Top 5 Irritating Video Game Myths

Top 5 Video Game Myths

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  These myths need to be patched. Welcome to WatchMojo’s Top 5 Myths, the series that finds the myths people actually believe and dispels them one by one. In this episode we’ll be tackling the five myths about Video Games that had us QQing. For the record we’re looking at the industry itself, not those cheeky little myths about individual games, like what Clarence told you about Mew being under the truck in Pokemon Red…the little bastard.    

#5: Video Games make you a Loner

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  All right, lets get this one out of the way quickly. With headlines like “Gamer dies after 19 hour gaming session”, it’s easy to see while some people still hold on to the belief that videogames are made for social outcasts. And the “basement dwelling gamer” seems to be a go-to for some of the more uninspired comedians. But in reality, for a large part of the gaming community, the opposite is true. Online gaming has become a massively social entity, with games like first person shooters and MMORPGs actually encourage players to cooperate and interact with one another in order to accomplish a goal. This can lead those who would usually isolate themselves socially to gain the in-game confidence to create connections, which in turn can translate to real-world friendships as well. What’s more, Video games can be a gateway to different social circles, from the speed running community to the ever-glorious fighting game community. Basically, gaming has changed greatly from the tired clichés that the likes of Jimmy Kimmel cling to, and in this day and age, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who ISN’T a gamer?  

#4: Pong was the First Video Game

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  Those two green paddles jumping up and down the black tube television of an arcade screen were the introduction to video games for most folks in the 70s. Pong is the game that launched video game craze, and what lead many investors to begin thinking about gaming as a viable industry. But pong was far from being the first video game. The first official video game ever was a simplified adaptation of tic tac toe called “Bertie and the Brain” and it was first shown at the 1950 Canadian National Exhibit, twenty-two years before Pong was released. Heck, Pong isn’t even the first commercially available game, either. Computer Space was the first arcade game to appear in bars and pinball arcades across America. Much more sophisticated than pong, but it didn’t offer players the same level as engagement as Pong, which is why Pong took off and Computer Space was banished to a footnote in the history books.  

#3: Girls Don't Play Video Games

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  With the rise of feminist voices condemning the lack of three-dimensional female characters in videogames, many have fallen back on the argument that women just aren’t that interested in gaming, and that they aren’t a big enough demographic for their voices to be relevant. In fact, video games are extremely popular with females. No surprise. A recent study shows that adult females make up 37 percent of video game sales, second only to adult male audiences who make up 38 percent of the market. But like any big entertainment industry, investors tend to fall back on tried-and true formulas to maximize sales, and historically, videogames haven’t scored too high on the feminist scale. That’s why despite more and more women rallying for equal representation in videogames, you can expect new releases to still have the same old tropes on display. Regardless, the female gaming demographic is growing and it surely wont be long until this myth fades into obscurity.   


#2: The Film industry is Bigger than The Video Game Industry

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  Film has long been then titan when it comes to story-telling media and, as such, it gets a much better rep than Video Games with the General public. And since everyone and their cat goes out to watch movies, you’d think the cash flow would reflect that. But rejoice, gamers, we’re actually pumping more money into our hobby than the everyday Joe Blow. In 2015, the total US Box Office Revenue was 11 Billion Dollars – even with the release of massive hits like Star Wars and Jurassic World. The total Video Game Revenue? 23.5 Billion dollars – more than double the amount of the box office. It’s partly because new video games have such a higher price tag, even though triple A games are generally cheaper to produce than a Hollywood movie. So are video game company’s robbing us? Well, no, they usually offer a lot more content than a movie, and you’re likely to spend at least triple the amount of time playing a game than you would watching a movie.  

#1: There is Scientific Proof Linking Video Games and Violence

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  This myth isn’t quite as cut-and dry as some of the others on this list, but untrue nonetheless. With the introduction of new technologies always comes the fear of their influence. Be it with heavy metal music, or even Pokémon, the media always flocks to the idea that these hobbies are turning good folks bad – and video games are perhaps the most commonly accused. But this myth does arguably have some legs. Plenty of us can admit we’ve been prone to throwing our controller at the wall a couple times after getting frustrated in a round of Street Fighter. And any aggressive medium may incite someone with anger issues to act upon their frustrations. However, a recent study conducted in Oxford University concluded that there is no strong correlation between the two, and instances of aggression may only occur after prolonged gaming sessions. The case simply needs more context and as it stands, everyone is still wildly debating whether it’s true or not. For now, the proof just isn’t there. And let’s face it jumping on goombas or driving cars into giant soccer balls isn’t going to push you into decking someone.   So which of these myths did you believe? Here’s what google searchers are asking about Video Games: Do video games make you fat?Is Super Mario a Real Person? Which Pokemon is the Sexiest? For more playful top 10s and rage-quitting top 5s, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.