Possible Ideas with Christian Videogaming

[Mr. SmartyPants]

So basically one day, kaemmerite and I were thinking of possible Christian Games that could be pulled off. (no Bible Trivia or throwing baby moses into raging waters thank you)

The first possibility could be some Samson type game. Hack & slash you know, killing bad guys (Samon DID kill a lot of people) And he could have his magical hair

Another game (that would make more sense) could be a RTS Age of Empires-esque game with the Tribes of Israel, or King David, or something of the sorts. Fight against like... Romans or Babylonians, etc. Control as much land as you can. Etc etc

Any other ideas?

[Raiden no Kishi]

: : raises hand : :

Ooh! I know! Pick me!

Maybe we could just make some great games that aren't explicitly Christian, but have heroes who are admirable [not perfect] and are overall REALLY fun to play?

.rai//

P.S. I would SO play that Samson game were it made and good. Sounds Dynasty Warriors-ish. Those games were fun.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Actually kae said it would be dynasty-warriors-esque

[Tommy]

A game based on the wars Isreal faced, all of which being rated M.

The Bible describes exactly what the wars would be like, such as Assyria carrying their prisonsers by dragging with with a spear lodged in their head.

People must see that Christians are not little goody-to-shoes who only play games as long as there is no violence.

[Myoti]

I have a certain idea I've been working on (though it won't be the first game I create; far too much content needed in it). It's not something that will seem explicitly "Christian" at first. Don't know how much I want to say without spoiling it just yet. Xp

[uc pseudonym]

Actually kae said it would be dynasty-warriors-esque

Actually, that is exactly what I was thinking when I read the idea.

I have no problem with games based on Bible stories and I'd probably play them to support the industry. But even so, I think the pedantic side of me wants to say that those games wouldn't truly be Christian. To use the previous example, playing "Samson Warriors" would be exactly the same as playing Dynasty Warriors for everything except the setting. It doesn't affect the game on the deepest level, just like it wouldn't matter if they'd set it in Europe (and just like it didn't matter when they made Samurai Warriors set in Japan).

People must see that Christians are not little goody-to-shoes who only play games as long as there is no violence.

There is a slight problem there... many Christians will only play games with no violence. In the same way that the primary audience for Christian novels is middle-aged women, the main buyers of games are main-stream Christians who don't want their children touching anything violent. Unfortunately, 20-something Christian gamers aren't a massive portion of the buying audience...

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Actually, that is exactly what I was thinking when I read the idea.

I have no problem with games based on Bible stories and I'd probably play them to support the industry. But even so, I think the pedantic side of me wants to say that those games wouldn't truly be Christian. To use the previous example, playing "Samson Warriors" would be exactly the same as playing Dynasty Warriors for everything except the setting. It doesn't affect the game on the deepest level, just like it wouldn't matter if they'd set it in Europe (and just like it didn't matter when they made Samurai Warriors set in Japan).


There is a slight problem there... many Christians will only play games with no violence. In the same way that the primary audience for Christian novels is middle-aged women, the main buyers of games are main-stream Christians who don't want their children touching anything violent. Unfortunately, 20-something Christian gamers aren't a massive portion of the buying audience...

Excellent points UC.

I suppose if they kind of talked about faith with the player, that might sort of do something. But I don't know how that could be pulled off.

[KBMaster]

There is a slight problem there... many Christians will only play games with no violence. In the same way that the primary audience for Christian novels is middle-aged women, the main buyers of games are main-stream Christians who don't want their children touching anything violent. Unfortunately, 20-something Christian gamers aren't a massive portion of the buying audience...

Yeah, I wasn't allowed to play a T-rated game when I was younger, even though it was Christian. So, keeping violence and stuff to a dull roar would probably be wisest.
Hey, I'm not a middle-aged woman and I read Christian novels!!
An RPG would be cool, I would think. It might be easier to skimp on violence and it might be beneficial to a storyline. Do you guys want ideas for gameplay or for a storyline, or both?
UC, what does "pedantic" mean? Sorry to go off topic, but my dictionary doesn't have it! If you don't tell me, that word will forever haunt me!

[glitch1501]

i would like a great christian adventure, a dreamfall/the longest journey type of game, with an amazing storyline (maybe not outright biblical, but a story about christians either in the future(not end times) or now-a-days

[Arnobius]

I know I wished I could rewrite Grandia II as a Christian themed story as opposed to the anti-Christian message it had.

I think to be successful, you'd need to know your audience and know the message you were creating and do it in a way that avoids the self righteous preaching that alienates people so much. I think you'd need to have a skilled writing team to do the script who were on fire for God as well as good writers. To just want to tell "A Christian Story" is going to be vague and uninspired. I think you'd need a story you were totally behind. Once you got that you could move on to the pitfalls of actually programming and marketing.

[Neko Niisan]

Somebody made this freeware PC person shooter thing that had you as an angel hunting demons and banishing it. It was kinda a bit of a weak game but it rather biblicaly accountable. You should do something like that.

