Minecraft was is a pixel based game that was released in 2009 and is probably the most dominate game that is pixel based on them market today. You can also argue that it is a indie. 
Pixel games becoming Popular
Pixel games are currently dominating the gaming world if you was to look on steam you would find lots of pixel related games. I personally think this is due to people becoming bored of all the amazing graphics in games and wanting something new. You could say pixel games are old though because during the 80s all games where pixel based. I love the idea of pixel games it bring an entire new look to games and I really do think there is much more to come from pixel games.
Adam salesman says “It’s hard for people to take pixel art ‘seriously’ the same way they take 3D seriously sometimes. But then you get brilliant counter-examples like papers, please, which almost no one would describe as ‘retro’ or ‘8-bit’ despite the pixelated presentation.”
This is very true because pixels where the thing in the 80s people have a lot of stick against it as the new generation is all 3d and realistic and people dont see the point in pixel based games. The pros in pixel games pixel games will never age and will always have the pixel look to it, this is what makes pixel games special as they are just a huge collection of pixels to make something so simple look so nice.
Sam.B. (2014). Pixel art games aren’t retro, they’re the future.Available: http://www.theverge.com/2014/7/3/5865849/pixel-art-is-here-to-stay. Last accessed 15th May 2016.
newmanclennell 