It's impossible to escape the fact that gaming is one of the fastest growing forms of entertainment on the planet. Since the 80s when the first home consoles were available, it's grown and evolved at an incomparable rate, faster than cinema, and faster than television. Those early days of monochrome pixels and 8 bit sound effects gave birth to 2014's near-photo realistic graphics and high definition sound, and in the space of 30 or so years playing video games has gone from the indulgence of the sun-deprived geek to one of the most bankable industries on the planet, commanding big bucks, big stars and even bigger sales. Of course, this kind of success makes games and gamers ripe for criticism, whether it's with a person's peers or from the (mostly conservative) media, the industry has had something of a trial by fire over the last couple of decades. From controversies about content and the resulting lawsuits, to the rampant scapegoating of the medium in the wake of any random shooting or violent act, video games seem like an easy target for ire when it's certainly not deserved. Bear in mind that there are still long-held stereotypes about gamers in society which can marginalise people unfairly, still causing playground bullying in this day and age. From games to the gamers themselves, perceptions are still skewed and people are still misinformed, with the hobby getting a bad rap from the media for it. Here are 10 of the biggest misconceptions around gaming and it's time to dispel them.