A Successful Christian Game

[Sketcher]

But anyhow, my main point is that it doesn't necessarily need to be true to be enjoyed. ie The fact that we Christians think it is true, and that you non-believers don't, is irrelevant to the actual enjoyment of a game in a good setting, with good game dynamics. There are other factors in GTA for sure, and not everyone will approach it as I did.

Breaking the mold of boring Christianity, and the media stereotypes of our faith is something that can easily be done in this kind of industry, however I'm wondering what gamers truly get enjoyment from in a game, and if sticking "Christian" on the front of it, would suddenly set the enjoyment counter to zero, what the reason is for that?

Maybe because selling out doesn't work?

 

[WPZanar07]

Selling out loses respect, even when it works.

Look at Gwen Stefani. She was great with NO DOUBT, but then she SOLD OUT and BETRAYED her fans. Now I have no respect for her.

Totally unrelated to games, I know, lol. I was talking about selling out, hehe.

 

[J3sus Is My L0rd]

Well personally, I think most Christian games are un-appealing for the fact that the game ITSELF looks unappealing. The 'Christian' genre usually is run on a lower end budget, and it shows in the game. Nobody is gonna wanna fork out cash for a game that looks like it came out with windows 95. If you could create a game with stunning visuals and an amazing soundtrack, you would have buyers. Personal Opinion, lets hear what you guys think. (For instance, if you had a Christian-themed game with the graphics and music content of, say, Elder Scrolls IV, I bet you would definately have buyers)

Be blessed †

 

[Digit]

Well personally, I think most Christian games are un-appealing for the fact that the game ITSELF looks unappealing. The 'Christian' genre usually is run on a lower end budget, and it shows in the game. Nobody is gonna wanna fork out cash for a game that looks like it came out with windows 95. If you could create a game with stunning visuals and an amazing soundtrack, you would have buyers. Personal Opinion, lets hear what you guys think. (For instance, if you had a Christian-themed game with the graphics and music content of, say, Elder Scrolls IV, I bet you would definately have buyers)

Be blessed †

Ok. I have issues with the whole looks vs gameplay argument. Mainly because if you look at Ultima Online, which lets face it, basically looked like roadkill, yet was so popular, you have to concede it had something special.

Now I think we are at the stage, where even bad studios can produce good looking games, I mean, ok, I've worked for some of them hehe, but I don't think good looking art is out of reach of a low budget studio. In fact, it doesn't even need to be good looking, it just has to be ok, as I firmly believe strong gameplay and sound can bring any graphical neglection back from the brink, and provide a very immersive experience.

I was wondering if non-believers, would have issues with playing a God-themed game, or at least a game with strong Christian morals and beliefs. I mean, I watched Prince of Egypt the other day, and in fact even when I wasn't saved it was my favourite film, it's epic in every sense, and is produced in extremely high quality. The subject matter didn't phase me at all.

Left Behind I haven't actually played, I am almost put off of the fact that some of the gameplay dynamics seem rather warped to me. I mean, you can either kill or convert people? What wondeful choices. >_< Sounds like Holy Crusade time again lol.

As soon as I find some more time to look into the Armour of God and research it a little more, I shall do so.

I am also interested to hear why making a Christian themed game is selling out? Selling out ot who, and for what personal benefit might I ask?

Digit

 

[peanutbutter12]

Ok. I have issues with the whole looks vs gameplay argument. Mainly because if you look at Ultima Online, which lets face it, basically looked like roadkill, yet was so popular, you have to concede it had something special.

Heh, I still have a UO account. Not much longer as I'm waiting to try out the new graphics update.

Anyway, UO was pretty much the poster child of online gaming. The first of its kind to hit the mass market. The graphics were blah when it first came out, but no one cared because the concept was new. After the first few years though, it started going down hill and has been dropping ever since.

Now days, people aren't as accepting of trashy graphics. UO can't sell on the shelf anymore and be able to stand up to games like WoW or Vanguard, which is why EA is overhauling the graphics all together... even though they still look out of date.

CJ

 

[Digit]

Well yeah I agree UO in the present day looks horrendous... but charming sort of, bah! I have a soft touch for it. But even when UO was out, graphically it was still terrible. It wasn't even good. I remember waking up one morning, hearing a metallic thunk, followed by a sheep bleating and wondering what on earth my housemate was doing. I wandered out and he was playing UO, my first thought was, "Wow... that is one horrible looking game". But after much explaining from my friend, I could see it's endearing qualities, one of which is that you could really just do whatever you wanted. It offered complete freedom, he just spent some time hanging out at the local tavern talking about things with other patrons. Cool I thought!

Now I see your point, as if we fast-forward to present day, lets pick a game... er, Gears of War. Graphically beautiful, gameplay wise, not bad, they pretty much borrowed a lot of good gamplay mechanics from other games, and just polished them up and meshed them with their world. The cover system was really nice, the rest was a little average. So in this respect, the graphics really helped to carry the game a little.

