Christian Games + Wal-Mart + Texas = "X"
...Where "X" is whatever image pops into your head at the thought of Texans going crazy at Wal-Mart for Christian-themed video games. Me? I go to my "happy place" and only see puppies. With chainsaws. Who want to kill me and keep me from finding a good man to marry.
But "happy place" or no, 100 Wal-Mart stores in Texas have participated in a "pilot release" experiment for Christian-themed game developer Left Behind Games, and sales have been unprecedented: in two weeks the company has sold 25% of its inventory in and around Houston and Dallas.
CEO Try Lyndon prophesied further success for the faith-based gaming industry:
At the rate Wal-Mart inventory is moving, they will be out of games before Christmas, unless they reorder. With seven weeks remaining, and accelerated sales expected as we near the holidays, we believe test results will be favorable leading to a broader national market for Christian based PC games.
The Left Behind games are based on the controversial convert or die books set at the End of Days, during which all remaining humans must choose to fight on the side of good or evil. In-game, evil includes secularists and rock music, both of which can tempt your Christian soldiers to the dark side if they don't pray hard enough. I'm not sure if gays crop up as villains in any of the games, but there's always hope for more sequels, right?
Left Behind: Eternal Forces was also sent to active-duty members of the US military by an official arm of the Defense Department.
Is the mothership here yet? I'm scared.
Not Many Christian Games Left Behind in Wal-Mart [GamePolitics]
tiny dancer
Posted to Video Games on 5 November 2009
· Comments (14)
Other stuff like this: christian games, left behind, left behind games, wal-mart
Don't forget that you have to blow up colleges and schools which produce demonic liberal students and that the only female unit you can have is a nurse!
Honestly, I'm pretty sure most of the purchases were made by mother's and grandmother's who want their children playing something more wholesome. It's a gimmick that isn't going to attract serious gamers who are the repeat customers they need to target to be profitable.
P.S. I live in Houston, and no one I know, gay, straight, Christian, the Antichrist, is buying this game.
why can't religious people leave gaming alone? I mean, Bible Adventures for the NES was a gay romp and all, but the ironic laughs are out at this point. they need to stick to damning telethons and holy rolling.
but maybe this will be hilarious. what happens if your team of secularists, queers, single mothers, and folk musicians reach the end victoriously? Satan takes over? is there no happy medium? how about a butt pirating party God? c'mon.
Ummm... I know this is off subject, but I'll take the guy on box art that's on the right and worship him... I mean gawd. Tiny, you can have the one on the left.
P.S. - They never state how big their "stock" is... 25 units out of a 100 is 25%, but I wouldn't say it's much.
I'm with PixelPoet, that guy on the right is a cutie in a "...from the next down" kinda way.
This whole series (the books) is a complete crock of shit.
If you want a great drinking game, find a torrent of the made-for-TV movie based on it starring Kirk Cameron. Best hangover of my life.
Ah. Did you see who advertises in the game?
"The game is packaged with in-game advertisements from Double Fusion. These advertisements are clearly visible on the walls of buildings in the game. Some of the ads displayed are for the Ad Council, most of those showing McGruff the Crime Dog from National Crime Prevention Council. Others advertisements are for EBGames, GameStop, Dell, and Jeep.[20]
The ads in the game that are displayed are default ads located on the user's hard drive. When players are not connected to the Internet, nothing is downloaded. If they are connected, a query is performed and if an ad has been replaced, the game will download it automatically. Advertisements are updated in a "fully trackable and measurable fashion."[21]"
WTF? Dell and GameStop? Looks like I won't be shopping there.
Gotta admit that the cover art would probably get me to pick up the game and think about it. Both the guys are pretty hot--who'd have thought they'd advertise a Christian-subversive anything with drawings of shirtless, hot inked guys?
Honestly, I take these things with a grain of salt. In the same way that Halo and Resident Evil don't cause people to pick up guns and kill folks, neither will these games cause a liberally-leaning open-minded gamer to start thinking they need to be born again. They're designed to please a niche group, and as much as I disagree with that niche group, so be it.
"The First Video Game in which prayer & worship are more powerful than guns!"
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
As someone who was raised in a Baptist church (aka. cult). They try to get you through any means they can. I'm surprised this is the first we have seen something like this.
Eh, I don't really see anything wrong with this kind of stuff. But then again, I'm an atheist - I don't take it seriously, and this just looks like another folklore/mythology/fantasy-themed game to me.
Okay I see how it is, video games in general are evil tools for delinquents who will eventually live or now live in a life of sin... but it's okay if we turn around on our asses and then use video games to attract more people to our faith.
see, so unless they are using it for their own goals..it's evil, these guys are fucked up and make me glad I know no one who would look twice at this game, other then to laugh at it.
I'm pretty sure that all paths into the videogaming world lead to the same place. I don't think the Christian motivations of the "Left Behind" series (which I always thought was a backdoor action title) will change the fact that there are better games available for those who whet their appetites playing this one. It's a short trip from this box to Diablo 2 and Bioshock.
Games like these make me sad. I'm gay, Christian, & a gamer. I get embarrassed to say that at times specifically because of people like this. Evangelical message aside (which is misguided & hateful in its own right), this just looks like a really, really bad game.
The video on their website needs to sync its audio. "Most realistic re-creation of New York City ever created in a video game," seems kind of a stretch. "Black & White" let you be good or evil back in 2001. And as far as endorsements for your game, don't get people in their 70's who talk about, "that generation of young people that're into video games..." What the hell do my grandparents know about video games???
I really wish that the people who made & endorsed these games would just stay in their homes and be quiet. They can hold on to their rose-colored (or fire-and-brimstone-colored) glasses and view the world how they want, but get out of the damn media spotlight.
I'm sad that they didn't keep the one hit combos, like "Love-Thy-Neighbor" and "Don't-Judge". Man, they strayed too far from the gaming that I love.