Introduction

I am a video game player and I have been playing video games since the original Nintendo Entertainment System. Throughout that time, I have heard many myths about the gaming industry, some of which are actually true and others which are not true at all. In this post, I will discuss four such myths:

• Most gamers are kids
• Maturity ratings keep children from playing violent games
• Video games are mostly played by males
• Playing video games causes violence

While these are just some examples, there is definitely more than enough evidence to argue them one way or another. For example: Myth #2 has been proven false time and time again while Myth #1 has been proven true several times over by studies done in the past decade or so. Whether or not you agree with these statements is up to you! What can be said for sure though is that most people do believe in at least one of these myths even if they don’t realize it yet…

The Myth: Most video gamers are kids.

You might think that most gamers are kids, but you’d be wrong! In fact, the average age of a gamer is 35.

According to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), 53% of all Americans play video games and 42% of all US households have at least one person who plays games. That’s a pretty big chunk of our nation’s population! And while it’s true that more men than women enjoy playing video games, only 11% are under 18 years old; so if you see someone playing Call of Duty or Halo on their phone while they’re waiting in line at Starbucks, don’t assume they’re going through puberty again—they’re probably just killing some time before work like you are!

The Myth: Maturity ratings limit children from playing violent games.

There are a lot of misconceptions about how mature-rated video games are protected. It’s true that you won’t find a kid in their tweens or early teens playing Call of Duty with the adults, but it’s also not true that children aren’t playing these games at all.

That said, there isn’t much difference between the ratings on your game box and what you see in stores today compared to 10 years ago.

The ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) was established in 1994 by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), which is a trade organization for video game publishers. Their purpose is to provide players with information about content in games so parents can make informed decisions about purchasing them for their children (or themselves). When it comes down to it though, there are plenty of young adults out there who play Mature rated titles without any restrictions from their parents due to its content being inappropriate—as long as they don’t break any laws while doing so!

The Myth: Video games are mostly played by males.

The myth: Video games are mostly played by males

Anyone who has ever sat down to play a video game knows the first thing they have to do is choose a character. That’s because—in most cases—the default character is male and there are other options for females, but not vice versa. This makes sense from a business perspective; if you make your product look as attractive as possible and cater to the largest market segment, you’re going to sell more copies of your game. However, this also creates an unfair bias against female players and can alienate them from other gamers who don’t want them around.

Unfortunately for us here at [company name], this myth has been perpetuated by both gamers themselves in their online communities as well as journalists and critics who feel like they shouldn’t try too hard not only because it might offend someone else but also because the truth isn’t always what sells copies anyway!

The Myth: Playing video games causes violence.

You may have heard that there’s a connection between playing violent games and committing violent acts, but there is no scientific evidence to back this up. One study published in the Journal of Communication in 2009 found that “the review of the empirical literature supports no causal relationship between video game violence and aggression in players.”

The correlation between video games and violence has been studied for decades now, but it’s still not clear whether playing real-life violent media increases aggressive thoughts and behavior. A recent meta-analysis (an analysis of other studies) found very little evidence for this connection when looking at short-term effects on children under 14 years old; however, there was some evidence for long-term effects on older kids and adolescents.

Video games do not cause violence, mature ratings do not keep kids out of mature rated games, most video games are played by adults, and most adults who play video games are male.

• Video games do not cause violence.
• Mature ratings do not keep kids out of mature rated games. In fact, many AAA titles feature a Teen rating and are played by children as young as 12 years old (e.g., Call of Duty: Black Ops II).
• Most video games are played by adults, but most adults who play video games are male (women make up only about 30% of the gaming population).

Conclusion

Video games are a fun pass time for almost anyone. It doesn’t matter if you are a middle-aged man or woman, or a child. Video games have something for everyone, and it is very easy to find the one that fits your needs. Pick up your controller, turn on your console and enjoy the world of video games!