Molnar 1

Jim Molnar
Professor Ashley Humphries
ENC 1101
2/4/15
How A Video Game Series Forever Changed The Way I Looked At My Father
A Digital History Narrative
Due to circumstances that need not be mentioned, my father and I had a very, very rough
first years as we developed our relationship as father and son. I hated him as he hated me, and
that was that, there was no fixing that problem, in fact it was not even a problem, simply a way
of life. Although, as if dropped on my head, a solution was introduced in the form of a
blockbuster video game starring a cyborg that kills aliens and alien like beings to protect what he
knows to be humanity as a whole. His name was Master Chief, and the video game was Halo.
Through a select few critical events, countless hours of gameplay, a walk down an old gravel
road, and Burger King hash browns, my father and I crafted a relationship as player one and
player two, top screen and bottom screen, father and son, and it was through this relationship that
developed the man I am today.
The year was 2007 and I was 11 years old and home schooled for the aforementioned
circumstances that need not be mentioned. My family was not the most fortunate when it came to
financial freedom and comfort. My parents were dog trainers. I worked for them for many years
and saved up my money to buy an original X-Box console and my choice of one game. The
hours were long and painful but to me they were worth it once I ripped the tape off of an

Molnar 2

unopened X-Box Console. I knew nothing of popular titles or which company made the best
games, the only information I had was my cousin Jacob and his favorite X-Box video game,
Halo 2. Halo 2 was the first and only video game I had played up to that point in my life so of
course that was the title that I picked. All I did was play this game for hours and days at a time,
so much so that my hatred ridden father thought I was playing too much and took it from me,
after all those years of hard work, my only point of entertainment was gone. I begged him to
have it back; that it brought me the only sense of happiness I had in this boring home schooled
world, and that maybe he could play it and enjoy it as well. To my surprise, he agreed. He was
absolutely horrible at this game (and still is to this day but dont tell him I told you that) but he
actually found enjoyment in this activity, so much so one day he walked up to me and asked
want to play split-screen? in which I replied with an excitement ridden yes! Keep in mind
we still did not get along, but things were beginning to become bearable, bearable turned to
neutral, neutral turned to friendly, and before we knew it we were like family. To me, family is
what truly distinguishes who we are, especially at a young age while we are still developing.
My father and I played this game day in and day out, we laughed, we cried, we
rage quit while playing on legendary, we just had a blast. This is where the peak of our journey
as friends began, the year was still 2007, the month was August, and we had just learned the
sequel to our favorite franchise was on the way in only a matter of months. Fanboying ensued,
posters were bought, pre-orders were made, and sleepless nights occurred. Moments like these
not only crafted long lasting memories, but also began developing my emotions through
excitement filled moments and family bonding. There was no midnight launch party in our area
so we decided to rush to Game Crazy (remember those?) the morning they opened to buy our
copy of the most anticipated game of both our lives. Before we went to buy it though, we

Molnar 3

stopped by Burger King and each ordered a sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit and a medium order
of hash browns, this meal became a signature of ours that we still do to this day. I had never had
one of these before, and having ate one on a day so significant made it taste a whole lot better
than they actually were. After we had breakfast we drove to the video game store, bought the
game and the X-Box 360 that we needed to play it on, starred at it for about 20 minutes, and
drove home. The experience I had with him that day, playing the game for 12 hours straight, was
what made us father and son, from that day forward there would only be improvement in the
development of my family and I, or so I thought.
Lets jump ahead to September 22nd 2009, the first day that my father made me skip my
home schooling session. This would be the release date for the next first person shooter
installment in the Halo franchise known as Halo 3: ODST, and this time there was a midnight
release. My father and I stayed at the release party for 3 hours meeting fellow gamers that shared
our unique passion for killing stuff on a television screen. We bought the game, starred for 20
minutes, drove home, and slept. The following morning I was preparing for my home school
material reading session, which was never something I particularly looked forward to, and my
dad asked me what I was doing in which I replied confusingly school? He responded with No
youre not, HALO! in this case I had no choice, but I wasnt complaining, no school! Later that
night after playing for I honestly do not even know how long, my father and I went for a walk
down this old gravel road that was down the street from our house. My father looked at me and
said he loved me on that walk, and that he always will and always have as well as apologized for
the horrible person he had been for all those years and leaned in to hug me as if I was finally his
son. This moment was very important to me; it not only made me develop a father-son

Molnar 4

relationship with my dad, but made me truly appreciate who he was, and what he had to teach
me.
Between the years of 2009 and 2012, a lot had changed, my parents and I moved from
Tennessee to Florida, I had begun high school, and the relationship I had with my father began to
slowly and painfully drift. We just didnt talk as much. We were both always so busy and never
made time for the subtle good morning and hows life? conversations, we merely went about
our separate business. Do not misunderstand me, we still loved each other, we just did not have
the time to showcase it. What happened to Halo? Halo was over; the franchises supervising
company Bungie had left the series to die in a cliffhanger with the end of Halo 3. The
development of my family and I came to halt and even began retracting. Though as if the
heavens opened their doors and sent a messenger to start a new company to create another Halo
solely for my father and I, 343 industries was born and took over the franchise, and did it very
well. The company did so well that a sequel to the blockbuster Halo 3 would be released later in
the year of 2012. This leads us to the second time my father made me miss school, the day was
November 6th and I was a junior at Lake Mary High School, but for today, I was a son. My
family and I were not in much better of a financial situation as we were in 2007 so we actually
did not have a car at the time, so my father and I had to walk to the Play n Trade that was about a
mile down the street and oh so conveniently located next to a Burger King. We had both shared
the same meal as we did with the release of Halo 3, 5 years prior. I remember that breakfast clear
as day because my father and I had such an amazing talk about absolutely nothing. Just random
conversation topics and how exited we were to play this freaking awesome game. It really was
the old fashion Father-Son Moment After we purchased the game we walked back to our
apartment and played it all day, so much so that we beat the damn thing in about 6 hours. As we

Molnar 5

leaned back after we completed the campaign, we looked at each other with that same glance that
we shared when my father walked up to me years ago and asked if I wanted to play split screen
with him. Our bond had been reestablished. I had been reestablished.
As far apart hatred and love are in the spectrum of emotion, they can be switched in an
instant by some of the simplest devices. I admit, I hated my father, and if you asked him if he
hated me he would solemnly agree, but that does not matter now, what does matter is what
brought us together and that we stay like that. Specific events like the releases of Halo 3, Halo
3:ODST, and Halo 4 were critical when establishing a bond, but what really connected us were
those Burger King talks, gravel road walks, and countless hours killing space aliens in front of a
television screen on a perfectly beautiful day outside. I love my father, and I love Halo, and I am
blessed that those two share a relationship in my life. For it was not the video game that brought
us together, it was the fact that we found a reason to love each other as a family. That reason
being similar interest, for that is the foundation of a lasting relationship, and the base of my
development as a partner in the relationship that is father and son. In the end, the biggest lesson
Halo taught me was not that its a fun game to play, but that relationships can be formed through
something that both parties can enjoy and relate to.