 video game)|GoldenEye 007]]'' are the killer apps for the [[Nintendo 64]].<ref name="hutchinson20130113">{{Cite web |last=Hutchinson |first=Lee |date=January 13, 2013 |title=How I launched 3 consoles (and found true love) at Babbage's store no. 9 |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/01/how-i-launched-3-consoles-and-found-true-love-at-babbages-store-no-9/ |access-date=June 20, 2020 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=The 52 Most Important Video Games of All Time (page 5 of 8) |url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/110069/the-52-most-important-video-games-of-all-time-page-5-of-8/ |magazine=[[GamePro]] |date=April 24, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100404032903/http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/110069/the-52-most-important-video-games-of-all-time-page-5-of-8/ |access-date=May 17, 2021 |archive-date=April 4, 2010}}</ref>

*''[[Virtua Fighter 3]]'', ''[[Sonic Adventure]]'', and ''[[The House of the Dead 2]]'' are the killer apps for the [[Dreamcast]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/03/02/a-brief-history-of-dreamcast |title=A Brief History of Dreamcast |date=March 2, 1999}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/games/2018/nov/28/sega-dreamcast-at-20-futuristic-console |title=Sega Dreamcast at 20: The futuristic games console that came too soon |website=[[TheGuardian.com]] |date=November 28, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/05/15/sega-needs-back-on-iphone |title=SEGA Needs Back on iPhone |date=May 15, 2009}}</ref>

**''[[NFL 2K (video game)|NFL 2K]]'' is a killer app for the [[Dreamcast]] in the United States.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Sega Rolls On|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|date=December 1999|page=10}}</ref>

*''[[Gran Turismo 3]]'' and the ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' games are the killer apps for the [[PlayStation 2]].<ref name=GT3sales>{{cite magazine |title=Final Reality |author=Nicholson, Zy |issue=11 |date=September 2001 |pages=49, 50 |magazine=[[PlayStation Official Magazine – UK#Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine|Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine]]}}</ref><ref name="auto" />

*''[[Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader]]'', ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', and ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]'' are the killer apps for the [[GameCube]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/05/21/the-best-star-wars-games-ever-made |title=The Best Star Wars Games Ever Made |date=May 21, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://cube.ign.com/articles/100/100981p1.html |title=Super Smash Bros. "Million" in Japan |date=January 17, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=September 5, 2002 |title=MARIO DELIVERS! Super Mario Sunshine Launches At Record Pace, Boosts Hardware Sales |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/MARIO+DELIVERS!+Super+Mario+Sunshine+Launches+At+Record+Pace%2C+Boosts+...-a091071000 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180829072502/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/MARIO+DELIVERS!+Super+Mario+Sunshine+Launches+At+Record+Pace%2C+Boosts+...-a091071000 |archive-date=August 29, 2018 |access-date=December 11, 2017 |publisher=[[Business Wire]]}}</ref>

* ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', ''[[Halo 2]]'', ''[[Project Gotham Racing]]'' and ''[[Dead or Alive 3]]'' are the killer apps for the [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]].<ref>Craig Glenday, ed (March 11, 2008). "Hardware History II". Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008. Guinness World Records. Guinness. p. 27. {{ISBN|978-1-904994-21-3}}.</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://news.microsoft.com/2002/07/23/xbox-hits-major-sales-milestones-for-console-and-games/ | title=Xbox Hits Major Sales Milestones for Console and Games | date=23 July 2002 | access-date=2 October 2024 | archive-date=19 September 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240919142013/https://news.microsoft.com/2002/07/23/xbox-hits-major-sales-milestones-for-console-and-games/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.multiplayer.it/b2b/articoli.php3?id=4874 |title = Multiplayer.it Business to Business |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030902075514/http://www.multiplayer.it/b2b/articoli.php3?id=4874 |archive-date=2 September 2003 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The subsequent ''Halo'' series entries became killer apps for the [[Xbox 360]] and [[Xbox One]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/07/01/why-halo-the-master-chief-collection-will-save-the.aspx|title=Why 'Halo: The Master Chief Collection' Will Save the Xbox One -- The Motley Fool|last=Sun|first=Leo|date=December 15, 2016|newspaper=The Motley Fool|access-date=December 15, 2016}}</ref>

** Many video game and technology critics call [[Xbox Live]] a more general killer app for the Xbox.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vpjpAgAAQBAJ&q=halo+xbox+killer+app&pg=PT510 |title=Vintage Game Consoles |last1=Loguidice |first1=Bill |last2=Barton |first2=Matt |date=February 24, 2014 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=9781135006501 |access-date=June 3, 2020}}</ref>

** ''[[Blue Dragon (video game)|Blue Dragon]]'' is a killer app for the [[Xbox 360]] in Japan.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/07/blue-dragon-sets-japan-ablaze/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071223054506/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/07/blue-dragon-sets-japan-ablaze/ |archive-date=December 23, 2007 |title=Video Game News & Reviews}}</ref>