[Azier the Swordsman]

One really old adventure game I had a long time ago had you as an agent taking on various missions for the Roman government in Jerusalem during the time period of Jesus' last days. Events which often had you crossing over with the said events.

It was rather fun, and it would be nice to see more games along it's lines.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

A good idea I think would be a game that is both entertaining and has the truth embedded in it. One such idea would be a Narnia based game where you explore the lands, fight and help those in need - an adventure and action game in one.

Another is a Real Time Strategy game which follows the most important parts of history told throughout the Bible. I would love to see the universe created, Noah's Ark and all that leading up to Jesus time on earth in an RTS!

I'm also a fan of spiritual warfare stuff. There's a Christian game called Eternal War: Shadows of Light and another called Ominious Horizons: A Paladin's Calling. Both are Christian and both are First Person Shooters with a difference. Your equipped with spiritual weapons like Moses staff - the one God blessed to part the Red Sea, and you pray to recieve healing. Demons and other nasties attack you but if you use God's armour they don't stand a chance. There are some good ideas there, and the games are fun if a little basic. They need the funding to have proper stories and more complex gameplay.

I would love to see an adventure/mystery/thriller with spiritual content. It could be physcological in the frame of a Peretti novel for example. Entertaining but teaching the truth. I think there needs to be more intelligent games out there, with better graphics also. But better gameplay is more important.

Just my two cents.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

There's a Christian game called Eternal War: Shadows of Light and another called Ominious Horizons: A Paladin's Calling. Both are Christian and both are First Person Shooters with a difference. Your equipped with spiritual weapons like Moses staff - the one God blessed to part the Red Sea, and you pray to recieve healing. Demons and other nasties attack you but if you use God's armour they don't stand a chance. There are some good ideas there, and the games are fun if a little basic. They need the funding to have proper stories and more complex gameplay.

The problem is that the both kind of sucks... a lot >_> Omnious Horizons is NOT a good game. It's not really even "Christian" you just get Bible Verses thrown at you.

[Myoti]

There is a slight problem there... many Christians will only play games with no violence. In the same way that the primary audience for Christian novels is middle-aged women, the main buyers of games are main-stream Christians who don't want their children touching anything violent. Unfortunately, 20-something Christian gamers aren't a massive portion of the buying audience...

Which is why I prefer focusing more on the non-Christian gamers. Let them believe it's just a good, secular game, then hit them with something that makes them wonder (as I believe Bobtheduck said, about like MGS or such).

One really old adventure game I had a long time ago had you as an agent taking on various missions for the Roman government in Jerusalem during the time period of Jesus' last days. Events which often had you crossing over with the said events.

It was rather fun, and it would be nice to see more games along it's lines.

That actually DOES sound rather interesting.

[uc pseudonym]

UC, what does "pedantic" mean? Sorry to go off topic, but my dictionary doesn't have it! If you don't tell me, that word will forever haunt me!

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pedantic

The most common usage I have seen for it (thus the one I think is really more accurate) is to denote when someone is pointing out a technicality.

Which is why I prefer focusing more on the non-Christian gamers. Let them believe it's just a good, secular game, then hit them with something that makes them wonder (as I believe Bobtheduck said, about like MGS or such).

That is what I am inclined to as well, but it definitely must be tempered by other things (Anime Heretic said some of them well in his last post). No one wants a game in which midway through you get the sense of, "Hahaha! We have an agenda and we're going to shove it down your throat!"

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Ryan, Ominous Horizons is Christian. You are sent to recover the lost manuscript of the Bible. Angels from God help you, your equipped with the Armour of God along the way. You battle demons for God's glory. Have you even played it? Or is your definition of a Christian game very narrow?

[Arnobius]

One really old adventure game I had a long time ago had you as an agent taking on various missions for the Roman government in Jerusalem during the time period of Jesus' last days. Events which often had you crossing over with the said events.

It was rather fun, and it would be nice to see more games along it's lines.

Now that sounds like the kind of game I might buy. The description sounds interesting

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Ryan, Ominous Horizons is Christian. You are sent to recover the lost manuscript of the Bible. Angels from God help you, your equipped with the Armour of God along the way. You battle demons for God's glory. Have you even played it? Or is your definition of a Christian game very narrow?

I played the demo ^^;;

And the controls suck, no health bar, weapons are retarded and slow. The enemies randomly appear. It's very poorly done.

I'm sorry, but like Omega Amen said "Here I have God of War. Next to it was the Bible game. I bought God of War. I didn't regret buying it."

Here is Omnious Horizons. Here is Half-Life 2. I'm going to play Half-Life 2. I'm not going to regret it.

Omnious Horizons may be Christian, but it certaintly lacks quality as a first person shooter.

[Myoti]

That is what I am inclined to as well, but it definitely must be tempered by other things (Anime Heretic said some of them well in his last post). No one wants a game in which midway through you get the sense of, "Hahaha! We have an agenda and we're going to shove it down your throat!"

