January 2, 2007 -
Recently, GamePolitics covered an NPR feature on the Left Behind controversy.Over at Ars Technica, editor Ben Kuchera writes about an interview he did with NPR's Laura Sydell for the piece, which aired on Christmas Eve. Kuchera found himself in the unusual position of defending the game, and he explains why:
This is an odd position to be put in. "I don't really consider myself a Christian... In fact, the message of Left Behind is one I find dangerous; this isn't a game I would let my children play. What I'm against is gaming being demonized in the media...
I feel strongly that if we defend Bully we have to defend every game that's being talked about unfairly, or that is being used for sensationalist headlines... We have to defend the art form, and we can't just do that only when we believe what the game is saying...
If you want to attack Left Behind, and there are manifold reasons to do so, attack it because of its message and your own faith or lack thereof. Don't bash it simply because you feel religious ideas should be kept out of games. The more we see complex and even divisive topics like religion in our games, the more we'll grow as an industry.
Comments
One should distinguish between attacks made on the industry and the medium as a whole (Jack Thompson's antics, efforts to shut down the ESRB and replace it with a government agency, legislation aiming to regulate game sales) and attacks on games that groups don't like, even if they do make the generalization that these games represent "what is wrong with gaming".
Considering this games FICTIONAL STORY rides on an event/series of events that would prove a certain religion to be true. Would it not make sense to protect/spread siad religion within the fictional context of the game? Does not self preservation kick into high gear when your eternal soul is on the line? The message is kill the non-believers during the tribulations. Since the tribulation isn't occuring in reality, isn't the game just putting the survival and advancement into a different context?
Would a fictional story where slavery still exsists and most of the slaves are of african american descent be offensive, or would people accept the situation with in the fictional context.
@F**ked UP
In the US right now, hitler is allowed to write Mien Kampf. Someone can write and publish Rasputin the Holy devil. Sure sales will be crap, and they have little chance of find ing a publisher whol would print it on a large scale.
Really though, who do the fighting words apply to? Someone is allowed to write a book saying why we should invade micronesia. Someone can write a book saying why we need to replace and revise our current government, via votes or via force. You cannont have one without the other.
I fully support Jack Thompsons right to publish a book called "Cranial Menus: How stupid piexlanties interact with the world and threaten the very exsistance of man kind and make me feel inadequate everyday." However I would feel the need to aske bookstores not to list it in the medical advice or child raising section. It would fit in the humor or sci-fiction sections better.
The 1st amendment was designed to allow people to say what they think in a peaceful manner that does not endanger the well being or infringe upon the rights of their fellow citizens. Your rights end where someone elses begin.
I personally believe that the spirit of the 1st amendment was a little different from the literal interpretation. However, my beliefs are small little differences, and considering what a slippery slope limiting the 1st amendment is, I would rather have the literal intepretation than restictions to it.
But there is a big difference between the Left Behind game and Bully. I havent played either game and only know what I have been reading. But there appears to be a clear distinction between the two games. Left Behind clearly has an agenda. Either you convert to being Christian or suffer the wrath of god. It purposely attacks other religions indirectly with simliar sounding names or things that closely represents other "heathen" religions. Also whats the point of having to play as the evil side and not being able to win? What kind of game is that? It just further pushes the fact that Left Behind has an agenda.
Bully, on the other hand, doesnt have an agenda (that we know of). The game is based on a controvertial issue. And has the player deciding what to do. And there are conquences for each action some good and some bad but there are consequences. The player decides their fate not the game. Although if the game has mission similar to GTA then the game's freedom of choice is limited to an extent. Also there are some sterotypes and roles but it doesnt go as far Left Behind, proclaiming all people that are not of certain type are EVIL.
And I hate to bring up Jack Thompson but he was threatened by a Gay Kiss. Hello have u watched MTV? or Bravo? And if your going to attack Gay kissing what about Lesbian Kissing? We are supposed to have gender equality right? I would like to hear his opinion on this game. I think I might have read one somewhere but I cant find it. I just want to know which he considers worse, homosexuals or religious genocide (yeah I might be reaching, how about religious assult?)?
Ben Kuchera has a point but its important to consider which games we want to support. Yes they maybe games but not all games are the same. There are different games just like there are different books. It should be made clear why we support certain games and not others. And clearly define the lines that are being drawn. After all the 1st amendment protects freedom of speech but not speech that are considered fighting words.
The gamers who speak against Left Behind are generally doing so because they oppose the message that Left Behind appears to be riding on the game. They're addressing the message, not the right of the producers to broadcast said message. We (and I use that in the loosest possible sense of a collective) don't care that a game is being used to make the message, we care that the message is awful.
It's telling that we the gamers would prefer the buying masses to heed our warning and simply not buy the game. We do not expect and are not asking for anyone to step in and "stop the madness". We do not treat the general population as brain dead plebs in need of saving from themselves.
Lets just face a simple fact. This game was going to be controversial as soon as it was it thought up. And the company should have been ready to defend itself in the public media. and well it is doing a bad job at that.