* ''[[Wii Sports]]'' is the killer app for the [[Wii]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2008/01/2007s-ten-burni/ |title=2007's Ten Burning Questions, Answered |magazine=Wired |last1=Kohler |first1=Chris}}</ref>

* ''[[Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots]]'' boosted PlayStation 3 sales.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/06/17/nearly-500000-for-metal-gear-solid-4-in-japan|title=Nearly 500,000 for Metal Gear Solid 4 in Japan|first=John|last=Tanaka|date=June 17, 2008|website=IGN}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Kent |first=Steven L. |author-link= Steven L. Kent |date=2021 |title=The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 2: Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and the Billion-Dollar Battle to Shape Modern Gaming |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=UosOEAAAQBAJ|edition= 2nd|publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group]]|page= 408-410|isbn=9781984825445}}</ref>

* ''[[Mario Kart 8]]'' is a killer app for the [[Wii U]] in the UK.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/465552/mario-kart-8-boosts-uk-wii-u-hardware-sales-666/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140602175424/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/465552/mario-kart-8-boosts-uk-wii-u-hardware-sales-666/ |archive-date=June 2, 2014 |title=Mario Kart 8 boosts UK Wii U hardware sales 666% - CVG US }}</ref>

* ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild]]'' is a killer app for the [[Nintendo Switch]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Craddock |first1=Ryan |title=Anniversary: Nintendo Switch Launched Four Years Ago Today |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/03/anniversary_nintendo_switch_launched_four_years_ago_today |access-date=April 18, 2021 |work=[[Nintendo Life]] |date=March 3, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lawver |first1=Bryan |title=All 17 Legend of Zelda games, ranked from worst to best |url=https://www.inverse.com/gaming/zelda-games-ranked-best-worst |access-date=April 18, 2021 |work=[[Inverse.com]] |date=2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Camden |title=Why Breath Of The Wild Fans Will LOVE A Short Hike |url=https://screenrant.com/games-like-zelda-breath-wild-short-hike-switch/ |access-date=April 18, 2021 |work=[[Screen Rant]] |date=August 20, 2020}}</ref>

* ''[[Half-Life: Alyx]]'' is a killer app for [[virtual reality headset]]s,<ref>{{cite web |last1=McKeand |first1=Kirk |title=Half-Life: Alyx review - VR's killer app is a key component in the Half-Life story |url=https://www.vg247.com/2020/03/23/half-life-alyx-review/ |website=VG247 |access-date=March 24, 2020 |date=March 23, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Carbotte |first1=Kevin |title=Half-Life: Alyx Gameplay Review: (Almost) Every VR Headset Tested |url=https://www.tomshardware.com/uk/reviews/half-life-alyx-gameplay-vr-headset |website=Tom's Hardware |date=March 23, 2020 |access-date=March 24, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Robinson |first1=Andrew |title=Review: Half-Life Alyx is VR's stunning killer app |url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/reviews/half-life-alyx |website=VGC |access-date=March 24, 2020 |date=March 23, 2020}}</ref> as the first true [[AAA (video game industry)|AAA]] [[virtual reality]] [[video game|game]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Oloman |first1=Jordan |title=Half-Life: Alyx is a watershed moment for virtual reality {{!}} TechRadar |url=https://www.techradar.com/news/half-life-alyx-is-a-watershed-moment-for-virtual-reality |website=www.techradar.com|date=March 23, 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=CES 2020: Teslasuit Will Unveil New Haptic VR Gloves |url=https://www.techtimes.com/articles/246665/20191227/ces-2020-teslasuit-will-unveil-new-haptic-vr-gloves.htm |website=Tech Times |date=December 27, 2019}}</ref> Sales of VR headsets such as the [[Valve Index]] increased dramatically after its announcement, suggesting users bought the product specifically for the game.<ref>Parlock, Joe (December 9, 2019). [https://www.forbes.com/sites/joeparlock/2019/12/09/the-valve-index-vr-headset-sells-out-before-christmas-thanks-to-half-life-alyx/#ccd47c368fcb "The Valve Index VR Headset Sells Out Before Christmas Thanks To 'Half-Life: Alyx'"], ''Forbes''. Retrieved December 30, 2019.</ref>

* ''[[Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020 video game)|Microsoft Flight Simulator]]'' was called a killer app for [[Xbox Game Studios]]'s [[Xbox Game Pass]] subscription, and the [[Xbox Series X and Series S|Xbox Series X/S]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/119812/microsoft-flight-simulator-review-the-killer-app|title = ''Microsoft Flight Simulator'' review: The killer app|date=August 17, 2020}}</ref>

