|
AS THE founder of GraceWorks Interactive, a Christian
video game company in Corvalis, Oregon, Tim Emmerich knows how hard it is
to develop games that please both parents and teens.
His company’s Interactive Parables, which
includes games based on every parable Jesus taught, has sold around 5,000
copies.
But Emmerich also keeps tabs on others in the Christian
gaming world. In July, he brought hundreds of players, creators and
manufacturers to the Christian Game Developers Conference in Portland.
Asked about the state of the Christian gaming industry,
Emmerich says it’s similar to the state of the contemporary Christian
music industry a couple of decades ago. Good people are creating good
stuff, but the quality isn’t up to secular standards, and most kids
overlook Christian-themed games.
“On a spiritual level, those of us in this
industry are glad that gamers who play our games can get closer to
God,” he says. “But from a secular point of view, it would be
nice to have a break-out hit or two.”
Emmerich looks forward to the day when Christian gaming
can generate something as big as the VeggieTales videos, which inspired him
to get involved with gaming in the first place.
Some of the leading Christian games are:
• Left Behind Eternal
Forces and the sequel, Left Behind Tribulation Forces, both
based on the best-selling Left Behind book series created by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins;
Continue article >>
|
• Heavenly Harmony, a response to the popularity of karaoke;
• Dance Praise, which allows players to dance to Christian music;
• Ominous Horizons, in which players shoot demons and demon-possessed Roman
soldiers (the soldiers don’t die – they kneel down and pray!);
• Charlie Church Mouse, a series of games for small children.
Christian video games resources:
• GraceWorks Interactive:
www.graceworksinteractive.com
• Christian Games! Now!: www.cgnow.com
• LB Games: www.leftbehindgames.com
• N’Lightning Software:
www.n-lightning.com.
– Steve Rabey
September 2008
|
