His influence on video games, more specifically RPG's, is unbeliveable. If you don't belive me, play Xenogears/Xenosaga. I have read some of his works but not enough to fully comprehend what his message was.
But, back to the point. Many games now a days "borrow" from his philosophy.
Does anyone else have anything to add to this?
cite evidence plz
E-yeah, I'm having trouble citing other games that borrow from his philosophy. It's clear that the minds responsible for the Xenosaga series were influenced by his works, going so far as to subtitle each successive volume after one of Friedrich's published works. Also, as a bit of trivia he knew Wagner, and his opera Der Ring des Nibelung can be seen referenced in Xenosaga... and also Valkyrie Profile, dot.hack and Shadow Hearts.
I'm not familiar with anything else that echoes Nietzsche, but then again such things don't often come to my attention.
Well isn't this a strange coincidence? We just finished reading Crime and Punishment in my English class and our teacher gave us a handout about "Nietzsche's Superman". If you've ever read Crime and Punishment, you know that the main character has a theory that extraordinary men have the power to transgress the law simply because they are extraordinary. This coincides with Nietzsche's idea of a Superman. I'm not sure, however, if this relates to Xenosaga since I've never played any of the games.
If I were to guess, it probably relates to Testament, the group who hinder the main characters in the game (whether the player knows it or not). They are able to perform odd feats that ignore the laws of physics (like being able to continue to live even after death) simply by their strong wills to do so. And possibly due to the involvement of the man who controls them.
Also, there's the fact that all of the names of the games are quotes from the original German text of Nietzsche's works.
I hardly think that Nietzsche has had such a large influence of gaming as much as his work had a little influence on everything, which in turn affected gaming - but my friend Clint wrote an essay on Nietzsche directly related to Sonic: www.fanfiction.net/s/1417639/6/
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Well isn't this a strange coincidence? We just finished reading Crime and Punishment in my English class and our teacher gave us a handout about "Nietzsche's Superman". If you've ever read Crime and Punishment, you know that the main character has a theory that extraordinary men have the power to transgress the law simply because they are extraordinary. This coincides with Nietzsche's idea of a Superman. I'm not sure, however, if this relates to Xenosaga since I've never played any of the games.
Actually, I believe Nietzche is saying that if one is strong enough they can control the common man. That's how I interpret it anyhow.
Anyway, I know that some of the FF games have a touch of Nietzchean philosophy as well as other games (I can't quite remember them right now).
But thinking about this made me remember an episode of South Park where Cartman traveled to the future to get his hands on the Wii. There was a war over what was actually "true" between various athiest factions. Eventually, a well respected elder of one of the factions suggested that maybe religon isn't a bad thing because it gives something for people to believe in. Then he is slaughtered by the faction. That seems like what Nietzche talked about to me.
Anyone can be a philosopher. Just notice something painfully obvious to everyone and state it in as many words as possible.
I view his bermensch as a man who so perfectly embodies the human urge to conquer the weak, that he notices that he HIMSELF is weak. Thus turning all his will to power upon himself and ultimately unlocking the true inner power that all humans have that has been suppressed by religion and law. Free of what the rest of the people see as "morals" he acts on his own level of rationale, so others might view him as brutal, or even insane. Like Adam Warlock in Marvel comics. And...damn I know I had another example...
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Actually, I believe Nietzche is saying that if one is strong enough they can control the common man. That's how I interpret it anyhow.
Yeah, you're right. I didn't state it as eloquently as I could have.
I suspect the biggest influence of Nietzsche on gaming aside from the occasionaly genuine philosophical title (limited sadly to Pathologic and Planescape: Torment, not, from what I've heard, flaming Xenogears) is to make quotations availible to steal so shallow games can pretend they're deep.
The depressing thing is that this works.
