Daddy Issues In Gaming

[Dan From Aus]

I will say I'm a sucker for Bioshock and it's sequel. Mainly because of the themes of fatherhood weaved throughout the game. I have three questions for the people out there.

Do you like games that use fatherhood or daddy issues as a underlying theme?

What games do you think have a strong fatherhood theme?

Finally are there games out there that connect more with motherhood or mother issues? (I'm sure there are some out there but it's late in the day, I'm at work and I can't think of anything at the moment.)

 

[DustyDrB]

It's so overdone. Though I think Lost made me sick of daddy issues more than anything. But it is a plot element I am sick of and it will make me enjoy the story less.

 

[Dan From Aus]

Yeah. Got to admit that Lost did do a lot to make the whole daddy tired. Still when it's done right I can't help being taken in by the story.

 

[GrimHeaper]

The daddy issues is because many of the gamers DO have daddy issues.
Why do you think we have so many of "your dad can beat up your dad" moments with gamers?

 

[Dan From Aus]

Okay then. I'll take your word. I can honestly say that I don't have any Daddy Issues to speak of. Not that you were implying that.

But that's an interesting idea to me. I wonder is the dad issue arising from that ol writing cliche of Dad pressuring kid to put down the controller and get out there and exercise? Maybe that's why it imprints on gamer's so much and therefore why game developers have it on their minds themselves, as well as using that as an exploit in gamer's armor.

 

[Zhukov]

Why do you think we have so many of "your dad can beat up your dad" moments with gamers?

Wait... we do?

What are some examples?

(Not trying to challenge or disagree here. I'm just curious as to what you're referring to.)

 

[Your Nightmare]

The only game I can think of with a dad is Fallout 3. And we all know how good Fallout is

 

[Zeema]

My Dad in Fallout 3

WHY WON"T YOU HUG ME

 

[GrimHeaper]

Why do you think we have so many of "your dad can beat up your dad" moments with gamers?

Wait... we do?

What are some examples?

(Not trying to challenge or disagree here. I'm just curious as to what you're referring to.)

Console wars would be one. CoD vs some other war game,etc.

Spoiler

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MyDadCanBeatUpYourDad
AN example from a game if you so wanted one.
"In Bioshock, Gatherer's Garden uses this trope to prey on adult insecurities in order to sell plasmids: "My daddy's smarter than Einstein, stronger than Hercules and can light a fire with a snap of his fingers. Are you as good as my daddy, Mister? Not if you don't visit the Gatherer's Garden, you aren't!"

Okay then. I'll take your word. I can honestly say that I don't have any Daddy Issues to speak of. Not that you were implying that.

But that's an interesting idea to me. I wonder is the dad issue arising from that ol writing cliche of Dad pressuring kid to put down the controller and get out there and exercise? Maybe that's why it imprints on gamer's so much and therefore why game developers have it on their minds themselves, as well as using that as an exploit in gamer's armor.

Pretty much, I never had a dad. I KNOW I have daddy issues, but that makes it easier to recognize doesn't it?

 

[Arkynomicon]

I haven't really thought much about it. I just always figured that everyone has issues. I guess Metal Gear series have some severe daddy issues with Solid Snake killing his father (which he is also a clone of) several times.

My Dad in Fallout 3

WHY WON"T YOU HUG ME

This actually made me laugh my ass off.

 

[Gametek]

Why do you think we have so many of "your dad can beat up your dad" moments with gamers?

Wait... we do?

What are some examples?

(Not trying to challenge or disagree here. I'm just curious as to what you're referring to.)

Bioshock 2, BiOsHoCk 2 and bioshock 2. Don't you read the news? All other game have been banned for not being enough Bioshock 2.

Seriusly, only Bioshock 2 can have "daddy" theme, even if Bioshock lore state that Big daddy are muteted kid to make them grow faster, and not the dad of the little sis...

 

[Shymer]

Fatherhood (and motherhood) are important in stories because of their importance in all of human culture. It's one of the only things that, as humans, we share experience of (although our experience of it can differ widely). If you read any world creation myths, mythology, or modern novels and screenplays, mothers and fathers and all of the possible angles and aspects of fatherhood and motherhood feature widely.

The phrase (archaic spolier alert) "Luke, I am your father" is now considered cliche, along with amnesia, identical twins, or the main protagonist actually being a ghost. However, unlike amnesia or identical twins, because it is something most can relate to on some level, it will continue to hold broad appeal as a theme.

