Angry Birds, a casual puzzle game, became an international phenomenon within a few months of its release and is now the number one paid app of all time.

ENGADGET: Angry Birds Trilogy flutters to Wii / Wii U in celebration of one million sold

It would be nice to think that the game of chicken was just a childhood phenomenon.

FORBES: Why Leaders Play Chicken

For those of you without kids or who live on a remote island without a broadband connection, Minecraft is a legitimate worldwide phenomenon, a building block video game that launched in 2009 and now has over 8 million paying customers and a total of 40 million users worldwide, its own conference, and a legion of YouTube stars.

FORBES: The Great Lego Minecraft Shortage of 2012

Hillenmeyer explains why now is the right time to capitalize on the eSports phenomenon and bring in real pro athletes into the game in this exclusive interview.

FORBES: Former NFL Star Hunter Hillenmeyer Explains How OverDog Connects Gamers With Pro Athletes

Gino cleverly studied this phenomenon by making a subtle change to the weight guessing game I described above.

FORBES: Why Do Patients Take Their Doctor's Advice?

"Halo 3 has become a pop-culture phenomenon, " said Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios, in a statement.

BBC: NEWS | Technology | Halo 3 sales top ?84m in 24 hours

By selling a Spider-Man game through Mforma and its Chinese mobile partners, Marvel can capitalize off the phenomenon, and exploit the huge and growing Chinese cellular market, where there are more cellular handsets in use than land lines.

FORBES: Superhero Gaming

The phenomenon of pro gaming, especially as it seems headed more mainstream, is celebrating game makers as much as it is the best gamers in the world.

FORBES: Connect