Since the early days of video games, young gamers have whispered secrets on the schoolyard and spent long hours trying to make the most outrageous gaming myths come true. Some kids heard their best friend's cousin found Mew under a truck in "Pokemon"; others were utterly convinced there was a secret way to find the Triforce in "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time." Before gamers banded together on the Internet and used their collective knowledge -- and the ability to hack into games and parse their code -- to rule out the impossible, any schoolyard whisper could turn out to be the truth.
The video game world is so insular that you'd have to be a dedicated gamer to even hear certain rumors and myths -- the one surrounding a code that revives Aeris in the game "Final Fantasy 7" is a good example. Other rumors are more scandalous, like the one about a cheat code that allows players of "Tomb Raider" to defrock Lara Croft. But gaming myths extend beyond secret characters and gamer gossip. There are myths about gaming, too -- like the idea that gaming directly causes violence or that only boys play video games.
Because these ideas are funny, intriguing or just
plain misguided -- and because we like debunking myths -- we now present
10 of the most common myths about video games.
10. There's a Madden Curse
As far as silly video game myths go, this one is pretty darn eerie. Around the year 2000, game developer and publisher Electronic Arts began featuring football players on the cover of its popular "Madden NFL" game every year. And a weird thing started happening. For several years, nearly every player to grace the cover of the game ended up being injured the following season. Some merely turned in poor performances. Star athletes were seemingly struck down left and right by the Madden curse.
10. There's a Madden Curse
As far as silly video game myths go, this one is pretty darn eerie. Around the year 2000, game developer and publisher Electronic Arts began featuring football players on the cover of its popular "Madden NFL" game every year. And a weird thing started happening. For several years, nearly every player to grace the cover of the game ended up being injured the following season. Some merely turned in poor performances. Star athletes were seemingly struck down left and right by the Madden curse.
Of
course, there's a logical explanation for how the Madden curse came to
be. Athletes picked for the cover are always coming off of great
seasons, and football is a rough game. It happens in the NFL all the
time: Some athletes turn in weak seasons, and others get injured. The
curse is well-known, but that doesn't mean appearing on the cover of a
video game magically causes players to sprain ankles.
9. 'Tomb Raider' Has a Nude Code
In 1996, "Tomb Raider" was a revelation. It was the atmospheric, adventure-laden Indiana Jones-style video game we'd always wanted. There were ancient ruins, mythological treasures and dinosaurs. Lara Croft was gaming's new icon, but that was due to her appearance as much as her game. The buxom adventurer was a strong, independent character, but her design was straight out of male fantasy. Naturally, rumors quickly started flying around claiming there was a nude code in "Tomb Raider" that would strip Lara down to her birthday suit.
9. 'Tomb Raider' Has a Nude Code
In 1996, "Tomb Raider" was a revelation. It was the atmospheric, adventure-laden Indiana Jones-style video game we'd always wanted. There were ancient ruins, mythological treasures and dinosaurs. Lara Croft was gaming's new icon, but that was due to her appearance as much as her game. The buxom adventurer was a strong, independent character, but her design was straight out of male fantasy. Naturally, rumors quickly started flying around claiming there was a nude code in "Tomb Raider" that would strip Lara down to her birthday suit.
The code never
existed, but that didn't stop gamers from trying. Fake codes and secrets
made the rounds on the Internet (in its early days in 1997) and
throughout gaming culture. "Tomb Raider" actually does have codes that
gamers can enter for other purposes, but nothing that gets Lara Croft
naked.
Despite being a myth, the "Tomb Raider" nude code is notorious to this
day -- Lara Croft's status as a gaming sex symbol ensured that.
And in the end, mischievous gamers got the last laugh. While there's no nudity built into any of the "Tomb Raider" games, game modders eventually created nude character models for Lara that could be loaded into the PC versions of the game.
8. There's a Sex Minigame in 'Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'
Rockstar Games' "Grand Theft Auto" has long been a controversial series, but scandal erupted around "Grand Theft Auto: San San Andreas" when media attention focused on a mod for the game called Hot Coffee. Game modders dug around in San Andreas and found an abandoned sex minigame -- the protagonist is invited into his girlfriend's house for coffee, and naughtiness ensues. Outraged politicians and the media jumped on the game, and the Entertainment Software Ratings Board re-rated the game from Mature to Adults-Only. Rockstar had to re-release the game for PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox, and the whole ordeal cost its parent company Take-Two Interactive millions of dollars.
And in the end, mischievous gamers got the last laugh. While there's no nudity built into any of the "Tomb Raider" games, game modders eventually created nude character models for Lara that could be loaded into the PC versions of the game.