And the other problem it is just a bad game. Bad game play and bad game design decisions. And thats if u forget about the message of the game.
So is the positive moral message of the game to accept other religions? Do all the religions work together to fight this Antichrist? After all he wants to wipe all religion. Did the company make decisions not to offend other beliefs? The media has been hyping the Islamic and jewish sounding names and symbolism in the game. Basically the main message is being undercut by other actions in game like
"Sorry, Sally. We'd love to convert you, but we only have room for one more believer and we all know girls can't build houses."
or sterotyped roles where only males can become priestlike disciples and handyman builders, whereas only women can become nurses. Female units are actually designated as such and given ridiculous titles like "Friend Woman" and "Medic Woman," a sexual distinction that unsurprisingly isn't extended to their male counterparts.
And I believe the nintendo Wii has done a better job of having parents play video games with their child. Wii sports has bridge generations. No religious undertone or overtones and just plain fun. No message about morality or ethics just having fun.
You can right a book saying we need slaves. We don't have the stupid hate speech laws that some European countries have adopted. Its not gonna sell well and its going to piss alot of people off.
Here is a statement from the CEO, Troy Lyndon, to clarify some of the misconceptions and propaganda:
LEFT BEHIND: Eternal Forces
A PC Game
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY endorses our game. Read below to find out why!
Our game DOES NOT encourage killing.
Our game is NOT anti-Semitic.
Our game is NOT anti-Muslim or anti-Islamic.
It is anti-EVIL! The ultimate bad-guy is the Antichrist who wants to eliminate all faiths and all religions, except his and he is deceiving the entire world.
Our game does NOT teach the pre-tribulation theology of the book series, except that this worldview is utilized as a FICTIONAL backdrop of the game.
In the past several days, numerous people have been and continue to spread misinformation about the game.
Our game is the first game ever to encourage the use of PRAYER and WORSHIP as the most effective means to resolve conflict.
Physical warfare is discouraged as the LEAST EFFECTIVE means for resolving conflict…and a gamer loses points for using a gun.
This is the world’s first high-quality inspirational game which intends to model positive behavior by discouraging physical warfare.
Please play the game for yourself and help us to get out the TRUTH.
In an industry which creates so much gratuitous violence and gore, LEFT BEHIND: Eternal Forces presents a healthy alternative. We need your help to get the word out!
PLAY THE GAME and find out for yourself that this game is about the battle of good versus evil.
Here are a few things said by others:
- The Anti-Defamation League, although they speak out against the book theology, says “Conversion to Christianity in the game is not depicted as forcible in nature, and violence is not rewarded in the game.”
- AOL says it is a “Positive Moral Message”
- Focus on the Family says “Finally! A game Mom and Dad can play with Junior”
- Concerned Women for America says “A game we can wholeheartedly recommend!”
- Wired Magazine “Few are as ambitious and polished as this PC title.”
- ArsTechnica.com “This is a game that Christian parents can buy their kids, and one that Christian kids can play themselves without any guilt about "questionable content."”
- Women of Faith says “In an industry that is full of destruction with no hope, the LEFT BEHIND game
- Clint Thomas from Chaos Theory says “For years we’ve been telling kids what to run from and not what to run to, until now!”
Should you have any concerns about this game, please go to the contact us page on our website at www.leftbehindgames.com and we’ll do our best to connect with you.
Sincerely,
Troy Lyndon
CEO, Left Behind Games Inc.
Should religion be in games? The answer should be the same to the question about religion being permitted in society. Right now, religion seems very pervailant in both society and video games - even if it happens to be either para-Christian mythology (e.g. Vlad the Impaler, Dracula, etc), generic (e.g. Nethack deities), or pre-Judaism (e.g. Egyptian mythology.) Sometimes, religion is performed at face-value where gods exist and perform influence - other times, religion is explained as an alien race visiting Earth or stuff.
You find yourself in some pretty tight arguments when people get disgusted that you have the nerve to defend a "sick" game, and can't get it past their heads that you're not promoting that game, but you're defending it's producer's right to tell a story.
@MaskedPixelante
JT wasn't the only one, there were quite a few religious groups of varying faiths who also objected to the game/book/movies' premises.
I've read Revalations, and it seems pretty clear. If you don't follow the Bible, or if you follow stuff alongside it (Islam considers the Bible as just another holy scripture, not THE holy book), then you are doomed to suffer God's wrath. The nature of God's wrath seems a little vague, but it is pretty clear you'll suffer something. Especially if you're not a follower (that bit about "you'll suffer all the plagues described in this book" seem pretty cut and dried though...)
I don't read a government conspiracy story and believe the government works that way, why should a fictional account of the end of times change my views on Christinanity? Do I suddenly think that Jesus has a great-great-grandson, just because some 3rd rate author ponders it to be so?
Damn I wish I remembered more about this.
But I guess one of my main point was that games have to be as slick as writers and other artist do when tackling a controversial topic which Bully does well and Left Behind doesnt. Its all in how you present the message that can make the big difference. There is a difference in saying "We need slaves" and "If these were the back in old days, slaves would have been used to solve today's problems"