Top 5 most popular video games in Texas, maybe

By Aswad Walker

It’s been a good minute since I was playing video games daily. Like, 15 years’ worth of good minutes. But when I did, it was all about Madden and whatever that race game was called back in the day (think it was EA Sports NASCAR 1876).

Anyway.

When I saw the list compiled by the “experts” at Play Minesweeper, my first thought was, “This is some straight white people stuff (WPS) here, because the brothers are all about Madden, NBA Live, NBA 2K, etc.” But again, I’ve been out of the video game space for a while, so maybe my initial judgment showed my generational bias.

So, I asked some of the bruhs and sisters (Millennials and Gen Zers) to see what they listed as the most popular videos games with Blackfolk. Here’s what they said: NBA 2K, Madden, Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto.

So, I wasn’t too far off. And my initial assessment of Play Minesweeper’s list is probably right. Because ya’ll know how most of these surveys do – they don’t think we exist, so they don’t even include us in their calculations.

But just for argument’s sake, I’m going to share with you what the Play Minesweeper “expert” research reveals as the top 5 most popular video games in Texas.

These “experts” at Play Minesweeper analyzed the number of average monthly Google searches in each state for different video games, including terms such as ‘X cheats’ ‘buy X’ ‘X walkthrough’. The search volume for each term combined with the video game were added together to discover the total average monthly searches in each state.

Now, see; that’s where they messed up. According to one of my sources, “The Blackfolk I know who’re serious gamers ain’t wasting time Googling sh*t. They’re too bustin’ that a** on NBA 2K or Call of Duty.”

But anyway… here’s the Play Minesweeper list:

#1. Minecraft

Despite being first made public in 2009, Minecraft was fully released in 2011 and remains popular over a decade later, with a total search volume of 206,556. Building castles and cities, creating custom weapons, and adventuring with other players are just some of the many elements of the game – and it’s compatible with a range of devices and consoles, including Xbox Series X, PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.

This one used to be really popular with my youngest child… when he was in elementary/middle school. So, I won’t label this one straight WPS.

#2. God of War

God of War, which gained a total search volume of 116,053, was initially released in 2005 for PlayStation 2, with ten more games being released since – and despite once being exclusive to PlayStation, the God of War franchise is now available to play on Xbox Series X. The story follows a Spartan Warrior called Kratos, who serves the Olympian Gods and is faced with killing Ares, the God of War, where he encounters enemies and puzzles along the way.

Whatever. WPS.

#3. Elden Ring

After being released only recently in February 2022, Elden Ring received a total search volume of 84,072. A game of multiple narratives, Elden Ring consists of war, rebellion, and conquest in a role-playing adventure where the player faces challenging tasks upon exploring a kingdom of castles, dungeons, and monsters.

How many Blackfolk have you EVER heard say the word/name “Elden”? Result: WPS.

#4. Resident Evil 4

While the original Resident Evil 4 was released in 2005, the game was remade and released in March this year with modernized gameplay, detailed graphics, and a reimagined storyline, taking a total search volume of 74,671. Players control Leon S. Kennedy, who faces the challenge of rescuing the president’s daughter after being kidnapped by a cult – while on the mission, Leon must fight enemies who are victims of the Las Plagas parasite.

Mijo Uno, my oldest son (son #1), is into this. And so are many of his homies. So, we’ll say this one is legit. But I’m still trippin’ on “Elden Ring.”

#5. God of War: Ragnarok

God of War: Ragnarok, the franchise’s latest game, gained a total search volume of 72,967. The story follows Kratos, this time with his son Atreus, as they prevent the war by travelling the nine realms – not to mention, the game very much focuses on the pair’s relationship. Upon reaching the end of the game, there’s also a post-game chapter where you can explore the different realms.

I have to plead straight ignorance on this one. But again, I’m not ignorant about the way most of these surveys go down. But I’m going to give this one an undecided.

A spokesperson from Play Minesweeper said: “It’s fascinating to see the variety of games that make the top 5, from games as old as God of War from 2005 to new releases like Elden Ring, which is less than two years old – it goes to show that features like high-quality graphics aren’t always essential.”

A spokesperson from the Blacks said: “Whatever ni**a. Let’s go play some Madden.”