8. There's a Sex Minigame in 'Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'
Rockstar Games' "Grand Theft Auto" has long been a controversial series, but scandal erupted around "Grand Theft Auto: San San Andreas" when media attention focused on a mod for the game called Hot Coffee. Game modders dug around in San Andreas and found an abandoned sex minigame -- the protagonist is invited into his girlfriend's house for coffee, and naughtiness ensues. Outraged politicians and the media jumped on the game, and the Entertainment Software Ratings Board re-rated the game from Mature to Adults-Only. Rockstar had to re-release the game for PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox, and the whole ordeal cost its parent company Take-Two Interactive millions of dollars.
Now
here's the crazy part about the Hot Coffee scandal: Almost no one could
actually play the minigame. It wasn't accessible in "GTA: SA" at all.
It wasn't a part of the game. But the content was still on the disc, and
modders found it. Only by modifying the game could gamers possibly play
Hot Coffee. That wasn't too difficult on the PC, but some real work for
the console versions.
Parents naturally didn't care about the distinction, even though games with a mature rating aren't meant to be played by children. Rockstar was hardly the first developer to leave unused code on a game disc, but Hot Coffee served as a clear warning: Even if it's not an active part of the game, someone's going to find it.
7. Video Games Are For Kids
Here's a shocker: Kids love video games. It's true! Millions of kids all over the world love Mario and Sonic and Pikachu and the games that spawned them. But there are many, many more gamers who grew up playing "Mario Bros." and "Sonic the Hedgehog" -- or older games on the Atari -- who are now adults and still love video games. In many ways, the video game industry has grown up alongside them, offering more sophisticated and violent games like "Call of Duty" that are akin to R-rated action movies.
Parents naturally didn't care about the distinction, even though games with a mature rating aren't meant to be played by children. Rockstar was hardly the first developer to leave unused code on a game disc, but Hot Coffee served as a clear warning: Even if it's not an active part of the game, someone's going to find it.
7. Video Games Are For Kids
Here's a shocker: Kids love video games. It's true! Millions of kids all over the world love Mario and Sonic and Pikachu and the games that spawned them. But there are many, many more gamers who grew up playing "Mario Bros." and "Sonic the Hedgehog" -- or older games on the Atari -- who are now adults and still love video games. In many ways, the video game industry has grown up alongside them, offering more sophisticated and violent games like "Call of Duty" that are akin to R-rated action movies.
In 2011, 53 percent of gamers fell within the 18 to 49 age
range. And within that range, the average gamer was surprisingly mature
-- 37, in fact. "Casual" games, like Flash Web browser games and
Nintendo's "Wii Sports" and "Wii Fit," have brought older people into
the gaming world. Gamers 50 and older now represent 29 percent of the
market.
Only 18 percent of gamers are under the age of 18, according to the Entertainment Software Association. There are plenty of games still out there for kids, but the average gamer has definitely grown up.
6. Video Games Lead to Social Isolation
over the world love Mario and Sonic and Pikachu and the games that spawned them. But there are many, many more gamers who grew up playing "Mario Bros." and "Sonic the Hedgehog" -- or older games on the Atari -- who are now adults and still love video games. In many ways, the video game industry has grown up alongside them, offering more sophisticated and violent games like "Call of Duty" that are akin to R-rated action movies.
In 2011, 53 percent of gamers fell within the 18 to 49 age range. And within that range, the average gamer was surprisingly mature -- 37, in fact. "Casual" games, like Flash Web browser games and Nintendo's "Wii Sports" and "Wii Fit," have brought older people into the gaming world. Gamers 50 and older now represent 29 percent of the market.
Only 18 percent of gamers are under the age of 18, according to the Entertainment Software Association. There are plenty of games still out there for kids, but the average gamer has definitely grown up.
Only 18 percent of gamers are under the age of 18, according to the Entertainment Software Association. There are plenty of games still out there for kids, but the average gamer has definitely grown up.
6. Video Games Lead to Social Isolation
over the world love Mario and Sonic and Pikachu and the games that spawned them. But there are many, many more gamers who grew up playing "Mario Bros." and "Sonic the Hedgehog" -- or older games on the Atari -- who are now adults and still love video games. In many ways, the video game industry has grown up alongside them, offering more sophisticated and violent games like "Call of Duty" that are akin to R-rated action movies.
In 2011, 53 percent of gamers fell within the 18 to 49 age range. And within that range, the average gamer was surprisingly mature -- 37, in fact. "Casual" games, like Flash Web browser games and Nintendo's "Wii Sports" and "Wii Fit," have brought older people into the gaming world. Gamers 50 and older now represent 29 percent of the market.
Only 18 percent of gamers are under the age of 18, according to the Entertainment Software Association. There are plenty of games still out there for kids, but the average gamer has definitely grown up.
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