The comment thread of a recent Kotaku article entitled Walmart Said to Broaden Christian Game Distribution Plans perfectly presents the uphill battle that any Christian game developer has in presenting any sort of Christian message in a videogame.
I found this comment to be particularly poignant:
For a society that seems to love tolerance, we sure seem to hate Christians a lot.
The Left Behind games obviously aren’t helping things. I’ve never played one, but based on my research, they seem to be poorly crafted and a little mixed-up theologically. This, of course, is based on the theology of the Left Behind books themselves, the first of which is dissected in incredible – though often over-the-top – detail at the Slacktivist blog.
If I were to unfairly distill Fred Clark’s analyses of the books down to a statement, it would be that the Left Behind series represents an anti-Anti-Christ perspective of the world which is not always pro-Christ.
I was having a recent conversation at my bible study lately involving the fire-and-brimstone preaching that you would hear on the street corner (or at the Des Moines Farmer’s Market). To be clear, we didn’t agree with that behavior and concluded that neither would Deitrick Bonhoeffer, author of Life Together, which we’re currently studying. I often wonder if this is what the Jewish authorities of Jesus’s day were like. You know, the ones he had the most trouble with. The ones that conspired to have him executed. Not that what’s being preached on the corner is never true. I think it can be, but so can swinging at a stranger’s head with a baseball bat in order to smash a fly that had landed there be technically “true.”
Nevertheless, I’m encouraged to see Walmart’s willingness to be open to more Christian games.
I still long for the day when I can play a game that is actually meaningful and says something about my faith. Something real that actually represents the message of Jesus; “the last will be first,” “whatever you do to the least of these,” “love you neighbor as yourself,” and so on. I guess that makes me just another game developer that is trying to make the kind of games I want to play.
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Comments ( 8 )
I don’t know if the premise of a game, much like the premise of Jesus’ statement, that centers around “the last will be first” will ever be popular. Unfortunately, it’s the reality of our culture.
A lot of people play games to be something they’re not, and they don’t want to be serving their neighbors or those in need. They want to kill people, break rules, be the extreme of things they can’t be in real life.
If only our fantasy of being what we’re not looked more like Jesus rather than the devil.
That being said, perhaps there is a place for a bigger-than-life adventure rooted in Truth. If you figure it out, I’ll definitely buy it.
Good thoughts, brother.
Chris
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Apr 09 10 at
1:36 pm
Thanks Chris.
The good news is that the reality of our cultures are defined by things that we create. Therefore, by creating things, we get a chance to define future cultures! This news about Walmart provides more opportunity for that definition. It’s an open door, and we just need to be responsible about what we bring with us as we go through it.
I agree that a lot of people do play games for power fantasies. But I’m confident that there are plenty of people who would welcome a meaningful, thematic game about the Christian faith with open arms. Time has shown that it’s just really hard to do, I guess. But it’s so close I can taste it; God is on the move over here. My little sketchbook is filling up, and it’s only a matter of time.
godatplay
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Apr 09 10 at
2:19 pm
Maybe a good opportunity for a notgames approach?
I was thinking about this lately since seeing Facebook Indie Games’ recent post on the subject of religious games.
I would love to see (and play, and pay money for) an actually good, meaningful Christian game. I’d love to make one too, though I’m not sure that people would really take it seriously too since I’m not really Christian. Maybe if I collab with someone who’s a real Christian…
Or I could start with Buddhist games. I’ve got some ideas for that…
axcho
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Apr 09 10 at
3:17 pm
Hey Alex, thanks for the comment! Yeah, I’m working on it.
One of these days I’ll get a demo vid up of my project…
It’d be fun to collab with you, too. Maybe later in the year?
godatplay added these pithy words on
Apr 09 10 at
4:15 pm
This is something I mull over every now and then myself (http://dagda-mor.blogspot.com/2008/05/antiviolent-game.html being one product of this), though it usually leads to me trying to articulate the nature of my faith more than anything.
As far as I can see, the most effective use of games as a medium would be to demonstrate a given principle of the bible (preferably one that’s more radical from our society’s standpoint, i.e. “turn the other cheek”).
Dagda
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Apr 10 10 at
2:43 am
I love collabs. Yeah, let’s try one sometime. Let me know when you have some time and a good project to try, and maybe I’ll be ready by then too.
axcho added these pithy words on
Apr 11 10 at
1:02 am
A big corporation like Wal-Mart is never going to “get it.” In fact, I would be insulted that someone is attempting to market anything to my faith. That’s just crazy and cynical. Horrible really. I’m not a Christian but I’m well aware of the history of video games and Christian games have, unfortunately, been of generally poor quality. I suspect part of the problem is that, at best, the developers are not saying to themselves “how can I make a great game” but “how can I use this kooky thing these kids love to spread the word of God.” At worst they are simply trying to cash in on a potential market that they don’t fully appreciate or respect. I think aspiring Christian artists would best look to J.R.R. Tolkien and Rand Miller on how best to stay true to their beliefs AND make amazing art/games/music/whatever. What a person believes is important is there in the work. How could it not be? Who we are and what we hold as important shows up in everything we do and it’s all the more on display in our art. You don’t have to go out of your way to send a message, it will be there whether you’re aware of it or not. My 2 cents, for what they are worth.
Shane
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May 08 10 at
1:33 pm
They are worth a lot, thank you for giving them! I totally see what you’re saying. I guess I see it as a baby step. If I can make a meaningful game about my faith, and then have several opportunities for getting the game out there to people, I see it as a good thing. It’s also encouraging to me that this is an indirect sign that there are people who want these kinds of experiences.
I don’t really like Wal Mart, but I’m trying to remain positive in an area that I’m generally pretty cynical about.
godatplay added these pithy words on
May 08 10 at
2:16 pm