No no no, nothing like that. In fact, I plan on things taking very twisted turns (in relation to just the secular sense).

I would have to explain in detail what I've thought so far, but I'm not sure I want to tell it here just yet (unless someone wishes to hear via PM?).

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

The full version is a lot better than the demo. I'm not arguing that the quality is lacking, it is. But at the moment that and Eternal War are the only OK Christian games out there. I feel more complex gameplay is more important then graphics, but they would benefit from both a lot. It would help if they could get the funding that is needed.

[uc pseudonym]

For the record, Brethren Entertainment is working on a game that should really be fairly good (in terms of the Christian aspects, as I can't speak for the actual gameplay yet). I'm not really in the know about it, but I am familiar with several of the people who work for the company and I have more hope for it than any other upcoming Christian game. Their website is http://www.brethren-et.com, for the interested.

And no, it won't be anything like the other two games they've made (a card game and a children's platformer). They went so far as to say they made those in order to make money for serious projects.

No no no, nothing like that. In fact, I plan on things taking very twisted turns (in relation to just the secular sense).

I wasn't accusing you of that so much as making a general point. If I made a Christian game, I wouldn't hide that fact but certainly wouldn't market it as one. We're really of very similar minds here. If you wanted to send me a PM I'd at least hear you out (though no gaurantees as to how soon I'd reply).

It would help if they could get the funding that is needed.

But, of course, they need a successful game to get that funding; it is a difficult cycle. The only game that could receive good funding would be one backed by a major Christian organization, and almost all of those would request enough limitations that the game wouldn't be very good.

[Myoti]

I wasn't accusing you of that so much as making a general point. If I made a Christian game, I wouldn't hide that fact but certainly wouldn't market it as one. We're really of very similar minds here. If you wanted to send me a PM I'd at least hear you out (though no gaurantees as to how soon I'd reply).

Ditto to that. Ny plan makes it obvious later on that this was, indeed, made for a Christian purpose, but as you said, would not be marketed as such. I'll PM you about it, then.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

The full version is a lot better than the demo. I'm not arguing that the quality is lacking, it is. But at the moment that and Eternal War are the only OK Christian games out there. I feel more complex gameplay is more important then graphics, but they would benefit from both a lot. It would help if they could get the funding that is needed.

But what I am arguing is that Omnious Horizons is simply not fun. If the demo isn't fun, how will I know the game itself will be fun? The point of a demo is to show off how awesome a game will be.

I play half-life 2 because 1. It's wicked fun, and 2. It's got an amazing story. OH was not fun, so why spend 20 dollars for it? Christian or not, games are supposed to be fun, thats why I play em. If I want some spiritual food, I'd do a Bible Study or go to Church, they dont cost me 20 dollars.

[Gritz]

How about a Archangels game. I read the comic and I was impressed. Seems like it would make a good game. You are right. We don't want a game that is preachy. And as for Ominous Horizens, that game scared the crap outta me. The only one who had the courage to continue on to at least the third level was my dad and it scared him just as much as me. I really don't like FPS much. They just give you that slasher film feeling, like you are really the one fighting demons and if character gets killed, you get killed. That's what OH did to us. Though the scriptures were a bit comferting.

[Yeshua-Knight]

here's a couple of ideas

1) how about a platformer based on the angel wars series

2) going back to the game on samson, why just limit it to him, many of the other judges kicked some butt too ya know, maybe do a platformer for this one too

i suggest the platforming genre simply because while there is an element of "go get the bad guys" it's usually not violent to the point of an fps or something along those lines, let's face it, watching the bad guys die by bursting into a puff of smoke or explode sending bolts everywhere or fruit or something is just good clean fun

[Felix]

I think it would be smart to do like some Christian thriller/fantasy writers do. Just write a really good book (make a really good game) that has a lot of positive elements, and perhaps some underlying Christian themes and analogies (LOTR, for example)

I think a RTS game with the armies of bible times would be really cool.

[Bobtheduck]

I plan on working on this issue... My personal rules for projects I'd be involved with:

No bible stories... Sorry, there is something off about this...

No "conversion games" not that that zelda clone wasn't fun, it's just... Cheesy... Christian media is full of it, and the secular world suddenly becomes lactose intolerant when it comes to Christian media, but then again, so do I...

What I DO want to see, Christians and supernatural events happening on the peripheral of the story. A Christian secondary character who has strong influence narrative and morality wise... A game that deals with specific spiritual things without necessarily presenting the "plan of salvation" unless it's done in a relevent way (Ie, through that secondary character at an appropriate time for that or any other deviation from the game) and left open (in other words, the main character should neither become a Christian at that point or be given an explicit choice, but rather be left with his or her thoughts)

That's what I plan on doing.

[rocklobster]

Actually, some games actually do have Christian themes w/o saying so. Kingdom Hearts comes to mind.

[Nate]

I don't remember any Christian themes at all in Kingdom Hearts. o.O

And even if they were in there (which I'm pretty sure they aren't), they certainly weren't put there on purpose.