Greatest IP debut games (and why)

[Veknoid_Outcast]

My top three would be Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and Halo: Combat Evolved. Each one satisfies the following criteria:

• Great game
• Launched a huge, successful franchise that continues to this day (although Halo post-2010 is more than a little shaky)
• Helped change the rules and expectations of the genre
• Helped secure a console maker's place in the game industry

If we're just identifying the highest quality game that started a series, then I vote Deus Ex.