'We've been blessed': Video games with religious themes gain audience

Uh-huh... cuz nothing ever goes wrong when religion is involved, right? Just ask the people at the Sheraton.


http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/ae/articles/0313religiousgames13.html

Computer games with religious themes make up a small slice of the $1.1 billion computer-game industry, but they're filling a growing niche for faith-oriented entertainment. Since 1995, the two bestselling titles have sold more than 250,000 copies, and about 40 software companies are developing new and increasingly sophisticated games. Today you can solve sacred puzzles, blast unbelievers and destroy Satan. Religion has gone digital, and it's packing heat.

"We want to prove that you can have a whole lot of fun without the butts, boobs, bombs and gore," Bean said.

In other games, the religious message is more subtle and the style closely mimics mainstream secular video games. Catechumen is a classic first-person shooter, complete with crossbows, blasters and exploding scenery. But the devil, or rather the saint, is in the details. Instead of annihilating aliens or the undead, you play a Christian attempting to save his brethren from the Roman catacombs where they have been imprisoned. This is what Christianity might have looked like if it hadn't turned the other cheek. Blast a centurion with your sword and he kneels down and converts.

"The Passion and the Left Behind series have opened a window for faith-based games," said Scott Wong, a game developer with Brethren Entertainment, a Christian software company. "I think the whole industry is very eager to take advantage of it before it passes."

Yes but could you save your brethren with a crossbow if you were digitally transferred into N654's "Goldeneye 007"? I think not :D

Best FPS ever!

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ............

I don't like modern religious music -- give me Gregorian chant or "The Messiah" or even some gospel music over the Christian pop stuff, but obviously it appeals to other Christians.

I do find it offensive that you felt compelled to make a snarky comment about the Sheraton. Aberrant behavior occurs among the non-religious and the religious and most of us who are religious would never claim otherwise.

I checked the game out, and it looks like crap.

Edit: I found a review by a reputable site saying the same thing.

http://gr.bolt.com/games/pc/action/catechumen.htm

they were dead.

we had Christian video games-- they weren't violent (that was the point). In one, Noah had to go find two of every animal and return them to the ark-- that was 15 years ago.
peace

But a Christian first-person shooter? Did they have Jack Chick as a tech advisor?

shows Christians to kill? That just goes against everything that Jesus is and is about and Christianity. Who would Jesus shoot?

Also nail-makers and anyone carrying a cross.

It was quite fun to play.

So much tolerance and diversity here at DU. NOT. The daily hate speech of Christians continue. We should have a Christian hate thread contest each day here. We would need someone with a lot of time on their hands, you know, because so many contestants!

Don't do that 'since you're talking critically about something vaguely related to Christianity it means you hate Christians' slippery-slope argument crap. It's Sunday, relax.

...Just ask the people at the Sheraton."

Riiiighhht..."only about Christian computer games". Got it.
:eyes:

I speak only for myself. Do you have a point to make, or are you simply looking for an opportunity to use this: :eyes:

"No. This is about Christian computer games. Nothing else".

Since, the quote in my post was from the OP that tinonedown was responding to, may I ask what YOU are referring to in the above quote? You obviously are not referring to the OP.

thereby painting all of DU as a bunch of Christian-haters. I'm simply pointing out that it isn't and they should take a chill pill.

but I do think that this particular thread is anti-religion in nature. The quote I extracted shows that IMO.

Can I get a clarification?

I edited my original. Thanks for pointing that out.

but maybe more anti-established religion, which I can relate to. I'm an atheist, but 12 years of going to church makes me very uncomfortable with the new 'commercial Christianity'. I see Christian computer games as a part of this. I don't really care what someone believes in, but when a set of beliefs turn into a large organization with lots of money to throw around . . . I tend to react negatively. I think the OP does as well.

I'm an atheist as well (for 20+years). I share your discomfort with commercial Christianity. I just don't knee-jerk against religion like many do on DU (and I'm not talking about you).

I think this was just another one of them. DU is not for the thin-skinned. :D

I just think that one's faith should be one of those areas that you think carefully before wielding the broadbrush.

I don't like some of the generalizations being flung around either (regarding republicans especially, quite a few of them are not happy with bush), but it's going to happen whether I like it or not. I try to pick my battles.

I think it is incredabily tacky, then again, I would think that if they were talking about Wiccan video games. Smiting unbelievers? I mean, please, how is that any different than that White Supremist game that was talked about on here a while ago? Forgot its name though, been a long time since we heard of that game.

is if the box came coated in rhinestones. Read the review of the game from my first post. The reviewer basically says the developers of the game are just pushing a crap game on it's customers because there's no other alternatives . . . or something like that.

wouldn't be false advertising, that much is true. Also, why the FUCK did I capitalize damn near every word in the subject line? That's a mystery even to me.

...to marketing people. :-)

:P

At least now I have an excuse. :P

it's a popular thing now being in the mainstream Christian right-wing type of thing. Not real Christianity. It's all about selling books, video games, movies, Christian music. They're even having a "Passion of the Christ" recut with not as much violence (which takes away from the whole thing really). So it's like how in the 90's it was cool to be into pop music and boy bands. I think it's good to have alternatives though for kids and people who aren't into the whole mainstream music thing with the sex appeal and language sometimes used. I think now it's all about marketing.

If you freak out everytime somebody dare criticize the fundies (who think we progressives should be burning in hell) I am sure there are places more hospitable to your views.