Any game that involves a story may draw on this rich vein of emotional and dramatic capital, whether directly (Fallout 3 has already been mentioned, Dead to Rights, Star Wars, Batman), or indirectly (where the father figure may be the villain to be slain, or mentor to the protagonist).

The heroic journey of a child growing under the shadow of a father, and then taking on the mantle of the father, even defeating, or exceeding the father in some way is a classic heroic journey enshrined in myth. However this is not a journey examined in games as often as it is in novels or films.

It is interesting that few games in my collection have fatherhood as a central theme. This may be because many game genres do not require a "story". And those that do, often focus on the protagonist as a fully-fledged adult with a job to do without the need for backstory, rather than as a child growing up.

 

[Dan From Aus]

It is interesting that few games in my collection have fatherhood as a central theme. This may be because many game genres do not require a "story". And those that do, often focus on the protagonist as a fully-fledged adult with a job to do without the need for backstory, rather than as a child growing up.

Now that I think about it, I don't have many in my collection. It's more I remember the story of both Bioshocks and Fallout 3 had on me so it's always fresh in my mind.

I'm still trying to think of a more mother orientated game? The only one I can kind of see is Bayonetta. Kind of. Anyone out there have any games with a mother theme?

I know there is Girlfriends in games. Maybe because the brunt of game makers are male (not saying there are no females) maybe there is a want for any female subtext to come from girlfriends rather than mothers.

 

[Artina89]

The one game that I like that had "Daddy issues" as a central theme (or at least a sub plot) would probably be with Angela Orosco in Silent Hill 2

Spoiler

Where it is heavily implied that her father physically, emotionally and sexually abused her. You fought a boss monster that was one of her demons late on in the game

Other than that, I couldn't really get into Bioshock I played it to completion, but I didn't think it was as good as people made it out to be.

 

[Gralian]

I think parenthood as a theme sucks, but that's because i myself have zero interest in raising a family at some point.

To be honest i never really thought any games had "daddy" or "mummy" issues as prevalent themes. I'd even ask why you think Bioshock has daddy issues. If you're basing that purely on the monstrous Big Daddies, that doesn't mean the girls themselves have "daddy issues". I thought "daddy issues" had something to do with sexuality and / or promiscuity brought about by a lack of love and validation by a father figure. I really didn't see that with the little girls in Bioshock, nor did they particularly care about the Big Daddy in question once they had been set free. I think you're reading too much into something that isn't there.

 

[Dan From Aus]

The one game that I like that had "Daddy issues" as a central theme (or at least a sub plot) would probably be with Angela Orosco in Silent Hill 2

Dang nab it. Love Silent Hill 2 and I completely forgot about that.

 

[Dan From Aus]

To be honest i never really thought any games had "daddy" or "mummy" issues as prevalent themes. I'd even ask why you think Bioshock has daddy issues. If you're basing that purely on the monstrous Big Daddies, that doesn't mean the girls themselves have "daddy issues". I thought "daddy issues" had something to do with sexuality and / or promiscuity brought about by a lack of love and validation by a father figure. I really didn't see that with the little girls in Bioshock, nor did they particularly care about the Big Daddy in question once they had been set free. I think you're reading too much into something that isn't there.

Well I don't mean just daddy issues, but the theme of Fatherhood which is I dare say the main theme in Bioshock 2. I'm not thinking of just bad examples of dad's but also positive. Hell you can use Dead Rising 2 with the themes of fatherhood, the race to save his little girl.

 

[Artina89]

The one game that I like that had "Daddy issues" as a central theme (or at least a sub plot) would probably be with Angela Orosco in Silent Hill 2

Dang nab it. Love Silent Hill 2 and I completely forgot about that.

Yeah, a lot of my friends seem to forget she was in Silent Hill 2 for some reason. They remeber James, Eddie and Laura, but they don't remeber Angela, which I think is sad because in my opinion she had one of the saddest back stories of many Silent Hill characters.

 

[Dan From Aus]

The one game that I like that had "Daddy issues" as a central theme (or at least a sub plot) would probably be with Angela Orosco in Silent Hill 2

Dang nab it. Love Silent Hill 2 and I completely forgot about that.

Yeah, a lot of my friends seem to forget she was in Silent Hill 2 for some reason. They remeber James, Eddie and Laura, but they don't remeber Angela, which I think is sad because in my opinion she had one of the saddest back stories of many Silent Hill characters.

Now that you've mentioned it to me it's all coming flooding back. I think everyone gets a sad back story in Silent Hill games, even the detestable villains. But you're right Angela probably tops many of them.