Abstract on Video Gaming and Religion
For years, video games have escaped the attentions of the press. And it’s easy to see why. Not too that long ago, video games were simplistic bat and ball or platform games along the lines of Pong and Donkey Kong. Storytelling was limited and so it was difficult to see why video games who fall in to the spotlight or deserve the same sort of criticism as is often aimed at film and television.
As the Storytelling element within video games have developed and become more integral within video
... -1="0">game play, so it has triggered wider interest and press coverage of it. The Huffington Post, Forbes Magazine, Wired Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times and The Washington Post all now have reporters who cover video games as at least a part of their remit. Gaming is a part of contemporary culture. According to the Entertainment Software Association in the US, nearly 70 percent of U.S. households play video games on a regular basis (video games including games on smartphones, tablets, social networks, consoles and computers). The number of people under the age of 18 who play video games may be closer to 80 percent–and
that number is rising each year as gaming becomes both more affordable and more pervasive. In short, there are many reasons to explore what’s happening in gaming.
In this case study, and in the subsequent debate(s) there are three different approaches to religion in video games for discussion. The first is through examining depictions of religion in the video games themselves, the second is through examining video games as religion, and the third is through examining how religions have used video games as tools for instruction and proselytization. And while these different approaches may seem distinct abstractly, in reality they can overlap and do, frequently.
Objectives of Discussion
- Video gaming is not an experience or hobby which every student can relate to, nor see its value. The overall discussion will demonstrate to students one of the examples in which religion can be portrayed and the ends which developers use religion. Students can then also relate how this could be problematic or beneficial for religions.
- Students can also relate to other areas of popular culture that has represented religion, such as music, film and theatre. By connecting these experiences students who may not have any experience of video gaming can understand its impact and the role religion has in popular culture.
- Criticism of the role of business and using religion in a business will open questions up to students about
the globalisation and commercialisation of world religions. Students can explore whether or not the representation of religions can be a form of cultural appropriation and the extent to which that is problematic.
Questions Raised and Discussion Structure
Hypothetical for Educator: A violent and graphic game is released which takes the markets by storm. The game is controversial as some religious activists claim that it portrays their religion in a negative light and over simplifies their beliefs. However as a result religious attendance as seen a sudden and noticeable spike in attendance and an increase in interest in that religion. Is this kind of attention problematic for the future of video games and religions that requires action? Or is something which should be encouraged despite the obvious criticisms and inaccuracies?
- What is the future for religion in video games?
- Will it continue to influence popular culture?
- Do those that play video games even recognise that religion is a central theme within the games that they are playing?
- Is the current pervasive nature of video games, especially amongst the younger generation going to result in the video game distorting reality?
- Is it all one way or will religions deliberately use computer games to portray their theology, rituals and ethics and morals?
- How do you think this will develop and what are the potential outcomes?
Background Research
and Resources for Educator
The information provided are here for educators to develop their own questions as well as change objectives as they see fit to tailor to their own lesson outcome.
In Bioshock: Infinite (2013), it is impossible to explore the surroundings of the game without recognizing the overt religiosity of the culture. Set in a city in the clouds–Columbia, the game is a first-person shooter in which the player must rescue a young woman named Elizabeth. She’s the daughter of the Columbia’s president and prophet Zachary Hale Comstock. Elizabeth has special powers that allow her to open portals between dimensions and thus is both separated from and revered by Columbia society. Just to enter the city, the player’s avatar must submit to a baptism.
The imagery in Bioshock: Infinite brought about widespread discussion in the press and blogs. One developer at the video game company reportedly threatened to quit over the religious depictions in the game.
And while the depictions in Bioshock: Infinite may be more overt than in other games, it is hardly the only game in which religious depictions appear.
Common themes in video game story lines include killing God or Satan, evil/hypocritical establishment religious figures, god figure(s) as a motivator for violence, and saving your game progress by praying to a religious shrine.
Below is an illustrative list of a few games
that have been objects of discussion in terms of religious imagery. Many of these stem from the role-playing game genre since many of the early games with religious depictions tended to be narrative-based, and thus lend themselves to that genre:
- Super Mario Bros. (1985, Nintendo Entertainment System)- The heroic plummer travels through a series of lands in order to rescue a princess. Along the way, he can eat magic mushrooms in order to grow larger and eat flowers in order to throw fireballs. Magic mushrooms are frequent theme in religious texts including the Bible and the Bhagavad Gita. Conservative Christian groups initially opposed the games imagery as promoting witchcraft.