It is a bigger picture kind of thing..wouldn't matter WHAT religion. It's the hypocrisy of it all. What do we have here? A group of people <who in this case are Christian> saying that killing is ok, becuz it is "only" death by bow and arrow and that the murdering is alright becuz it involves taking out people outside the killers' religious group. Going down this path is not a good thing...when will it stop? Imagine if a Muslim group invented a video game killing Jews or Christians, etc... Other religious groups would be doing a full scale attack, we would hear about it for weeks <24/7 cable>. But this whole story will fall by the wayside all because it is being labeled Christian oriented videos with "no violence", etc...

the "Christian video games"..

I liked the comment someone made above: commercial Christianity!

Faith seems to have nothing to do with it, the whole point seems to be that while "they" will be stained by contact with mainstream rock music, video games, movies,books, etc. it is OK to market their own product and call it "Christian" ..even if the video game, book, movie or whatever is just a different kind of violence demonstrated in a slightly different sort of way. I am just waiting for the video game that sends the Christians against the other major religions of the world...

"I'm too good for your music, movie, book, dentist, doctor, lawyer, accountant, dating service, auto mechanic, financial counselor, and I am superior because I use a "Christian" music, movie, book, dentist, doctor, lawyer, accountant, etc. "

( I studiously avoid professionals who advertise that they are "Christian" in their ads. I look for people who treat their clients in a decent way, they don't need to advertise it either. )

FWIW, I am a churchgoing faithful United Methodist person (lifelong); I am sick of the right wing thinking they have some sort of copyright, franchise, ownership, or trademark of the Christian faith.

we're now hatemongerers.

Sure, it's cool to play games that let you kill "unbelievers". Funny, I don't expect those people bitching about Grand Theft Auto, complaning about this...This is just as offensive.

I mean, Morrowind is.... massive. It's a huge game, and even if it is a bit dated, the plot is just massive...

and Jesus blasting Satan with the lasers out of his eyes is just as valid as believing in dragons.

That the Flanders' children played? It was called Billy Graham's Bible Blaster.

Todd: "Convert the Heathens!"
Bart: "I got him!"
Rodd: "No, you just winged him, and made him a unitarian."

I needed that to start the day!

Season 11, the episode where Flanders' wife dies:
Alone Again, Natura-Diddly



Bart: When I'm feeling low, you know what always cheers me up?
Todd: Is it love?
Rod: Kindness?
Bart: Ooh, tough room. Videogames! Whaddya got? videogame off the shelf, and reads the title] "Billy
Graham's Bible Blaster?"
Rod: Keep firing; convert the heathens!
street, as a Bible gun shoots the Holy Book at them. When
a heathen gets hit, he turns into a conservatively dressed
man with a halo]

Bart: Got him!
Rod: No, you just winged him and made him a Unitarian.
Todd: Look out, Bart! A gentle Baha'i!
legged and wearing a turban, floats past. Bart zaps him,
and turns him into another suit-wearing conservative]

Bart: All right! Full conversion! and Todd] Thanks guys, this really cheered me up.
Video: Second Coming! Reload, reload!
Todd: Can we play now?
Bart: We are playing. We're a team.
Rod +
Todd: Yay!

Fertility exercises involving the lifting of cows?

Bwaaahaahaaaa!

We don't play them around here...much. ;-)

I wonder if anyone actually plays these Christian-themed games or if they are just fulfilling the first obligation of any product to its makers -- to sell to a willing buyer.

Frankly, I'm surprised that there's only been 250,000 titles sold since 1995. Half-life 2 sold 1.7 million titles in a mere two months. These companies have lots of growth potential, given the number of born-again Christians in the US. The problem is that quality is always a problem with games made by small developers. They just don't have the money or the talent to produce really good games.

Go figure. Something must've changed.

Ned: "Let's play Bombardment!!"
All Kids: "Yaayyyy!"
Ned: "Of Bible Questions!!!"
Simpson Kids: "Awwwwww...."

Onward Xtian soldiers marching off to war,
with a PS2 game box shooting Muslum infidels,
in the name of Jesus racking up the points,
killing those who don't believe in our gOD.

JB

on the last bold paragraph. Jesus wasn't about going to people and threatning them with their life to come to him. God did give people a little thing called freewill. Does that ring a bell? And the last sentence is very telling of what they think. If Christianity really was lasting why would they take advantage before it passes? :eyes: Christianity (the right-wing way) is very popular now. I give it time before it passes and people can go back and worship how they see fit (or not). Even if you don't convert someone you're still supposed to treat them with love and respect. What's up with these freaks who claim to be Christian? It's fine to have games out like that for people who like it but jeez. Their words are really telling.

And for God's sake, fundies, don't put yourself out to do anything to help out your fellow human beings. Remember, it's all about YOU, and saving your own faith-based asses! :mad:

On edit: My anger is not toward Christians or Christianity -- but I do have a problem with mindless, blind, aggressive fundamentalism in any form, and with the crass commercialism and propaganda that accompanies it.

or Xenosaga.
Both of these games were about God, the Church, and were fantastic games with unbelievable stories.
But they were very critcal about God. Methinks they wouldn't like those types of religious games...

I very much enjoyed a game called PAINKILLER where you were an emissary of god sent through layers of hell to destroy every evil thing that moves. It was shocking, scary, and immensely cathartic and fun. The storyline was pretty stupid, Eve made an appearance topless and tastefully animated with concealing hair.

The final level of hell was a landscape that was a frozen moment of war -- all the objects, no people. A mushroom cloud over trenches where bricks blown by explosions hover in midair, bullets and shrapnel and dustclouds unmoving in space. Saddles with no horses and spears and catapults and flags all like a three dimensional photograph.