How can I explain Bioshock to a parent?

[fa_fallen_ye]

Basically I was talking to my friend about bioshock and I was discussing the little sisters and how you could kill them but I could never bring myself to do it, my mum then got appalled that you could kill a child in a video game...not really understanding its a "choice" and that the video game doesn't make you do this, I've tried showing her the game but she won't see it (she's not like super strict on video games or anything like that, I just put her off it) but when a parent sees one negative thing in a game they can never seem to see the good side or...well I don't think I've ever shown her a video game that wasn't just "fun" but had a beautiful story and actually made you think.

So my question is how do you show beautiful video games (that takes time to play) to a parent?

 

[GamemasterAnthony]

Well...in regards to Bioshock, ask if she's ever read the book Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. When you explain that the subject of Objectivism is actually explored in the game, it might cause her to raise an eyebrow and become curious.

 

[TsunamiWombat]

Explain to her that it's an exploration of Objectivism and the extremes it can go to. The example of the little sisters is supposed to be extreme, it's meant to highlight the depravities men will stoop to for profit, and that in the game you can choose to -save- the little sisters from an existance as genetically malfunctioned monsters, or to consume their adam and kill them, putting them out of their misery and profiting yourself more.

And be sure to point out it actually profits the player more in the long run if he -saves- the little sisters.

 

[Jakub324]

Never played the game, but aren't little sisters, like, not human any more?

 

[VaudevillianVeteran]

Sadly my mum knows a surprising amount, I just tested her.
"Mum, do you know Bioshock? *Points to game piles under TV*"
"That's the one where you're in the underwater city, right? And it has the little girls and the daddies and you either kill or save them with that potion thing to get that ADAM & EVE stuff. Oh and there's that blonde ***** in charge talking to you in the second one?" <3
So sadly I have no idea how you'd explain it.
Maybe explain a bit about the sisters and ADAM and what Ryan did and that it's not all about murdering children.

 

[retyopy]

The only problem is, parents refuse to imagine that perhaps their potrayal of video games is wrong.

 

[winter2]

Give her Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand to read.

 

[retyopy]

The only problem is, parents refuse to imagine that perhaps their potrayal of video games is wrong.

Well the main problem with that is that Bioshock, a supposedly mature and thoughtful exploration of objectivism is actually 1% exploration. The other 99% is shooting guys in the face with bees. I mean, honestly, it's hardly all that mature is it?

Ok, but some movies are hailed as classics, while 50% of the time is spent on a battlefield, with death and guns, but its still culture because its a movie. So why can't games be the same?

 

[Neo10101]

You should ask about all the kids killed in movies and books, try to show her the comparison. Also try to tell her how the story is very Ayn Rand-esq. You should also try to explain how the game is trying to make you see moral choices as not entirely black and white, while you want to save your self you need to sacrifice others, or you can risk yourself by trying to save the lives of children who are somewhat innocent.

 

[dancinginfernal]

I hate it when my parents do that. They've been pretty cool about it so far, but when they get like that it's hard to talk them out of it.

 

[Nargleblarg]

The only problem is, parents refuse to imagine that perhaps their potrayal of video games is wrong.

Well the main problem with that is that Bioshock, a supposedly mature and thoughtful exploration of objectivism is actually 1% exploration. The other 99% is shooting guys in the face with bees. I mean, honestly, it's hardly all that mature is it?

The exploration of objectivism is left up to you the player though; the game is trying to give you something to think about on your own terms outside of the game and come up with your own opinion about it. And its certainly a mature game when compared to every other modern day console fps like Call of Duty or Medal of Honor which are only what 10 year old kids think is a mature game because it invloves killing, swearing, manly stuff that in no way focuses on real topics of maturity.

 

[Rad Party God]

Never played the game, but aren't little sisters, like, not human any more?

Not quite. You seriously need to play the game to understand, but as I see it, they're like mutants living in their own world, scavaging corpses to get more Adam. They still show part of their former human form by singing child songs and, well, act like children, in a creepy and uncanny way.

I won't say more until you play the game

On Topic: My parents don't give 2/3 of a shit about wich games I play and I try to avoid the topic of games, because they're not interested at all in them. Good for me, I don't have to think how to explain complex games like Bioshock to them. Of course I step in when they comment on something wrong about games because of some stupid news in my local news channel. You think Fox News is bad?, we too have to deal with this bullshit. Although I had a bit of a hard time trying to explain the Little Sisters and Big Daddies to my (back then) 6 year old nephew, almost a year ago.

 

[Use_Imagination_here]

Well...in regards to Bioshock, ask if she's ever read the book Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. When you explain that the subject of Objectivism is actually explored in the game, it might cause her to raise an eyebrow and become curious.

I'm pretty sure exploring objectivism and aynn rand was the ENTIRE game.

 

[Jabberwock xeno]

Give her a copy of Atlas Shrugged.

Pretty much.

That's really the best way to go about it; explain that none of the game is really taken lightly and such.

 

[fa_fallen_ye]

Give her a copy of Atlas Shrugged.

Wow everyone is mentioning that, I've never even heard of it.