Forum > Gaming Discussion > The Passion of the Gamer: Religeous games really not a bad idea at all?
The Passion of the Gamer: Religeous games really not a bad idea at all?
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Wed, 25 Feb 2009 10:29:57
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Mel Gibson gained popular support from Christians with this movie the Passion of the Christ. So is it a bad thing to have religion based gaming?

I'm not religious at all, but on the whole the idea doesn't strike me as being bad at all. As long as the game consults professionals and sticks to the religious text as well as crucially not offending anyone else. Why cant these games be made to pick up a huge audience of bible belters?

Am I talking crap, or could I be onto something?

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Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:56:23
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I think a main problem to this is that gaming and religion are on two completely different sides of people's lives--basically, regardless of religiousity, church isn't something people relate to fun.  It has nothing to do with whether or not a game could actually be well made with the material, just that I'm not sure the IP is actually beneficial to the product.

The other side of the issue is that because of that first point, these releases have been primarily targeted at children, which is morally bankrupt indoctrination.

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Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:08:35
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Well you wouldn't suspect that a film based on religion would be engrossing and entertaining either. I suppose its all on how its done? Who wouldn't want to play as beardy Moses and walk around with a staff leading his people to safety? Parting the red sea and all that? Or play as a witness to the 10 commandments or whatever. Or do an RPG game where you choose just the right dialogue to recruit followers?

I think with a gentle disney like humour (see Gummi bears) the right sentiment and consultation with scholars you could do something appealing to that audience.

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Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:19:34
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The problem with this is that inevitably you run the risk of pissing off a bigger audience that you will please.  You could alienate not only the audience you're trying to reach, but people who follow other religions because this game doesn't match their own ideaology.  Religion is just too sensitive of a subject and most people would just rather avoid the headache it would bring all together.  Its just as easy to make your own religion or just steal the stories and make up new names.  
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Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:28:53
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gamingeek said:

Who wouldn't want to play as beardy Moses and walk around with a staff leading his people to safety? Parting the red sea and all that?.

I would. Then again, I would probably bring the red sea back again before the people had crossed it. LOL Now I need this game to exist, dammit.

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Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:44:47
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SteelAttack said:

gamingeek said:

Who wouldn't want to play as beardy Moses and walk around with a staff leading his people to safety? Parting the red sea and all that?.

I would. Then again, I would probably bring the red sea back again before the people had crossed it. LOL Now I need this game to exist, dammit.

Well yeah, if you fail the section the sea will close and your followers wail as they are washed out to sea. Badass.

robio said:
The problem with this is that inevitably you run the risk of pissing off a bigger audience that you will please.  You could alienate not only the audience you're trying to reach, but people who follow other religions because this game doesn't match their own ideaology.  Religion is just too sensitive of a subject and most people would just rather avoid the headache it would bring all together.  Its just as easy to make your own religion or just steal the stories and make up new names.  

That's why after you've done one religion, you move onto the next popular and do it their way. Fairness to all, Peace to all men! A merry Christmas..... everyone. Ooops!

It is a headache in the offence terms that is why it would absolutely have to be done with respect to the religion and with consultation with worldly scholars and importantly, rigourously focused tested before release. But in terms of potential, I mean no one thought that senior citizens would be into gaming before Wii and DS. What if this could be a huge untapped audience: finally a game that can teach my kids the way of God? etc.

Something that a devout parent can willingly purchase for his kids or himself? I guess what prompted the idea was seeing the documentary features where it showed the promotion for the Passion of the Christ movie by M. Gisbon and his crew and the box office success of that film.

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Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:57:05
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What people don't know about Passion of the Christ is that the people who went to see it were horror movie fans and metal heads.  The conversations about the movie usually followed this path:

". . . so let me get this straight.  There's this guy who repeatedly gets the crap beaten out of him, is bloody as hell, gets nailed to a cross and then everything turns black while a creepy looking devil watches??  That is the most metal thing I've ever heard of.  High-five!"

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Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:58:58
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They need to make a game based on this video

The Ultimate Praying Championship

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Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:18:24
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robio said:

What people don't know about Passion of the Christ is that the people who went to see it were horror movie fans and metal heads.  The conversations about the movie usually followed this path:

". . . so let me get this straight.  There's this guy who repeatedly gets the crap beaten out of him, is bloody as hell, gets nailed to a cross and then everything turns black while a creepy looking devil watches??  That is the most metal thing I've ever heard of.  High-five!"

Dual audience acheived. Gaming can do the same. Nyaa

What if it was a more atmospheric type of game, Bethesda recreating the environment and atmosphere of the city and run up to Christ's crucifixtion? Talking to citizens about it etc.

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Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:48:32
Theists will condemn it if athiests were to be on the development team, and I have doubts that anyone could put together a theist-only team big/good enough to develop something better than a Half-Life mod.
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Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:42:27
I think a GOOD religious game is a great idea, but beyond subtle themes, we've only really seen bad ones.
Edited: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:43:03

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Thu, 26 Feb 2009 03:03:42
gamingeek said:

Well you wouldn't suspect that a film based on religion would be engrossing and entertaining either. I suppose its all on how its done? Who wouldn't want to play as beardy Moses and walk around with a staff leading his people to safety? Parting the red sea and all that? Or play as a witness to the 10 commandments or whatever. Or do an RPG game where you choose just the right dialogue to recruit followers?

I think with a gentle disney like humour (see Gummi bears) the right sentiment and consultation with scholars you could do something appealing to that audience.

I didn't mean to imply that the implementation couldn't actually be good.  There's a tonne of material to work with, and could potentially be phenominal (Samson the game FTW).  My point was with regard to the marketing reasons behind the games not getting any serious development.

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Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:26:08

Iga_Bobovic said:

They need to make a game based on this video

The Ultimate Praying Championship

What?! No one is reacting to this one?! Come on people it is super funny, watch it!!!! 

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Thu, 26 Feb 2009 13:59:36

Yodariquo said:
gamingeek said:

Well you wouldn't suspect that a film based on religion would be engrossing and entertaining either. I suppose its all on how its done? Who wouldn't want to play as beardy Moses and walk around with a staff leading his people to safety? Parting the red sea and all that? Or play as a witness to the 10 commandments or whatever. Or do an RPG game where you choose just the right dialogue to recruit followers?

I think with a gentle disney like humour (see Gummi bears) the right sentiment and consultation with scholars you could do something appealing to that audience.

I didn't mean to imply that the implementation couldn't actually be good.  There's a tonne of material to work with, and could potentially be phenominal (Samson the game FTW).  My point was with regard to the marketing reasons behind the games not getting any serious development.

Ah I see. Maybe DS Bible collection is needed.

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Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:36:50
Dante's Inferno is sort of a religious game..... maybe? The original poem was basically one big handjob for the church, anyway.
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Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:01:04

Coopersville said:
Dante's Inferno is sort of a religious game..... maybe? The original poem was basically one big handjob for the church, anyway.

That should be the new title: Handjob Church.

LOL

Maybe not.

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Thu, 26 Feb 2009 23:23:54
Now that's a church I want to be the god of.
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Fri, 27 Feb 2009 12:09:07

Coopersville said:
Now that's a church I want to be the god of.

Perfect for a Wii waggling game.

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