Some of the early games emphasizing stealth include Castle Wolfenstein (1981), Metal Gear (1987), and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (1990). According to the New York Times, "once upon a time, stealth in games was rare. This began to change in 1998", while Maximum PC has said "Some would argue that the stealth-action genre was born in 1998" with the mainstream success of Metal Gear Solid as well as Tenchu: Stealth Assassins and Thief: The Dark Project. Tenchu was the first 3D game in the genre, while Metal Gear Solid, released some months later, transformed the relatively obscure Metal Gear series into a highly acclaimed, profitable franchise with numerous sequels. Thief: The Dark Project pioneered 3D stealth games on PC. These games were followed by other stealth series, such as Hitman and Spl