article about christan games

[ThaKladd]

I came across this article:

From Reuters

[ShiroiHikari]

Hmmm, interesting.

[Syaoran]

Very interesting.

[Azier the Swordsman]

Interesting read. However, there are still several problems....

For one, I infer from the article that the main focus, aside from Left Behind, is still to target games towards kids. This has to change if Christian gaming is to be a success. The Bible Game has already been listed as the worst game at E3 from EGM magazine. And Left Behind... it remains to be seen how it will turn out.

In order for the Christian game industry to survive, there must be drastic changes:

More games must be targeted for the older demographic. Darker, more dramatic stories with realistic characters/action/plots. Christian developers need to stop catering to soccer moms and start catering to gamers.

Christians need to start putting better quality into the games. Stop using amateur software and cranking out B or C grade games and make something truly groundbreaking that manages to actually play and look decent.

If I see one more corny game along the lines of: 'Convert people to Jesus by chucking the fruit of the spirit after them'* ect. I am going to puke.

*Not that I didn't think the Spiritual Warfare wasn't at least decent; it was just way to corny.

[ShiroiHikari]

In order for the Christian game industry to survive, there must be drastic changes:

More games must be targeted for the older demographic. Darker, more dramatic stories with realistic characters/action/plots. Christian developers need to stop catering to soccer moms and start catering to gamers.

Christians need to start putting better quality into the games. Stop using amateur software and cranking out B or C grade games and make something truly groundbreaking that manages to actually play and look decent.

If I see one more corny game along the lines of: 'Convert people to Jesus by chucking the fruit of the spirit after them'* ect. I am going to puke.

I agree, sir.

[Lyren]

An interesting read. One problem that I see is the effort to make sure that Christian games are blatently and undoubtedly Christian. Just because they want to make Christian games doesn't mean that they have to be based off a Christian book or directly adapted from Biblical events. What I would like to see is a traditional RPG with a story aproach similiar to what JRR Tolkien did with The Lord of the Rings or even what Stephen Lawhead did with his fantasy stories. Both are loaded with Christian ideas and messages, but both have appeal to non-Christians and aren't overbearing in their Christian influence. I think something like that could really give Christian games a presence. Personally, I have no interest in a Left Behind game or an action game set during a Biblical war.

I also fully agree with Azier the Swordman's comments.

[sanitysux13]

'Convert people to Jesus by chucking the fruit of the spirit after them'

I actually rented an NES game back in the day which had this plotline. I don't remember what it was called though. All I can say is thank goodness I found Soul Calibur and other assorted evil games.

[glitch1501]

wierd, i was just about to post a thread about this article i read in the latest pcgamer

"Holy Strategy
Tired of WWII battlefields and space-alien mining camps? If you'd rather be "touched by an angel" while playing a real-time strategy game, you'll have a couple of different options in the near-future. Religious-themed RTS games are starting tom ake an appearance beginning this year.
First up is TKO Software's Heaven vs. Hell, set for release in 2006. In the 25th century, humankind has become so advanced that it has begun meddling in God's design--royally upsetting Him. In retribution, the big guy unleashes heavenly forces upon the Earth to celanse it in advance of a "spiritual reboot" of the planet. Satan, fearing the loss of the followers and diminishing power, casts his own army of demons to Earth to confront God's forces. Humans, as usual, are stuck in the middle. You can play as any of the three sides.

And as an offshoot of the hit Christian book and movie series Left Behind comes Left Behind: Eternal Forces (shown right) from first-time developer Left Behind Games. Set on Earth after the Rapture, those who have been left behind must face apocalyptic battles on the streets of New York City between the angelic Tribulation Forces and the Global Community Peacekeepers (aka Satan's police force). LBG is shooting for a winter 2005 release date."

PCGamer, Sept. 2005, pg 46

[skynes]

I really hope I can get into the Game Industry. I would love to make to make top quality christian games.

I want to fit this:

More games must be targeted for the older demographic. Darker, more dramatic stories with realistic characters/action/plots. Christian developers need to stop catering to soccer moms and start catering to gamers.

I would say most of my games would be Teenager, with a few being Mature. Not cause they're immoral or anything, but I have one particular idea that would be far too terrifying for younger gamers.

[Myoti]

Ditto, skynes. That's the kind of thing I'd prefer to be doing.

Personally, I have no interest in a Left Behind game or an action game set during a Biblical war.

*looks at "Joshua" plans*

Crud. -_-

[shooraijin]

I agree, sir.

So do I. I remember a game called Catchumen that actually had a nice 3-D engine, but ultimately devolved into a "throwing holy books to convert people" game and it was really, really stupid.

During the 1980s, there was a series of games based on the Narnia books, including Voyage of the Dawn Treader and a couple others (they were for the Apple II, Commodore 64 and I think there was a version for the Atari also). These were primitive by today's standards but they weren't bad for the time, and at least tried to be faithful to the books (which meant that the plot and conflicts were rendered well).

A lot of Christian media thinks that they have to pound people over the head with the Bible to be Christian, whereas you can do much to promulgate the message in more creative, more subtle methods that still get the point across.

There was an episode of the Simpsons that sums up the sad state of Christian games these days:

Flanders kids: Get the pagan in the crosshairs!
Bart: I got him! I got him!
Tod: No, you only winged him. Now he's a Unitarian.

[Godly Paladin]

I actually rented an NES game back in the day which had this plotline. I don't remember what it was called though. All I can say is thank goodness I found Soul Calibur and other assorted evil games.

That would be Spiritual Warfare.

The article is down...is there another link I could use?

[Godly Paladin]

I can read it now.