Cautious Pessimism
I don’t really follow gaming news anymore, except for what the guys on Penny Arcade choose to talk about. Today they mentioned this press release. It gave me pause.
When the RTS Rapture Comes Will You be LEFT BEHIND?
E3 is set to be the stage for the public premiere of LEFT BEHIND: Eternal Forces, the RTS based on the wildly popular LEFT BEHIND Christian book series that will break barriers and appeal to both the traditional gamer and the Christian market.
We’d like to schedule an appointment for you to meet with the developers and see a demo for the game that is poised to be the first break-out hit for Christian gaming.
Here are some more details about LEFT BEHIND: Eternal Forces:
- Conduct physical & spiritual warfare: using the power of prayer to strengthen your troops in combat and wield modern military weaponry throughout the game world
- The first RTS where every unit has a unique identity; every character has a name and a back story, providing 1000’s of hours of interesting reading - People are the most important commodity: players must protect the lives of their warriors and recruit “neutral” and even “evil” units to their side
- Command your forces through battles across the most realistic depiction of New York City in any game
- Recover ancient scriptures and witness spectacular Angelic and Demonic activity as a direct consequence of your choices. Unlock inspirational content that makes players consider the larger concepts of good vs evil
- Control more than 30 unit types - from Prayer Warrior and Hellraiser to Spies, Special Forces and Battle Tanks
- Enjoy a robust single player experience across dozens of New York City maps in Story Mode - fighting in China Town, SoHo, Uptown and more
- Play multi-player games as Tribulation Forces or Global Community Peacekeepers
Historically, the gaming community does not treat arrogance kindly. It’s one thing for a company like Blizzard, who out of 7 games has made 6 smash hits, to say that their next game will be a triple A title. It’s quite another for a complete newcomer to the gaming community to claim that they will have a break-out hit on their first try.
To be fair, most new game companies claim their first title will be smash hit. They have to in order to try and generate interest so that they can sell some. But with certain companies, that generation of interest can backfire in a big way. A few years ago, a high-profile game designer left his big company and founded his own. This happens all the time, but this particular designer hyped himself and his company up so much that when their game was delayed for years, and when finally released turned out to be mediocre at best, he and his company became a laughing stock among the community. (Read the story behind Daikatana here).
I’m worried that because this is a Christian game, which have historically been terrible games, this Left Behind game will fall under the same scrutiny. It looks like the CEO of Left Behind Games at least understands what his focus needs to be. I guess my main concern is that most attempts by Christians to do something in the entertainment industry (”Just like what they’ve got, but Christian!”) have been sorely lacking. Passion and Narnia are two recent exceptions, but the folks behind Left Behind had nothing to do with those. They did, however, make a movie or two that made me wanna cry (not in a good way), as well as a never-ending series of books that, in Tycho’s words, “are an act of war against the English Language”. So I think I have reason for concern.
If they do fail, or even if they are simply mediocre, it will just drive the nail deeper into the coffin labelled “Christian games”. They have to actually produce a game that is good on its own merits. This game has to make gamers say, “That game was actually pretty cool.” Honestly, that’s the best I think they can hope for. I don’t think they’ll have a big fanbase waiting anxiously for their next game. Not yet. But after they’ve proved that they can do it once or twice, maybe they’ll have something.
But as an ex-gamer, I’ve gotta say that they’re going to have a lot to prove.
Building a game based on deeply flawed theology isn’t a great way to start off, either.
The deep flaws in their theology are not limited solely to their eschatology, either, Ray.
About 7 years ago, Adam and I and some of our friends went to Spirit West Coast, a Christian music festival. While there were some good things about it, I became a bit disillusioned with it while I was there. There was one aspect that I really liked, though. Every afternoon, they had an hour of seminars one could attend, instead of concerts. The only one I remember was a man who was talking about the “Christian culture” so evident at an event like SWC. He made a point that has stuck with me since then: “Christian” parallels to “secular” activities or items (e.g., “Christian” coffee shops, “Christian” music) are precisely the opposite of what Jesus told us to be. That is, they are of the world, not in it. This game is the latest example of that philosophy: “Let’s take what the world has, and do our own version of it!”
-Matt
PS That first bullet-point really rubs me the wrong way, too.
Why do we need Christian games?
The guy Matt mentioned always stuck with me too. Hence the parenthetical above, “Just like what they’ve got, but Christian!”
John, that’s an excellent question. It occurred to me too while I was writing this. I’m gonna think about that one.
I’m clueless when it comes to gaming, but I agree with Matt, that first bullet point TOTALLY rubs me the wrong way too! ~g
I admit it: I skimmed the bullet points the first time I read this. Wow. Onward Christian soldiers baby.
About a year ago, slacktivist (http://slacktivist.typepad.com/) deconstructed the Left Behind series to reveal a cast of psychotic “Christians” who barricade themselves in oversized SUVs and find ways to justify murdering those who don’t believe the way they do.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.
While we’re at ‘war’ with the world in a sense, I am pretty sick of the bumper sticker wars and this pathological need to do everything that the world does but put a Christian label on it. That’s just so not the point.
Not to toot your horn Adam (but you are the most readily available example), but Adam and Cindy’s situation is what the point is. Actually *doing* something that shows Christ’s love is the point. I could be clothed head-to-toe in Christian paraphenalia, but if I have not love I am but a clanging cymbal.
We are so desperate to do something. When we see Tears of the Sun, we cheer them on as they destroy the utter evil, the demonic that is infesting the village. It brings satisfaction because they are doing something when so often it seems like nothing is done. We know that this isn’t true. We are doing something, loving, playing, caring, praying worshipping, but when do these activities satisfy the primal urge inside of us? We have to admit the visceral physicality of that deep part of our nature: What to do with it? I think that’s why these games please us so. This is why I like to plau Call of Duty on X-Box and re-win WWII because it is clear cut. That’s why I like it when there is Sauron or the White Witch, because it makes it clear for me. In the same way, video games that support that clear distinction and connect to that deep part of our nature will of course be very popular. BUT…this is exactly the danger. What are the values being taught here? I may think everything is clear cut, but even Tolkien wrote to us that nothing is beyond redemption, not even Gollum, and Lewis shows us the redemption of the Lizard in the Great Divorce, and of course, Emmeth the Calormen in The LAst BAttle gives us Aslan’s views–I am constantly throwing out my judgement when I consider how little I know. This game brings together clear uncontestable judgemnet in the name of the Lord. It just ins’t their place to do so. It isn’t right. I know this is confusing, but it is a start, and I think out loud.
Bear