The Christian video game industry is small but growing

PORTLAND, Ore -- In the world of Christian video games, players sport the armor of God, the best weapon is a ball of holy energy known as a "smite," and demon-possessed Roman soldiers drop to their knees in prayer when they're hit.

Right now, the religious-themed games represent just the tiniest fraction of an $11-billion industry, but developers expect the market to grow with the popularity of faith-based movies and books such as Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" and the "Left Behind" series of novels.

Just how to make the jump to the mainstream, finding producers for Christian games and getting them on store shelves, will be the focus of a small conference this month in Portland that about 100 people are expected to attend.

Event organizer Tim Emmerich said Christian game developers -- mostly evangelical Protestants -- want to provide a clean, safe alternative to shoot-'em-up games like "Grand Theft Auto," spreading the gospel without boring or alienating players.

The target audience ranges from Christian gamers eager for new thrills to teenagers and 20-somethings who have never picked up a Bible, said Emmerich, a software engineer who attends Circle Church of Christ in Corvallis.

To Canadian developer Mackenzie Ponech, the idea is creating a fun, entertaining game that doesn't condescend to its non-Christian players.

"It's not about taking a Bible, rolling it up and shoving it down the person's throat who's playing the game," said Ponech, who co-founded Two Guys Software in Edmonton, Alberta.

Focus is on God, not gore

In the company's most popular game, "Eternal War: Shadows of Light," players assume the role of Mike, an angel charged with saving a suicidal teen. They battle demons -- and the teen's own doubts -- with spiritual weapons that include "soul disks," "Trinity blasts," and the "smite," a ball of liquid holy energy that vaporizes bad guys.

"Eternal War" also references the "armor of God" mentioned in St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians. "It's almost like your meat-and-potatoes for a Christian game," Ponech said.

Unlike some of their secular counterparts, Christian video games avoid "all that blood and guts and gore," said Ralph Bagley, CEO of N'Lightning Games in Medford.

Enemies vanish, vaporize, or, in the case of the Roman soldiers in N'Lightning's "Catechumen," start praying as Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" rings out. Most games incorporate Bible verses, and story lines often focus on spiritual struggles.

Religion expert Larry Eskridge says the emerging Christian video game industry marks the latest effort by religious believers to put their own imprint on popular culture.

Evangelical Protestants have led the charge since World War II, seeking sanctified versions of everything from board games and television to rock 'n' roll, said Eskridge, associate director of the Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill.

But some in the industry question whether consumers will be as eager to embrace Christian games as they are to play secular versions.

Most retailers are reluctant to pick up Christian video games because the products don't have a proven track record, said Dave Tanner, senior buyer for Christian Supply Centers. The retail chain has 16 stores in Oregon, Washington state and Idaho.

"As a buyer, I want to see past sales. I want to see a forecast," Tanner said. That's difficult with the relatively new Christian video games, which make up such a small portion of the market that CBA International, formerly the Christian Booksellers Association, doesn't track sales.

Boosting interest

Companies also struggle to find investors for game development, said Bagley, the N'Lightning CEO. His game "Catechumen" took 15 months and $830,000 to create -- often demanding 16-hour days from his 11-person team.

To boost interest, the industry is pinning its hopes on video game versions of established properties such as "Left Behind" and "Veggie Tales" -- based on the children's video series in which singing, talking vegetables act out stories with wholesome or biblical themes.

"There's a huge void and a tremendous opportunity for growth," said Troy Lyndon, who helped found the Murietta, Calif.-based Left Behind Games Inc. last October.

Left Behind Games' first effort, "Eternal Mission," will follow the plot of the apocalyptic thriller series and is to be released in late 2005.

Lyndon hopes that "Eternal Mission" and its successors can avoid one criticism of the industry -- that Christian video games lag behind secular games in terms of visual quality and fast-paced action.

Arron Daniels, a 29-year-old gamer and former youth minister, thinks the potential for growth is there, provided that Christian developers continue to improve graphics and gameplay. He sees a parallel with Christian music.

"When Christian music started 20 years ago, all you had were different versions of 'Amazing Grace,"' said Daniels, who works at the Christian radio station KBNJ in Corpus Christi, Texas. "Today we can compete with the big boys."