Gaming has come a long way since the early pixelated days, and now, we can’t imagine a world without it. The games we play nowadays are created over multiple years, with million-dollar budgets and teams of hundreds of people.
What started as arcade games in the 70s, like Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and Donkey Kong, evolved from low-pixel games to ones like Uncharted and Grand Theft Auto, which have characters with in-depth storylines, emotions, and gameplay scenarios.
Due to this, gaming has cemented its place in pop culture, among other forms of media like books, movies, TV shows, and music. Let’s take a look at how games evolved and became influential in pop culture.
Evolution of Video Game Characters
In the early days of video games, there were a ton of restrictions on what the developers could do. The biggest restriction was the size of the pixel art. Game designers had to stay within the constraints of the memory and design characters and levels according to the hardware.
Early games like Super Mario, Pac-Man, and Mega Man featured simple pixelated characters. Despite their appearance, these characters laid the foundation for what was going to come.
Soon after, 2D sprites were used to bring the characters to life with a better movement system and better expressions. This added more personality and depth to the characters in the game.
But as hardware got better, more and more of the beloved games started to transition to 3D. Games like Super Mario 64 and Tomb Raider brought characters to the 3D realm which allowed for complex characters and better visuals.
With newer technology, the character design in games has reached a new level of realism. Games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and The Last of Us don’t just have realistic-looking characters but also ones with lifelike animations, facial expressions, and emotions.
These characters have become so beloved that now, there are entire game-inspired movies and TV shows.
Games as an Art Form
While video games were just mindless time killers before the 90s, we have come a long way since then. Nobody considered games as art back then. However, the landscape has shifted a lot since the early days of video games.
Now, game developers are focused on creating virtual worlds that invoke a specific type of response from the gamer.
The bleak town of Armadillo in Red Dead Redemption 2 evokes a sense of hopelessness, The Last of Us shows the world going back to its natural state after the near-extinction of humans, and the world of Assassin’s Creed is a fictionalized historical depiction of various eras of history.
Not just that, the designers pay a huge amount of attention to video game aesthetics, art, storylines, and other components that make the game a great package.
Video Game Music and Soundtracks
Video game music is something that isn’t talked about enough. Oftentimes, the soundtrack of a game can end up being more memorable than the game itself.
Music from games like Mario, Halo, Zelda, Sonic, and Minecraft is extremely iconic. The theme songs of every Grand Theft Auto are embedded in every gamer’s memory.
The soundtrack of a game can also be crucial to setting its theme. The music in the newer DOOM games is a subgenre of heavy metal music that is meant to evoke a sense of dread and despair. At the same time, the fast-pumping rhythm makes you want to mow down the hundreds of monsters in your path.
On the other hand, Minecraft’s soundtrack consists of simple ambient music and some upbeat tracks that are perfect for the game’s theme of exploring and building in an open sandbox.
eSports and Competitive Gaming
In the past decade, competitive gaming and eSports have risen to a whole new level. Most people already know how much money traditional sports generate. They help stimulate the local economy, and it’s common for great athletes to earn millions of dollars.
eSports, similar to traditional sports, requires a lot of dedication and effort but is generally more accessible to everyone. All you’re going to need is a gaming device like a phone, tablet, console, or PC, and a connection like the one offered by Xfinity internet.
Just like traditional sports, there is a lot of money to be made in eSports. Currently, some of the highest-paying games are Counter-Strike, Dota2, Fortnite, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, Valorant, and Rocket League.
Not just that, eSports players are also a part of sponsorships and other contracts. The industry has seen huge growth in the past few years, whether it’s revenue or viewership. Due to this, brands have also started to invest in marketing.
6 Games That Influenced Pop Culture
If we started to make a video-game-impact-on-the-pop-culture list, we would be sitting here for hours on end. However, to nail our point, here are some of the games that have influenced pop culture over the past few decades:
1. Mario
Even four decades after the release of the original Super Mario Brothers game, this franchise and its characters are going strong. This only goes on to show the longevity of this series, as well as its impact on pop culture.
The Mario franchise is the mark of truly iconic characters. Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Bowser, and Waluigi are all iconic characters who have made multiple appearances in shows, cartoons, movies, merchandise, and even memes.
2. Call of Duty
While Call of Duty has fallen from grace in the past few years, one can’t deny its impact on the gaming culture.
From the original Modern Warfare series to the ongoing Black Ops games, and even the modern Modern Warfare series, Call of Duty always seems to bring a spin to the action first-person shooter series.
The game has had a huge impact not only on other FPS games but also on pop culture. With references in movies, TV shows, and even rap music, the impact of this esports phenomenon is undeniable.
3. The Last of Us
Sony’s landmark game from 2013 didn’t make it easy for its players. At a time when zombie game fatigue was at its peak, The Last of Us came out and flipped the genre on its head.
Rather than focusing on the zombie trope, the game focused on human relationships and how the virus affected them. The game sold more than 20 million copies on PlayStation and proceeded to spawn comics, sequel games, and even a critically acclaimed show by HBO.
4. Grand Theft Auto
This series cemented the cultural significance of gaming. It would be unfair to name a single entry in this series that had the biggest impact on pop culture. However, some of the most significant ones were Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto V.
Gaming in mainstream media was popularized by this series and its influence is seen in a lot of aspects in pop culture. From video game storytelling to an impact on urban aesthetics, GTA didn’t just follow trends, but it also set them.
5. Fortnite
This game is one of the biggest things that has happened to gaming in the past couple of years. From influencing music and fashion to mainstream sports and media, Fortnite can seemingly morph and adapt to anything.
The game has had an entire Marvel-themed season, a Travis Scott concert, a Family Guy collaboration, and even John Wick in the game. Video game merchandise for Fortnite is seemingly endless, including clothes, accessories, character statues, and more.
6. Minecraft
Saving the best for last, Minecraft has arguably had the largest impact on pop culture. Unlike what Mario was to Generation X, Minecraft’s impact on pop culture can’t just be pinpointed to the iconic Creeper, the spooky Endermen, or the cutely dumb Villagers.
It has spawned entire gaming communities, from kick-starting game-related content creation and the careers of gaming influencers to video game art and even entire events.
Video games aren’t just games. They have a huge impact on culture, and they influence millions of people, just like the games that we have mentioned above. As developers continue pushing boundaries, we are bound to see a significant impact of video games on culture.