Herman and Prosenečki on Dads Over Lovers: Why Western Games Favour Parental Relationships Over Romantic Ones, Unlike Other Forms of Art @goteborgsuni

Zoryana Herman and Fabijan Prosenečki, both of the University of Gothenberg, have published Dads Over Lovers: Why Do Western Games Favour Parental Relationships Over Romantic Ones, Unlike Other Forms of Art? Here is the abstract.

Romantic relationships have long been central to various art forms. However, in recent years, Western video games have shifted toward emphasizing parental relationships, particularly father-daughter dynamics, a trend dubbed "the daddification of games." While this shift is often praised for adding emotional depth and maturity to gaming narratives, some critics argue it reinforces traditional gender roles and caters to an aging, male-dominated demographic. This study aims to explore the origins and implications of this trend in Western games and examine the potential consequences of shifting toward romance as the primary narrative focus, aligning gaming with other artistic media. By analyzing the historical evolution and current state of video game narratives, as well as the representation of relationships in past and current media, we propose how this trend was influenced by Western culture around masculinity-specifically linking emotion to femininity-American censorship, and xenophobic attitudes toward Japanese media, where romancedriven narratives are more common. Furthermore, an analysis of player discussions in online forums suggests that players are open to a broader range of relational dynamics, with potential benefits for cultural representation and diversity of experiences offered by the gaming industry.

Download the article from SSRN at the link.