Why did Valve make Gordon so ugly?

[777Zero]

I think it's interesting how Valve did the opposite of what everyone else do and made the player an ugly nerd type of hero. Even the name Gordon Freeman sounds pretty out of place for a FPS. And he seems to get a lot of praise from Alyx, Barney, Eli etc because he can pull some plugs.

 

[Omnomnick]

I think it's interesting how Valve did the opposite of what everyone else do and made the player an ugly nerd type of hero.

He isn't "ugly", he just isn't the traditional idiot grunty stereotypical meat-head protagonist which so many children seem to find so enthralling these days.

Even the name Gordon Freeman sounds pretty out of place for a FPS.

Once again, the whole idea behind the character was to design an atypical hero who appears as an "every man", which allows the players to project themselves onto the character and become immersed in the experience. Having a "generic FPS name" like Donald Fist etc is actually less interesting, less believable, less creative and more dull than having a character with a more realistic "down to earth" name.

And he seems to get a lot of praise from Alyx, Barney, Eli etc because he can pull some plugs.

And surviving the biggest catastrophe mankind has ever seen? And defeating entire armies of aliens single handedly? And defeating several extremely well trained branches of the US military and Ninjas? And a whole load of other things that I can't be bothered to list because I'd be here all night.

 

[777Zero]

I just feel people like him because he appears in a great game. Gordon is just lifeless. And I know you're supposed to be Gordon but then why give him a face and a name in the first place if Valve so insists on the player being the hero? Why not just leave it to people's imagination?

 

[Krynn72]

I'd say he's actually not better or worse in this category than anybody else. Maybe he's just not your type?

 

[JossiRossi]

I just feel people like him because he appears in a great game. Gordon is just lifeless. And I know you're supposed to be Gordon but then why give him a face and a name in the first place if Valve so insists on the player being the hero? Why not just leave it to people's imagination?

Because if every character just said, "Hey! It's that guy!" or "It's you!" it'd be absurd. Do you really think the narratives could have worked with the main character having no name whatsoever to be referred to as?

 

[bobtheskull]

Every FPS out there 'you' are the hero. Otherwise, you're just sitting watching someone else play the game. Or am I just being dense?

 

[Maestro]

Because if every character just said, "Hey! It's that guy!" or "It's you!" it'd be absurd. Do you really think the narratives could have worked with the main character having no name whatsoever to be referred to as?

It worked in Drive.

 

[Krynn72]

Also, he is based on the Lead Sound and Music developer Kelly Bailey who worked on Halflife 1, Halflife 2 and the episodes. I hope you feel bad for calling him ugly. He worked his ass off making such a great game and all you can do is tell him he's ugly?

 

[Lobster]

Why did valve make Gordon so ugly?.

How dare you insult this beautiful piece of man bacon!

 

[777Zero]

Also, he is based on the Lead Sound and Music developer Kelly Bailey who worked on Halflife 1, Halflife 2 and the episodes. I hope you feel bad for calling him ugly. He worked his ass off making such a great game and all you can do is tell him he's ugly?

I don't feel bad. It's the truth.

 

[Omnomnick]

I don't feel bad. It's the truth.

Why should his appearance matter anyway? I play Doom in Dota regularly and I still view him as a total badass, despite the fact that he's: A. A rotting corpse and B. The devil.

 

[trunk_slamchest]

How dare you insult this beautiful piece of man bacon!

square head = square ideas

 

[Shem]

I asked God the same question about you.

 

[Lobster]

It's the Peter Parker situation. You have Doomguy and Duke Nukem who were born and raised to be physically imposing beefcakes. While Gordon Freeman is the nerdy everyman who had power thrust upon him when a radioactive spider crawled inside his HEV suit.

 

[Danny_ZQ]

Why does this thread sound so familiar?

 

[MFL]

Gordon Freeman. Is a beautiful man.






You go straight to hell.

 

[Krynn72]

What I want to know is why did Vegeta make John Freeman so ugly?

 

[MFL]

The pants were dead, man.

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

They made him ugly so Valve's fanbase would have a character they could actually relate to.

 

[Vegeta897]

What I want to know is why did Vegeta make John Freeman so ugly?

Go to hell dude, just because I can't draw.

Look at the one piece of fanart based on my rendition of John Freeman and tell me he's ugly:

 

[BabyHeadCrab]

HERESY. lock this thread. It should have been as soon as the OP spoke.

 

[morgs]

Waiting for the OP to post a picture of himself so we can ask the same question of his mother.

 

[Maestro]

HEARSAY. lock this thread. It should have been as soon as the OP spoke.

Hearsay or heresy?

 

[BabyHeadCrab]

heresy, good call

 

[dogboy73]

He was modelled on a hyperthetically thin Gabe Newell.

 

[Bad^Hat]

And he seems to get a lot of praise from Alyx, Barney, Eli etc because he can pull some plugs.

Those were jokes. They were joking.

 

[Maestro]

Those were jokes. They were joking.

Shhhhh, let him continue his delusion.

 

[Edeslash]

It worked in Drive.

yeah I think that's because there are about six lines of dialogue in the movie.

Every FPS out there 'you' are the hero. Otherwise, you're just sitting watching someone else play the game. Or am I just being dense?

Bioshock Infinite revolves around the idea of "you" not being the hero. But it still drags you into the narrative.

 

[bobtheskull]

yeah I think that's because there are about six lines of dialogue in the movie.


Bioshock Infinite revolves around the idea of "you" not being the hero. But it still drags you into the narrative.

LALALALALALALALA <fingers in ears>

Noooooooo! Keep that in the Infinite thread! I don't have the cash to get it yet so am avoiding anything BI. Even little, almost insignificant things. I shake my fist at you, sir.

 

[DEATH eVADER]

I don't feel bad. It's the truth.

What! He is so charming, like Nathan Fillion, or the Sugar Puff Monster!

 

[Edeslash]

Noooooooo! Keep that in the Infinite thread! I don't have the cash to get it yet so am avoiding anything BI. Even little, almost insignificant things. I shake my fist at you, sir.

Totally recommending you do that. But the point is that Booker is the hero, not "you".

 

[bobtheskull]

Totally recommending you do that. But the point is that Booker is the hero, not "you".

The fist! Still shaking it! Stop typing!

Yeah, as soon as I have spare cash, I'll be getting it.

 

[Stylo]

Ugly? Look at that bed-head and beard combo, those handsome cheekbones and beautiful green eyes. Get off my planet.

 

[Maestro]

Ugly? Look at that bed-head and beard combo, those handsome cheekbones and beautiful green eyes. Get off my planet.

Yeah, Gordon is actually by typical standards a pretty attractive dude. Strong jawline/cheekbones with thick hair and contrasting eye color. If he didn't have those idiotic hipster hornrim glasses then he would probably have had coital relations with Alyx by now.

 

[Mogi67]

I'd **** gordon

 

[Shem]

I already have.

 

[777Zero]

Ugly? Look at that bed-head and beard combo, those handsome cheekbones and beautiful green eyes. Get off my planet.

He's not good looking at all. But Valve probably did it on purpose to stand out from the crowd. They like to do that.

 

[morgs]

Who are you, ****ing Gok Wan?

 

[Maestro]

I can tell you he has terrible taste in men, that's for certain. Gordon is a sexy beast when he doesn't have a mildly disgusted look on his face.

 

[Shem]

To be honest the disgusted look makes him look even sexier. The threesome we had with Alyx was the best.