Comments on: The Underserved Market http://www.oldtestamentadventures.com/2011/07/01/the-underserved-market/ Christian Video Games Done Right Mon, 15 Sep 2014 15:48:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.4 By: andygeers http://www.oldtestamentadventures.com/2011/07/01/the-underserved-market/#comment-196 Sat, 02 Jul 2011 11:53:54 +0000 http://www.oldtestamentadventures.com/?p=530#comment-196 Jay,
Thanks for your thoughtful comments!
To my mind, there’s a big difference between baseball and video games – video games often tell stories, they often present a certain world view, a certain perspective on life, and Christian people like being helped to think about God and given a new perspective on life. Just look at the success of the Narnia book series. It’s hard to imagine a game of baseball ever doing that for someone, and so of course it’s hard to image a “christian” version of it.

Christians games, however, and story-driven games like mine at that, are much easier to imagine. What *I* mean by Christian games certainly isn’t that it’s a game that won’t appeal to non-Christians – I hope that people of all faiths and none will enjoy Ebenezer – but that it will present a Christian worldview in an accessible way and invite people to ask questions and explore things.

]]> By: Jay Jennings http://www.oldtestamentadventures.com/2011/07/01/the-underserved-market/#comment-195 Sat, 02 Jul 2011 09:04:49 +0000 http://www.oldtestamentadventures.com/?p=530#comment-195 “…there is a lot of pent-up demand for genuinely good, well-designed Christian video games.”

That is so odd. I don’t doubt it, but why isn’t there a demand for Christian baseball, or Christian soccer? Because most people would understand that’s just silly — a game, a pastime, doesn’t have to be “Christian” to be good and just because you don’t shout Bible verses as you round first base doesn’t make a game bad.

Video games shouldn’t have to be any different, should they?

I’m not saying you shouldn’t cater to the people who want to buy that kind of stuff, but I hope as you’re taking their money you’re rolling your eyes at them.

Because a good game is a good game — if you create a “good Christian RPG” but only Christians would want to play it, then I think you probably didn’t make a very good game.

People should want to play your game because it’s GOOD and not because it’s a Christian game. If what matters to them *first* is that it’s a Christian game, then they don’t deserve anything other than tripe with Bible verses strewn about.

Reading back I think I’ve come off a tad more abrasive than I meant to, but really, what is a Christian game? Is it a game that appeals to Christians and not non-Christians? Or is it a game that Christians can play without feeling guilty that they’re “wasting their time” on something worldly?

So you need a new car?
Let your fingers take a walk
Through the business guide for the “born again” flock
You’ll be keeping all your money
In the kingdom now
And you’ll only drink milk from a Christian cow
– Guilty by Association

Computer games were barely a born when that song from Steve Taylor came out, and there probably wasn’t any such this as a Christian video game or he may have mentioned those in the song, too.

I know this is too long for a blog comment and it probably feels like an attack, but I honestly don’t mean it that way. Well, not an attack at you, but maybe an attack at the idea of what people think Christian games are. 😉

Jay

PS – I could be completely off my rocker and reserve the right to change my opinion.

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