[Fractux]

Wired Article:
http://www.wired.com/news/games/0,2101,68401,00.html

PORTLAND, Oregon -- Christians looking to provide alternatives to the sex and violence of video games like Grand Theft Auto are trying to attract some of the PlayStation generation with more wholesome fare.

Here's the conversation that I though of after reading it.

Billy: "What's the path to salvation... humbleness? helping others?"
Jimmy: "No.   It's Left - Left - Up - clockwise Right - B - X - X - Right"
Billy: "Oh.. yeah right. I'll remeber that one. Hey which one is the repent button?"



Joking aside, I think any videgame can be used to teach, just like movies and other multimedia. I remember playing early games on my father's IBM 5150, and learning logo on my CoCo. But I highly doubt any child will play a game that is not fun (unless they are enjoying learning programming and playing games like Robot Battles), and the fun has to take precedence over the message, or else kids just won't play them, and parents won't buy them. Or parents will buy them and kids won't play them.

I definitely think you can get accross messages in games, that's not in question at all. But it seems like it could be more marketing than really offering a different genre of game that helps you examine your values and morals, and think about your life

Cheers!

[delta_7890]

Nothing said here that hasn't already been said..

But just for the hell of it, these games are totally gonna tank.  There just isn't a market for this kind of software.  oo;

[Fenrir]

Just what I'd expect from Portland, OR. >_>

Well, good luck to 'em is all I have to say. Frankly, I hope they can succeed, but if the games come out crappy, then nobody's gonna play 'em.

[IceFire]

Just as Rockstar games gets to make a game with the message in that game, these guys can make a game with theirs.  We'll see how popular they prove to be...but hey...who knows

[FireCrack]

I thaught dinasaurs didn't exist...

[Scuddie]

If they execute this game with a good deal of action/adventure, it might have great success.  Joan of Arc, the crusades, the fifth plague, etc. are all deep and detailed action stories.  If they want to offer their subliminal messages thru that front, it could be pulled off very easily...

However, as with most christian themed styles, it will probably end up being like those talking and singing vegetables, or something lame like that.

[achtung]

I..... I.... I feel like vomiting.

[phatosealpha]

The title alone gives me flashbacks of bible adventures and super noah's ark.  It will suck.  They always suck.

[EtherShock]

Can't we just bring back edutainment?

[BlueFlames]

Christian gaming, eh?  Does that mean I can make sure Jesus stays dead this time?

I'm pretty sure that was in bad taste, but I'm going straight to hell anyway, so I figure I may as well enjoy myself on the way.  

[aldo_14]

[q]ing low, you know what always cheers me up?
Todd:   Is it love?
Rod:   Kindness?
Bart:   Ooh, tough room.  Videogames!  Whaddya got?  [grabs a  videogame off the shelf, and reads the title] "Billy Graham's Bible Blaster?"
Rod:   Keep firing; convert the heathens!
   [cut to a pixilated video screen.  Heathens cross the  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]
   [cut back to the boys]
Bart:   Got him!
Rod:   No, you just winged him and made him a Unitarian.
Todd:   Look out, Bart!  A gentle Baha'i!
   [cut back to the video screen.  A Baha'i, sitting cross-legged and wearing a turban, floats past.  Bart zaps him, and turns him into another suit-wearing conservative]
   [cut back to the boys]
Bart:   All right!  Full conversion! [puts his arms around Rod  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:    [/i][pause] Yay![/q]

I have nothing against the concept bible games.... i mean, they're a bit preachy, but I guess it's to the converted if that's what floats your boat.  Of course, they're also usually ****e.  Albeit I do wonder if Ayatollah Khomenis' Path to Martyrdom would be regarded in the same light.

[Sandwich]

Regarding the success or failure of Christian-themed entertainment items, I will cite but one example: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by Sandwich
Regarding the success or failure of Christian-themed entertainment items, I will cite but one example: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

Themed, though; it's not as overt as bible games.  I read the whole series when I was in primary school and never realised it had any religious undercurrent (let alone a specific Christian one).  That serves as probably a good example of not letting the religion dominate the entertainment, as it were.

[Sandwich]

Yes, my point exactly. That book gets across the message of the cross perfectly well to those that notice it, without being in-your-face. It's an example that anyone in the "Christian" entertainment world should look to follow.

It's sort of like the parables Jesus was so fond of.

[vyper]

I just thought of a hot coffee hack involving Mary Magdelene...

[Carl]

Originally posted by Sandwich
Regarding the success or failure of Christian-themed entertainment items, I will cite but one example: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

Or you could sight hundreds of movies, TV shows, and books.

Movies:

The Passion of the Christ
The Ten Commandments
Dracula 2000 (you read that right)
The Prince of Egypt
Stigmata

TV Shows:

Touched by an Angel
Joan of Arcadia
7th Heaven

Books:

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Pilgrim's Progress
The Bible

And those are just what i could think of off the top of my head.

[aldo_14]

What, no Dogma?

[NGTM-1R]

His Karma ran over it.

...that was a bad one.

[Rictor]

what about The Life of Brian? That get the message out quite nicely.

[ZylonBane]

Yeah, the message that religion makes people crazy.

You know what would be great? A game where you take down ALL religions, using science and reason.

"Hooray! I just upgraded my resistance to strawman arguments!"