BELIEVE...and They Will Play blog - Rhindon

If you've read my profile, then you already know I'm a confessing believer in Jesus Christ. HOLD ON! LOL Wait...please...chances are you're hesitant to anything "religious", my mentioning of a religiously historical figure puts you immediately at odds with anything I might say further. I promise - I'm not here to convert you. (We can talk about such matters privately if it came to that.)

So, if I'm not here to proselytize (I can hear the sighs of relief! LOL), then what? Simply, I wanted to share my motivation for melding aspects of my faith with the games I plan to make.

Many of you may remember as far back as the NES days where a handful of games (made namely by Wisdom Tree) that were based on Biblical stories. My personal favorite was "Spiritual Warfare" (yes, I recall that it was very similar to "The Legend of Zelda", but I still enjoyed it). Not just for - honestly - poor game development quality, but because these games specifically related only to Christians, I wanted to pursue an avenue that honors my faith in God, and yet does not inadvertently alienate non-Christians. Something that is just as accessible in content as well as game play. So what might that look like?

What if...
...a game was set to a style like Dynasty Warriors, but the content was historically accurate - including prayer and religious influences, culture, geography, etc - to Israelite battles as depicted in the Old Testament portion of the Bible? The presentation of the game being one that was as if you were living it day-to-day. Much less a religious game; much more a historical piece that examines the influences and effects of the faith of a people.

What if...
...a couple of blob characters that you might find on your Saturday Morning Cartoons were the illustration of a healthy relationship between men and women, typically in romantic or marital settings? Think Cosmo and Wanda from Nickelodeon's "The Fairly Odd Parents", but not quite as zany. In fact, this game wouldn't even have any real Biblical content but it would be in line with Ephesians 5 and, in tangent, 1 Corinthians 12. The content of the game would be based on Biblical ideals, and yet would be void of actual Biblical references.

I have a long list of examples, but hopefully that makes sense. A game need not be obviously Christian in order to present Christian points. A Christian game - at heart - need not preach from a digital pulpit in order to offer a message for consideration.

And that's ultimately what I'm aiming to do: I want to present themes, stories, concepts, and points for players to ponder on their own time. I won't drag my fellow game players into church if they don't want to. That would rather defeat the purpose Jesus called for when He told His listeners, "I will knock on the [proverbial] door of your heart, and if you answer, I'll come in." In other words, Jesus isn't going to crash through your door uninvited. (That doesn't mean He won't use other means - TV ad, cell phone, email...video game...to petition your attention to Him.)

In this way, the player doesn't feel like he's being sold religion. Instead, he's being sold a top-quality game that is built on an idea or theme which is Christian-related in some way, but the actual Christian content is not pushed to the forefront.

While many arguments have been made for and against the relevance of Christianity and its claims, I want to present the cases in a way that lets the player decide. If there is some kind of a positive point, a worthy bit of content, or something that otherwise affects the player in a way that makes him stop and think about what's in the game far beyond the game's scope, then I've accomplished my goal.

What if that player doesn't realize how important his role is in his relationship with his girlfriend or wife? What if - just what if - playing a colorful game starring two blobs gives him a sudden "AH HA!!" moment? In that instant, he realizes that his role to his lady is of great significance and that he needs her as much as she needs him! Suddenly he's inspired to do more and to raise the bar in how he treats her (not to suggest he's treating her badly). In this hypothetical, the player has been allowed to consider the subtle message without it being figuratively shoved down his throat. The message is the same as you might find in the church - albeit, very distilled or filtered. And it's in the comfort of one's home where they don't feel on the defense as many non-Christians may otherwise often feel in such a setting. The player can just as easily reject the teamwork and complimentary nature of men and women as is simply offered in the game and see it as nothing more than a game. That's okay, too.

The power and influence of games - or movies or books or music - are undisputed. It can disarm the one being entertained because, at the end of the medium, they are free to decide what they think of it - they are not being confronted which raises defenses. And that's what I hope to offer: a means to offer a viewpoint without making the player feel attacked (except by enemies in the game).

So, what do you think? Regarding the matter of Christian elements - big or small - or just the overall influential power of games in general, what comes to mind when using games to offer a message?