http://www.insertcredit.com/features/kane/ and also http://gamasutra.com/features/20070316/ochalla_01.shtml

Another month, another story (or two) lamenting the absence of a Citizen Kane of video-games.  I had written the following two (and a half) years ago, but it seems I failed to post it:

Why is everyone so obsessed with Citizen Kane?  Don't get me wrong: it is an awesome movie (thanks Cinema school) and it is generally considered to be the *greatest movie evah!!1!* 

My annoyance comes from a few blog posts that have popped up after GDC [ed: GDC 2005].  They're mostly lamenting the fact that gaming has not had a seminal moment that compares to Citizen Kane.  To this I say: WTF?!?

The movie that is normally credited with that is The Birth of a Nation (1915).  Citizen Kane didn't even win the Best Picture Oscar the year it was released (that honor went to How Green Was My Valley).  It really didn't start getting its acclaim until many years later.  Citizen Kane can be credited with bringing together a bunch of film techniques (some not known before) and having a great story (it won an Oscar for that, at least).  As much as it pains me to use the word, Citizen Kane was a highly innovative film.

What does this mean for games?  Maybe it has already had its 'Citizen Kane moment' and we won't recognize it for a few years.  One could argue that games like Half-Life 1/2, Grand Theft Auto 3+, and Halo 1/2 all have been similarly 'innovative' games.

(re: Grand Text Auto » Prayers For Kane AND Kotaku >> Will Gaming Have a Citizen Kane Moment?)

Golly, huh?