Killer application

A killer application (commonly shortened to killer app) is a program or video game that is so useful or excellent that people will buy a particular computer hardware, gaming console and/or operating system simply to run that program.

In other words, consumers would buy the (usually expensive) hardware just to run that application. A killer app can substantially increase sales of the platform on which it runs.

Popular killer apps in gaming
The term has also been applied to computer and video games that cause consumers to buy a particular video game console or gaming hardware over a competing one. Examples of a video game killer applications are:


 * The first generally agreed example of a "killer app" in gaming is Space Invaders, released for arcades in 1978 and ported to the Atari VCS (Atari 2600) console in 1980, quadrupling sales of the then three-year-old Atari 2600 platform.
 * Donkey Kong was the killer app for the ColecoVision console in 1982.
 * The video gaming website GameTrailers considers the Super Mario Bros. games to be the killer app for nearly all Nintendo home consoles, Tetris as the killer app for the Game Boy, Grand Theft Auto III for the PlayStation 2, Super Smash Bros. Melee for the GameCube, and Wii Sports for the Nintendo Wii.
 * Sonic the Hedgehog, released in 1991, was hailed as a killer app as it revived sales of the (by then) three year old Sega Genesis / Mega Drive.
 * The 8-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog in 1991 was also considered a killer app for the then seven year old Sega Master System, which enjoyed renewed popularity in Europe and South America as a result.
 * Final Fantasy VII is considered a "killer app" that the original PlayStation had along with Metal Gear Solid. These were immensely popular exclusives that helped the console pull ahead of the Nintendo 64 for good. Resident Evil and Gran Turismo were also considered killer apps for the console.
 * Pokémon Red and Blue would be classified a "killer app" for the seven-year-old Game Boy as a craze evolved around the series in the late 90s, and it was only available on that platform.
 * Pokemon Gold and Silver were released at the height of the Pokemon craze alongside the Game Boy Color, and fueled the sales for the console all the way to the release of the Game Boy Advance two years later.
 * GoldenEye 007 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time are considered killer apps for the Nintendo 64.
 * Quake is considered the killer app for hardware 3D accelerators in home computing.
 * The Halo series is considered the killer app of the Xbox and Xbox 360.


 * Nintendogs for the Nintendo DS
 * Tetris for the Game Boy

Also known as

 * Killer title
 * System seller