So, lets assume that said SCG (Successful Christian Game, as I ain't typing that out each time) is graphically good. Not amazing like GoW, and not horrendous like UO.

I guess the area I struggle with, is finding a compelling way to merge Biblical messages, into our present day gaming world. *still thinking about the Armour of God idea*.

Digit

 

[Brimshack]

I think you're biggest problem will be, ...heh, setting up the central problem. By that I mean the central problem to be resolved by the players

If you make the central problem to close to the message of Christianity, then you will be faced with 2 choices:

1) You can allow the enemy to win, in which case you will produce games which appear to have an anti-Christian outcome.

2) You can ensure that all outcomes favor the Christian message, thus rendering the game itself into a charade.

I suspect both outcomes are unacceptable, the former for ideological reasons and the latter from the aesthetics of gamesmanship.

Alternatively, you could produce a game in which the goal of the players is a side point to the actual message of Christianity. This would enable you to allow for variable outcome without producing a possible slam on your faith as the outcome of a game. Unfortunately, this has the side effect of muting its effectiveness as a message in favor of Christianity. Perhaps if all the players pursue different goals that are consistent with Christian values, then a victory of one over another could be left up in the air while also being of interest to your message.

Alternatively,

I wonder about the prospect of a cooperative card game. Something where 2 or more players must work together to do something (say build a church - as narrated by the cards ...or perhaps something less hokey). The odds could be such that the game is as likely to be lost as won, but that the players themselves must work together (without telling each other about their cards) to win. Cooperative games are more difficult than games where one or the other party wins, but they are an interesting problem in themselves.

 

[Zecryphon]

"Heyas, first post in this forum. "

Welcome.

"I have been wondering for a little while now, how one would create a successful Christian computer game."

How are you defining success? Commercially or spiritually?

"One that would appeal to both Christians, and non-believers, as a method of entertaining, and but also explaining and teaching people who would otherwise not have an open mind to Christianity."

I do this already in a game called Second Life. If you're not familiar with it, go to www.secondlife.com We have 5 million subscribers (residents) so far. Don't let the word subscriber throw you or scare you off, the basic account is free. But if you wish to own land and have a steady income, you need to upgrade to a premium account. There are ways to make money though with the basic account too. It just takes longer. I write for a Christian magazine that is distributed in-world and published on the web too, called Wings of Hope. I write under the name of Lasher Mayfair. Check it out at: www.wingsofhopemag.com The magazine opens up in a pdf file.

"I work in a game studio at the moment as a Game Designer myself, and have been jotting some ideas down. Recently another studio has released a game based on the Left Behind series."

Yes. I was going to get it and play it but there's this little issue of spyware in the game that once loaded onto your computer can not be removed. It's not bad spyware, it just notes your geographical location and puts ads and billboards in the game that are relevant to where you live, so you get a more authentic real life experience while playing the game. Like someone back east would see a billboard for Pathmark grocery stores, but to someone like me in AZ, I wouldn't know what a Pathmark is. Except I do because I used to live back east. The game also collects data that it uses to track how Christians spend their time on the internet and offers them services based upon where they go.

"I haven't played it myself, but I keep wondering what components of a game would lend themselves to Christianity."

Don't play it, for the reasons I mentioned above. Not to mention that Left Behind, while I enjoy it immensely and is a good fictional story, the theology it is built upon is rather shaky and not Biblically sound as I am learning.

"I am interested to hear both from Christians on what they would like to see, what they believe would make a good game mechanic, what books/stories in the Bible would translate well into a game medium and also what they do not want to see."

Angelic warfare is always a good way to go. The War in Heaven, Nephilim, angels mating with women, these ideas have captured the imagination of both Christian and non-Christian. Movies like the Prophecy Trilogy and City of Angels, Hellboy have been popular for a reason. Perhaps you could have humans working with various choirs of God's angels battling demons and their forces in secular society. Just don't slam major corporations like MTV and you should be fine.

"From non-believers I would be interested to hear about the things they enjoy in games, what they like to see, and what would make them consider playing a Christian themed game, knowing what they do currently about the religion. In addition, from the non-believers, what aspects would immediately make them discount playing the game."

For non-believers it's easy. The one thing that always turns them off playing a Christian video game, is that it's a Christian video game.

Your thoughts on a well-presented post card please.

Cheers!
Digit

 

[Dannager]

Angelic warfare is always a good way to go. The War in Heaven, Nephilim, angels mating with women, these ideas have captured the imagination of both Christian and non-Christian. Movies like the Prophecy Trilogy and City of Angels, Hellboy have been popular for a reason. Perhaps you could have humans working with various choirs of God's angels battling demons and their forces in secular society. Just don't slam major corporations like MTV and you should be fine.

Man, I would buy a well-made game based on that sort of thing (Constantine is another good example of a movie doing this) in a heartbeat.