** Microsoft's acquisition of [[Bethesda Softworks]] in 2021 was seen as providing several potential killer app games for the Xbox Series X/S, notably [[Starfield (video game)|''Starfield'']] from [[Bethesda Game Studios]], which in addition to launching as a [[console exclusive]] in 2023,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kim |first=Matt |date=2021-06-13 |title=Starfield: 2022 Release Date Revealed, Xbox Exclusive Confirmed - E3 2021 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/starfield-leak-release-date-xbox-exclusive-e3-2021 |access-date=2025-07-15 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref> became a significantly focused game in Xbox's advertising of the consoles in addition to replacing prior tentpole exclusive [[Halo Infinite|''Halo Infinite'']] (2021) as the key visual game featured on the packaging of Xbox Series X.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cryer |first=Hirun |date=2023-01-17 |title=Starfield seemingly replacing Halo as Xbox Series X flagship franchise |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/starfield-seemingly-replacing-halo-as-xbox-series-x-flagship-franchise/ |access-date=2025-07-15 |website=GamesRadar+ |language=en}}</ref>

*[[Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart|''Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart'']] was seen as a killer app for the [[PlayStation 5]] due to being a game released at a point in the console's lifecycle where much of the first-party software from Sony was also supplemented by a simultaneous release on [[PlayStation 4]], in addition to being highlighted for its graphical fidelity and use of the console's various hardware features such as faster loading and the functions of the [[DualSense]] controller.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Review: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart |url=https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-ratchet-clank-rift-apart/ |access-date=2025-07-15 |website=Destructoid |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gilliam |first=Ryan |date=2021-06-08 |title=Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart earns its PS5 exclusivity |url=https://www.polygon.com/reviews/22522726/ratchet-clank-rift-apart-rivet-review-impressions-ps5-exclusive-controller |access-date=2025-07-15 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref>

*[[Mario Kart World|''Mario Kart World'']] and [[Donkey Kong Bananza|''Donkey Kong Bananza'']] are seen as and were positioned by Nintendo as killer apps for the launch window of [[Nintendo Switch 2]], both for their technical improvements over previous entries in their respective series, and for gameplay innovations such as ''World''<nowiki/>'s open "Free Roam" mode and ''Bananza''<nowiki/>'s destructible sandbox environments that leverage the increase in hardware potency.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Orland |first=Kyle |date=2025-06-03 |title=“Free Roam” mode is Mario Kart World’s killer app |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/06/free-roam-mode-is-mario-kart-worlds-killer-app/ |access-date=2025-07-15 |website=Ars Technica |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-04-03 |title=Mario Kart World reinvents the series, and feels like Switch 2's killer app after an hour of hands-on play |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/mario-kart-world-reinvents-the-series-and-feels-like-switch-2s-killer-app-after-an-hour-of-hands-on-play |access-date=2025-07-15 |work=Eurogamer.net |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=I Played Donkey Kong Bananza. It's the Switch 2's Killer Ape |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/i-played-donkey-kong-bananza-its-the-switch-2s-killer-app/ |access-date=2025-07-15 |website=CNET |language=en}}</ref>

* ''[[Pokémon]]'' games are killer apps for Nintendo handhelds,<ref>{{cite book |last=Bell |first=David |date=2004 |title=Cyberculture: The Key Concepts |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UFP3A04JQKwC&pg=PA95 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |page=95 |isbn=9780415247542}}</ref> often topping the best-selling charts for whatever system they appear on.

==See also==

* [[LaunchDisruptive titleinnovation]]

* [[Unique selling point]]

* [[Vendor lock-in]]

* [[Use case]]

==References==

{{reflist|refs=

<ref name="auto">{{cite book |last1=Stevens |first1=Chris |title=Designing for the iPad: Building Applications that Sell |date=January 4, 2011 |publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]] |isbn=978-0-470-97693-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QUUfc9Z06D4C&pg=PA100 |language=en}}</ref>

<ref name="bergin2006">{{cite journal |title=The Origins of Word Processing Software for Personal Computers: 1976-1985 |author1=Bergin, Thomas J. |journal=IEEE Annals of the History of Computing |date=Oct–Dec 2006 |volume=28 |issue=4 |pages=32–47 |doi=10.1109/MAHC.2006.76 |s2cid=18895790}}</ref>

<ref name="Computing-Japan">{{cite magazine |title=The lack of a killer app |magazine=Computing Japan |date=1997 |volume=36-41 |page=44 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fdqZAAAAIAAJ |publisher=LINC Japan |quote=Noguchi points out that every time sales of a particular game console have taken off, it has been because it had a new "killer software". Nintendo had ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', ''[[Dragon Quest]]'', and ''[[Final Fantasy]]''. And Sony PlayStation now has ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'', which has been selling like hotcakes since it was released at the end of January. Total shipments of PlayStation, which numbered 10 million worldwide as of November 1996, had jumped to 12 million by February 14 and 16 million by the end of May.}}</ref>

<ref name="vaughannichols201305">{{cite news |last= Vaughan-Nichols |first=Steven |date=May 14, 2013 |title=Goodbye, Lotus 1-2-3 |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/goodbye-lotus-1-2-3/ |access-date=January 24, 2022}}</ref>

==Further reading==

* [[Larry Downes]] and [[Chunka Mui]], ''[http://www.killer-apps.com Unleashing The Killer App]'', Harvard Business School Press, May 1998; hardcover ISBN 087584801X

}}

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