- Final Fantasy IV (1991, Super Nintendo Entertainment System)- In this game, the protagonist undergoes what could be described as a conversion experience as he is translated by a holy light from being a “Dark Knight” to being a “Paladin.” One of the main characters in the game, Kain, betrays the hero on multiple occasions–a possible allusion to the Cain and Abel story. The game also features a location called the Tower of Babil. The wiki “Religious Allusions in Final Fantasy” is dedicated to following the frequent religious allusions in the Final Fantasy series.
- Breath of Fire (1993, Super Nintendo Entertainment System)- In this game, the hero Ryu is one of the sole survivors of a clan of Light Dragons who have been largely wiped
out by the Dark Dragons. Both clans appear human but can transform into dragons. The Dark Dragons are taking their orders and pursuing world domination at the behest of the evil god Tyr. In order to advance through the lengthy game, Ryu (and the player) must save their progress by praying to a competing god, Ladon. Wherever Ladon’s shrine is available, Ryu can save his progress. To complete the game, Ryu and his companions must kill the god Tyr. The game has spawned a series of sequels that have similar dynamics.
number of countries.
Video Games as Religion
Dr. Catherine Albanese in her discussion of “ordinary religion” implies that the distinction between religion and culture can be a false one. Albanese argues that “ordinary” aspects of culture can actually serve to have religious meanings and fulfil religious needs. Just as some have begun to view sports and shopping as religious activities, some have also begun to view
gaming in the same light.
As noted earlier, gaming is a part of contemporary culture. Some games are more narrative–like some of the games listed above–while others are more casual.
“Gaming as Religion” is a theory pioneered by Dr. Rachel Wagner of Ithaca College which builds on Albanese’s concept of ordinary religion–the video game is just another piece of culture that can be used to make meaning for human existence. This has been seen in the fan cultures that surround video games (some fans could be described as following games “religiously”) and even in the very procedures behind video game play: starting the game, playing the game, the character dies and the player is given the opportunity to resurrect the character.
In the game itself, the player is transported beyond space and time to explore a new world that is structured, but open to the possibility of player exploration.
And here it is also worth discussing the “real world” religions that have a foothold in massively multiplayer online (MMO) games. In Second Life, for example, people can practice Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and a host of other religions within the virtual space of the game.
Imagine there
was a game where you play as Noah. The way you get animals onto the Ark is to raise them over your heads a la Super Mario Bros. 2 to throw them in. But wait, there’s more. Imagine you can play as Miriam and in order to beat levels, you have to escape Egyptian guards with baby Moses, who you can throw like a football. But wait, there’s still more. You can also play as David and in order to work up to fighting Goliath, you need to collect a ton of sheep.
To top it all off, Bible Adventures (1991, Nintendo Entertainment System), was produced without the proper licensing. The evangelical Christian company that made the game worked around the lockout chip in the Nintendo cartridge so they didn’t have to pass Nintendo’s licensing process.
While some religious organizations have recently entered MMO games for outreach purposes (as mentioned above), there is a long history of religious outreach with video games–much of it stemming from evangelical Christian groups.
That said in early console video games, Nintendo employed a strict censorship policy that kept religion out of American games. Perceiving more puritanical values in America than in Japan and greatly desiring the video game to be “child-friendly,” Nintendo censored sex, violence and religion from their games until the mid-1990s. This played a significant role in forming an idea of what
video games were since Nintendo was by far the dominant video game company from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s.
However, this didn’t mean computer games were censored. One of the most controversial computer games Left Behind: Eternal Forces (2006) was a real-time strategy (RTS) game put out by a conservative Christian company. Allegations that there was violence in the game directed at non-believers eventually sunk the game.
In the game, players control the “Tribulation Force” and can either use conversion or violence when they encounter non-believers. Players are encouraged to use violence only when necessary because it causes their “spirit level” to drop. And if the “spirit level” of troops go to low they could either become neutral forces or defect. The game caused an outcry from non-Christians and Christians alike.
But there are other groups that now use mobile video games who have used video games to great effect. Lightside Games released Journey of Moses, Journey of Jesus: The Calling, and Light the Way: the Bible–all of which have more than 2 million players and have caused little controversy.
