Summary
- Minecraft's success led to a historic Microsoft acquisition.
- Rockstar thwarted an Adults Only rating for San Andreas following a controversial mod.
- The media falsely vilified Mass Effect 2, benefiting its PR in the end.
The video game industry has exploded in the past few decades to become one of the most valuable forms of entertainment media of all time. Movies, music, TV shows, and other media may be notable in their own right, but they don't hold a candle to the sheer amount of money being pumped into the video game industry.
Video games have come a long way from being punching bags for the media, although there are times when some games still stir up a lot of controversy. Thankfully, there is also some positive news surrounding gaming from time to time. Whether for good or bad reasons, all of the following games caused a media stir.
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Minecraft
Made The News Several Times, Including A Historic Microsoft Acquisition
Minecraft
- Released
- November 18, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox, Survival
Minecraft is one of the biggest indie successes of all time. It became a huge game and helped its creator, Notch, become a billionaire after a groundbreaking acquisition deal by Microsoft.
While its creator has come under fire for some of their comments, Minecraft has mostly distanced itself from Notch's questionable views and continues to be one of the best titles players can get their hands on. Hopefully, this groundbreaking game will continue to make the news for positive reasons.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
The Hot Coffee Mod Exposed Something That Wasn't Part Of The Final Game
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Released
- October 26, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs
The Hot Coffee mod is one of the most unnecessary video game controversies of all time. While the decision to add a minigame about intimacy with CJ's girlfriends wasn't the best, Rockstar saw reason at some point in development, and removed this from the final product.
However, the unused files remained in the game. Modders uncovered this content and restored it, causing a media storm for the ages that almost led to San Andreas getting the Adults Only rating. Before this could happen, though, Rockstar removed these game files from the game in an update and ensured that San Andreas would be marketed to the masses with ease.
Mass Effect 2
The Game Was Villified For Something That Was Completely Untrue
Mass Effect 2
- Released
- January 26, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Third-Person Shooter
Mass Effect 2 is one of the greatest video games of all time, but the media was too busy trying to label it as an explicit game. People with misinformation made bold accusations that Mass Effect 2's intimate scenes were very graphic and showed levels of nudity that were never actually present in the final product.
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Of course, this was disproved in no time, but that didn't stop the media from having a field day with this game. It just ended up having the opposite effect, with Mass Effect 2 getting more PR as a result of this media outcry.
Hogwarts Legacy
J.K. Rowling's Horrible Views Caused This Game To Be Trashed
Hogwarts Legacy
- Released
- February 10, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
Hogwarts Legacy was shaping up to be one of the best titles set in the Harry Potter universe. However, J.K. Rowling's hateful comments about trans women dominated the discourse before this game, leading many to boycott the game when it came out.
It was a shame for the developers, especially since they distanced themselves from Rowling's views. Thankfully, the Harry Potter IP was so strong that Hogwarts Legacy shattered multiple records and became one of the best-selling video games of all time, so much so that it unseated Call of Duty from its throne.
Bulletstorm
Fox News Turned This Title Into Their Latest Punching Bag
Bulletstorm
- Released
- February 22, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Game Experience May Change During Online Play, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
While the outcry against violence in video games has died down in recent times, Fox News has obviously tried to stir the pot now and again for the same of theirratings. One of their more recent targets was Bulletstorm, a game they stated had unnecessarily gory violence.
Of course, most of their claims were overblown and debunked in no time. However, that didn't stop Fox News from sticking to its guns and continuing to spread false information regarding Bulletstorm.
Bully
The Press Missed The Whole Point
Bully
- Released
- October 17, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Crude Humor, Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox
The whole point of Bully was to highlight the evils of bullying, with Jimmy having to win over the school after Gary tricked him and turned him into a laughingstock. However, this theme went over the heads of the media, which wasted no time in accusing Bully of encouraging high school students to commit violent acts.
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Given how Rockstar was the media's favorite punching bag when it came to video gaming, it's easy to see why Bully became such an easy target. Once again, Rockstar rode this wave of PR to ensure that more people would be interested in playing Bully.
Path Of Exile 2
Elon Musk's Incompetence At This Game Made Headlines
Path of Exile II
- Released
- December 6, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Nudity, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Language, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash, MMORPG
Path of Exile 2 is a fun and complex action RPG that's as challenging as they come, but the reason why it made the news was for a mostly unrelated reason. Elon Musk has touted himself to be a skilled gamer and decided to livestream himself playing Path of Exile 2 with what seemed like a high-level character he'd spent a ton of hours building up.
However, it was clear that he'd paid someone to level up his character, since Elon was woefully inept at the game and couldn't even defeat the first boss. To make things worse, the chat trolled him by spamming messages lambasting him for ruining the country and pretending to be his ex. Suffice it to say, he ended this livestream in no time, but not before making the news for this unintentional hilarity.
Black Myth: Wukong
The Chinese Game That Made A Major Splash
Black Myth: Wukong
- Released
- August 20, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Black Myth: Wukong made it clear that the Chinese market is ripe for gaming. This fun action-adventure Soulslike is the first-ever AAA game from China, and it became one of the most popular and best-selling titles in no time. The incredible action, stellar graphics, and the game's focus on cinematic spectacle made it a blast to play through and led to it selling eighteen million units in just two weeks, a gargantuan feat in the realm of video games.
It was impressive to see the records this title broke when it came out. The sky's the limit for Chinese video game developers now, and it's clear that Wukong's success will compel more companies to enjoy a slice of this newfound pie.
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