 

[Zecryphon]

Man, I would buy a well-made game based on that sort of thing (Constantine is another good example of a movie doing this) in a heartbeat.

Would you read a book about it?

 

[Dannager]

Would you read a book about it?

Probably not. Since I hit college I've had depressingly little time to engage in personal reading. If it were already highly recommended I might find time for it. If, for whatever reason, I wasn't already reading a hundred pages of textbook each evening it would certainly be a different story.

 

[Zecryphon]

Probably not. Since I hit college I've had depressingly little time to engage in personal reading. If it were already highly recommended I might find time for it. If, for whatever reason, I wasn't already reading a hundred pages of textbook each evening it would certainly be a different story.

Ah yes, I remember that's what led to me being driven out of college! LOL Apparently, if you don't keep a certain GPA even as a part time non-registered student college has little use for you! Those Jesuits! They don't know what they missed! LOL

 

[Sketcher]

Angelic warfare is always a good way to go. The War in Heaven, Nephilim, angels mating with women, these ideas have captured the imagination of both Christian and non-Christian. Movies like the Prophecy Trilogy and City of Angels, Hellboy have been popular for a reason. Perhaps you could have humans working with various choirs of God's angels battling demons and their forces in secular society. Just don't slam major corporations like MTV and you should be fine.

Kinda like Requiem did? A whole lot of Christians didn't know what to think of it so they didn't buy it, not wanting to get a blasphemous game. It's not exactly a classic, so while I don't know what non-Christians thought of it, I do know it wasn't very successful. If anyone goes this route, they ought to add some serious innovation.

 

[Psalms34]

So I wondered into an EB outlet this week, I usually don&#8217;t go in there much any longer since they removed most of their PC titles and that is mostly all I buy. But I did anyway and what do you know, on the top shelf front isle there was a Christian game. Hey I though Christian games could never make it (so it&#8217;s been stated). In fact, in the past I have seen other Christian tiles at EB as well as at Best Buy when they used to carty more pc games. Maybe it&#8217;s a good sale since the titles are less commonly pirated over the Internet where as the average Christian gamer may actually buy the game. The way things are going I wouldn&#8217;t be surprised if Christian games dominated the shelves because non-Christians would just rather get warez versions of GTA and all that junk.

 

[wiggbuggie]

i had an idea for a christian themed game a game similar to ultima IV but you go on a quest to be saved and learn the truth and remove the 8 virtues and put in the 10 commandments.

 

[Zecryphon]

Kinda like Requiem did? A whole lot of Christians didn't know what to think of it so they didn't buy it, not wanting to get a blasphemous game. It's not exactly a classic, so while I don't know what non-Christians thought of it, I do know it wasn't very successful. If anyone goes this route, they ought to add some serious innovation.

I never played Requiem so I can't tell you where they may have gone wrong in their presentation. The Prophecy Trilogy was very good, so where did the creators of Requiem go wrong? Granted we're talking about two different mediums, film and computer games.

 

[Zecryphon]

So I wondered into an EB outlet this week, I usually don&#8217;t go in there much any longer since they removed most of their PC titles and that is mostly all I buy. But I did anyway and what do you know, on the top shelf front isle there was a Christian game. Hey I though Christian games could never make it (so it&#8217;s been stated). In fact, in the past I have seen other Christian tiles at EB as well as at Best Buy when they used to carty more pc games. Maybe it&#8217;s a good sale since the titles are less commonly pirated over the Internet where as the average Christian gamer may actually buy the game. The way things are going I wouldn&#8217;t be surprised if Christian games dominated the shelves because non-Christians would just rather get warez versions of GTA and all that junk.

What are the titles of these Christian games you are talking about? I'd like to look into them and see if they have been succesful, by the industry's standard of money. I don't believe anyone has said a Christian game would never make it or work, I believe it has been stated that it is rare that it does. Even Left Behind has had a mixed response. Since I'm not a big fan of permanent spyware on my machine, I am not playing it.

 

[Zecryphon]

i had an idea for a christian themed game a game similar to ultima IV but you go on a quest to be saved and learn the truth and remove the 8 virtues and put in the 10 commandments.

And by removing the 8 virtues and replacing them with the 10 Commandments which other religion are you slamming in the process? The ACLU will be all over a game like this, especially in a country that is supposed to promote religious freedom and tolerance. A person who reads the box copy of a game such as you described here could very easily be insulted and will most likely sue you. The other problem that you are going to run into is that by having people complete this quest, you make it sound like people are saved by keeping the 10 Commandments.

 

[wiggbuggie]

The other problem that you are going to run into is that by having people complete this quest, you make it sound like people are saved by keeping the 10 Commandments.

well that was a brief example i gave you can easily change it, the ending of the game can be for you to answer a few questions teaching that only through Jesus can one be saved.

 

[Dannager]

What are the titles of these Christian games you are talking about?

It was probably Left Behind that he saw on the shelf.