Christian-Oriented Gaming the Next Frontier?

Wired posted an interesting story about how makers of Christianity-based video games are trying to woo console and handheld gaming platform makers to help them promote their products.

Christians looking to provide alternatives to the sex and violence of video games like Grand Theft Auto are trying to attract some of the PlayStation generation with more wholesome fare.

Fledgling companies from around the globe showed off new titles focusing on morality and stories from the Old and New Testaments aimed at pre-kindergarten to young adults at the Christian Game Developers Conference here last week.

The startup companies hope that games with biblical messages can parallel the recent surge in the popularity of Christian music and cinema. But don't look for multiplayer smiting or wrathful vengeance in their offerings: The games that will show up on retail shelves in time for Christmas emphasize narrative stories and learning rather than action.

I predict these games based on "learning rather than action" will appeal to nobody over the age of 10, and certainly not the segment of the market who is most likely to have a PS/2, PSP, or Xbox. However, if we just look at some recent news headlines, some interesting ideas for novel Christian-oriented video games start to materialize:

• Rudolph Gets Two Life Terms for Alabama Abortion Clinic Bombing -- There's a creative game concept for the action-oriented Christian faithful: bomb an abortion clinic. This has Tactical FPS written all over it, maybe even collaborative online play for taking on the dreaded Planned Parenthood coalition. Bonus points can be scored by taking out morally corrupt "activist judges" as well.

• Thousands Gather to Celebrate Megachurch -- The obvious extension is...SimChurch! That's right, you can be the shepherd of your very own mega-flock. Run marketing campaigns and membership drives, gain sermon skill points to motivate your congregation, and compare your score (a combination of conversions, baptisms, and average weekly donations) to those of your friends. A Catholic priest plug-in allows special counseling sessions with young parishioners, but don't get caught or your total score will suffer (the plug-in is rated 'M' for mature).

• Fanning the Controversy Over 'Intelligent Design' -- The obvious game concept here is to Be The Designer! Design your own planet -- even create sentient beings in your own image -- and then watch how it plays out over an accelerated period of 4,000 years. You decide whether you want to be an activist designer and interact with the planet's residents directly (via the "Miracle", "Flood", and "Plague" buttons) or you can play totally hands-off (although this would probably become pretty boring after a short while). You can even try out different "original sins" and see which combination results in the most corrupt life forms. Think of it as "Civilization" without the interesting bits.

So, I think you can see that with just a bit of creative exploration, the Christian-oriented game biz could come out with some really compelling new concepts. Definitely something to keep an eye on...