Help me defend us!

[funguy2121]

The new Donkey Country on the Wii is co-op and now violent, portal 2 as well.
Also Lego Pirate of the Caribbean/Harry Potter are really fun co-op games

"Oh, banana!" Who the Hell is Kurt Vonnegut, anywho?

When in doubt don't threat, just google it.

OK, theory confirmed. Irony really does skip a generation.

I don't get what is ironic about my joke, as lame as it is.

It really would be immoral for me to proceed.

Sigh. Read the OP again.

 

[Titan Buttons]

The new Donkey Country on the Wii is co-op and now violent, portal 2 as well.
Also Lego Pirate of the Caribbean/Harry Potter are really fun co-op games

"Oh, banana!" Who the Hell is Kurt Vonnegut, anywho?

When in doubt don't threat, just google it.

OK, theory confirmed. Irony really does skip a generation.

I don't get what is ironic about my joke, as lame as it is.

It really would be immoral for me to proceed.

Sigh. Read the OP again.

I know your try to make a refrence bewteen the OP and Kurt Vonnegut I just can't see it, probobly because I don't know Vonnegut's work all that well

 

[GoGrapefruit]

Heavy Rain or Farenheight.
I say this because they are the most novel like games around.

If I had to pick a more game-like game. Deus Ex probably, its the best example of what every game should be.

Farenheight was ALRIGHT at the beginning but went a bit shit after that. Play it safe with Portal and Deus Ex

 

[BloodRed Pixel]

Besides that you are REALLY active while playing a game in contrary to just stuff the couch and watching a movie, just show him these episodes of Extra Credits:

(not final)
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/3261-The-Myth-of-the-Gun
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/3167-Gamifying-Education
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/2957-Tangential-Learning
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/3080-Games-You-Might-Not-Have-Tried-or-Heard-Of
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/2633-Non-Combat-Gaming
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/2414-Facing-Controversy
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/2264-Symbolism-101
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/2545-Narrative-Mechanics
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/2175-Diversity

or better YOU watch it and build your arguments from there.
good luck a good presentation also will show YOUR FATHER how much YOU care about games
and that you are not the blind degenerated Zombie that he thinks you are when you are gaming.

And don´t mention GTA - EVER!


EDIT:
Also build on analogies he is familiar with. Books, movies, even sports. If he doesn´t read or likes movies, ... then you will have a really hard time.

Games:
Portal, Incedrible Machine, Blueberry Guarden, Braid, The Path, Samorost, Machinarium, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Ceville, Monkey Island, Sam & Max, Syberia, Longest Journey, Osmos, Crayon Physics, Civilization,

 

[Life_Is_A_Mess]

Okami, Portal 1 and 2, Halo series (NOT the Halo Wars and ODST things), Spore maybe, Minecraft, Terraria, Plants vs Zombies, Worms, Medieval II: Total War, Half-Life 1 and 2 and episodes, and Team Fortress of course. No way you'll lose now.

EDIT: Ooops, almost forgot the Katamari series. That series is EPIC, non-violent and super fun!

 

[wertyscp]

Definitively Heavy Rain, not because it's best, but because it's the easiest. If your father thinks games are a waste of time, chances are that he is not familiar with a controller, and he probably won't be able to complete most games that people are recommending here.

 

[GoGrapefruit]

Or just call him a pussy and get him Duke Nukem Forever

 

[Pedro The Hutt]

Monkey Island, if he's even the tiniest bit of a geek he'll appreciate its witty writing.

 

[Sacul]

Portal 1 and The Secret of Monkey Island. Make sure to remind him that movies have violent shoot 'em ups too yet there are still incredible works of art in the movie industry just like there is in the gaming industry. Unless of course he thinks the same about movies...

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well you may have laid it on a bit thick comparing them to books, they don't have quite the same depth but they can easily go head to head with movies.

Some of the games with a great undertone that will spark some imagination(people who read books should appreciate these):
- Bioshock 1
- Portal 1&2
- Half Life 2(ya it's straight up a shooter but let him play it last and maybe he can see the bridge between fun and story)

I would have suggested some old RPG games but they can be a bit too much for a newcomer.

 

[Hafnium]

As others have correctly pointed out, you need certain criteria for finding a game that would prove your point. Most of my favourite games are big and complex or in a genre with a steep learning curve. Avoid all that, and make it simple. That's why Portal is such a good suggestion, and I'd add Trine, Magicka and the Monkey Island remakes on steam. I say MI assuming he'll be able to get adventure games and has a sense of humour.

In short, show him something simple and fun, with little to no combat and an easy learning curve. Forget Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Bioshock, Final Fantasy as well as horror and gory games at this time, they are for people who like games of their genre, not for people who don't yet like games.

 

[emptyother]

So I got into a discussion with my dad about how a game can be as engaging, worthwhile, and with a story as good as a book. He sees games as violent, blood filled, time wasters with no value,...

It is true, games are mostly violent, blood filled time wasters. MOSTLY!

What books does he read? What movies does he enjoy? Find something close to that.
Portal 2 is without blood he problably wouldn't enjoy it if he hates Science Fiction...

And if he think video games are time wasters, Minecraft would probably be out of the question.

Red Dead Redemption is great if he likes westerns, but not if he (like me) prefered western comedys. And the story is great, but a lot of shooting in between.

Old adventure games, maybe? Or new adventure games? Back to the future is a good choice if he enjoyed the movie-trilogy.

 

[Nightvalien]

portal

 

[Lord Of Cyberia]

OKAMI. It's GLORIOUS. Or Mass Effect. NOT RED DEAD REDEMPTION. Aren't half the objectives Shoot Women, steal their horse, tie it to a railroad track and stand there laughing?

(Because that sounds HILARIOUS, I'm sad to say)

 

[monkey jesus]

Alan Wake.

Just picked it up cheap and played it in the dark. Shat my pants.

 

[Amishdemon]

I would say BLOPS because yes i know i has violence but the violence is neccesary with the story to show how dirty war is.

 

[Chris^^]

So I got into a discussion with my dad about how a game can be as engaging, worthwhile, and with a story as good as a book. He sees games as violent, blood filled, time wasters with no value, so I want to convince him otherwise! I got him to agree that if I could find a game I thought he would appreciate, he would play it all the way through.
So I need suggestions.
My first thought was Red Dead, but I haven't played it myself so I fear that the missions might just be shootout after shootout. Second thought was Silent Hill, but I don't want him to shit his pants.

So, I need a game that represents games at their absolute best, but something accessible enough for a total non-gamer to play and enjoy.
(Also, it'd have to be a PS2, PC, or Xbox 360 game)

if you want engaging I'd suggest Fallout 3 - the opening act of growing up I found particularly immersive, and all the back story that can be discovered I found to be absolutely exceptional. Mind you I'd avoid the Bloody Mess perk haha.

I'm sure Portal has been suggested a lot, and I'm wracking my brais for any more games which are less violent with a good story.

 

[Jakub324]

Metro 2033. It's like a book. Great detail, great atmosphere, decent gameplay and 10/10 story.