Ever wondered what is a conspiracy theory and what makes an incident become a conspiracy? An attempt to explain harmful or tragic events as the result of a small powerful group’s actions contradicts the widely accepted narrative of those events; in fact, the official version may be viewed as further proof of the conspiracy.
Among its mainstream hits and cult classics, the video game industry has at least twenty years of conspiracy narratives. Despite the fact that they are works of fiction, videogames introduce and normalise stories of corruption, collusion, and control among powerful elites, even when many have little overt connection to the specific fears and political contexts of our current pandemic moment. When people have no other way of framing stories or understanding events, conspiracy narratives can easily become accepted pictures of reality.
COVID-19 conspiracy theories arose from far-right roots in pre-coronavirus narratives about government conspiracies. They can have very real consequences, such as a recent large gathering of people refusing to wear masks or social distance in a Melbourne gym. Exploring a new world to reveal its inner workings and secrets, as well as a heroic play character fighting against the odds, are common features of video game play that lend themselves to conspiracy narratives.
4Chan and Majora’s Mask
Of course, we can thank 4Chan for providing the backstory to the legend of the haunted Majora’s Mask cartridge.
One 4Chan user recounted how he came into possession of a blank N64 cartridge with Majora’s Mask written in sharpie across it. The same user then posted photos and YouTube footage to back up his claim. Viewers discovered a completely messed up version of the beloved Zelda title.
The user deleted the “Ben” file and started a new one. The haunted cartridge said, “Fuck that,” and began acting like something out of the X-Files. The game began to behave erratically. The music would randomly reverse, and his character was followed by a statue of the game’s main character.
MineCraft (Black Star)
The Dead Sun theory is in the same vein as the internet’s apocalyptic, dead world theories. This one, however, takes a very different turn. Spumwack explained his theory in great detail on YouTube. The long and short of it is that Minecraft takes place far in the future after our Sun has died of entropy. The Sun died, and with it, all hope of life in our solar system. So, in a desperate attempt to save themselves, human civilization neglected Earth and sacrificed it in order to create a new Sun. They then settled on the dead star and terraformed it into the blocky planet we are all familiar with. This can be view more list of minecraft servers here.
Substance Abuse, Mental Health and Depression
The game’s atmosphere is extremely relaxing, with soft, soothing music. In peaceful mode, you can explore without fear of encountering mobs. When you’re ready, you can activate survival mode and confront the monsters within. Bats and spiders symbolise the unknown and creatures that do not behave predictably. Skeletons are your mistakes that continue to haunt you. Zombies are hostile crowds that don’t understand or sympathise with your problems. In the meantime, Creepers are a physical manifestation of depression. They come up behind you and blow up your entire world almost without warning. Overcoming these obstacles while chasing the Ender Dragon is the goal of navigating the dangerous mobs who are representing drugs. The lengths you go to get to the Nether represent the actual damage you can do in your quest for a fix.
Deus Ex: Invisible War
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the plot of Deus Ex and its sequel Deus Ex: Invisible War has terrifying implications. In Deus Ex, a sinister global conspiracy orchestrated by pro-Enlightenment forces unleashes a bioweapon – a pandemic – allowing them to begin a covert takeover of the American state. In Invisible War, the global depression caused by the bioweapon’s pandemic sparks a pro-global military regime in the United States. Patriotic Americans fight back by waging an armed insurgency against the state and the US Army. The “infodemic” of conspiracy theories and misinformation has already hampered efforts to combat COVID-19. It prominently featured the myth that the virus originated in a bioweapons lab in Wuhan and that China deliberately released the virus through the WHO.
The plot of Deus Ex and its sequel Deus Ex: Invisible War has terrifying implications in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. These conspiracy theories have been grafted onto existing right-wing conspiracy theories involving the Clintons and George Soros. According to Der Spiegel (12 April 2020), while much of the misinformation surrounding COVID-19 medical solutions originates near the Moscow Kremlin, the “Chinese/WHO bioweapon/depression conspiracy” originates in the United States. It’s not impossible that the alt-right and militia groups are a major source of this propaganda. Normalised conspiracy theories are especially dangerous in these times of global political turmoil and COVID-19. Extreme right-wing political agendas that seek to destabilise democracy benefit from undermining trust in governments and social institutions.
Pokemon
Pokemon appears to be steeped in historical conspiracies. Pokemon Red and Blue were huge successes for Nintendo, but did anyone think to ask, “Where the hell are the adults in this game?” As Ash, you travel across Kanto surrounded by lethal, barely controllable wild animals crammed into questionable living conditions.
The larger question of where all of the male adults have vanished lends credence to the theory that Pokemon takes place at the end of a large-scale global war. which has caused several changes in the Pokemon society’s world One of the most compelling pieces of evidence for this theory is that both Ash and his rival, Gary, have no male parent figure throughout the series.
