Over the years I’ve read so many interviews with people across the spectrum that have cited Tron as a major influence on their work. Computer guys, writers, musicians/video people, artists, people in the special FX world... it’s really incredible how big an influence it was. The whole cyberpunk genre owes a big debt to that film as well. I was a geek to begin with but Tron pretty well solidified it.
And yea, the video game sucked, but it’s influence on gaming as a whole is staggering.
Cool concepts, but it didn't hold up well.
I think that "Tron" will wind up like "The Matrix"... the visual effects in the original are so far ahead of everything else, that they stand on their own. And then, all of the sequels (or copycats) just don't cut it.