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Game with God

Andrew writes "GamerDad has an article up about how religion is handled in computer gaming, titled 'Game With God'. The article features quotes from Sid Meier, Jane Jensen, Will Wright, Peter Molyneaux, Phil Steinmeyer, and Richard Garriott. Here's a snippet: 'While religion and spirituality add a lot to a game world, they often aren't used effectively. 'I don't think there are any games that treat religion at anything more than a superficial level,'; says Firaxis founder and Civilization creator Sid Meier. PopTop Software's Phil Steinmeyer agrees, noting that 'Religion is ignored in gaming, or if it is portrayed, it's wildly caricatured.'"

31 of 877 comments (clear)

  1. All I know I learned from Civ2. by Slayk · · Score: 5, Funny

    Run through the tech tree, then go for Fundamentalisim. There repercussions for that form of government were far outclassed by the *amazing* ability to build wealth and power for your fight against the infidels.

    Yup. Not portrayed realistically at all.

  2. Religion by falzer · · Score: 5, Funny

    As long as the gods in nethack are pleased, I'm fine with it.

  3. Re:Games? by ArsonSmith · · Score: 5, Funny

    Chess has bishops

    --
    Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
  4. Re:Personally, I would go one step further. by ramdac · · Score: 1, Funny

    Heh... those needs are primarily, mutually exclusive.

    gaming = violence. RULE RULE!!
    gospel = love, tolerance.

    you see... difficult.

  5. Black and White.... by mdvlspwn99 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I like games where I am god. And if the villagers didn't like it, they got a thrown in the ocean!

    Or I'd feed them to my creature.

    --
    If reality was like Slashdot, most people would be (-1) Redundant.
  6. Re:Games? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    ever notice that bishops and knights don't move straight, and well the king and queen can swing both ways.

  7. Re:Personally, I would go one step further. by dunsurfin · · Score: 0, Funny

    Great idea, personally I am looking forward to:

    Quake IV: WWJD
    Sin City: Deliver Watchtower to the Ungodly

  8. Re:uh,, Black and White anyone? by wo1verin3 · · Score: 4, Funny

    You obviously didn't order the Anti-Semitic Expansion Pack!

  9. God you say...? by liloconf · · Score: 0, Funny

    IDDQD

  10. A v P v Big G by Cave+Crickett · · Score: 2, Funny

    I would love to see Alien -vs- Predator -vs- GOD

  11. Re: How can you simulate God in games? by Black+Parrot · · Score: 4, Funny


    > Who'se AI programming could be considered good enough to simulate God?

    Easy solution: just let one of the players be God, and give him arbitrary power to change the game state at will. You'll soon find all the other players giving him money and sucking up to whatever he wants.

    Pardon the cynicism, but there you have it.

    --
    Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
  12. Re:Slashdot Poll: Which Religion are You? by Medievalist · · Score: 2, Funny


    I think you'll find that a very outspoken minority of Slashdotters worship Ayn Rand.

  13. Tolerance not included by NWRefund · · Score: 3, Funny

    In a country where groups got together to burn Harry Potter books because they "taught kids to be witches and wizards," can you *blame* game creators for trying to tiptoe around religion?

  14. Re:Anything but by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    simpsons:

    "christian rock is just pop music with the word baby changed to jesus"

  15. There's plenty of religion by jjoyce · · Score: 3, Funny

    Games have plenty of religion. Unreal Tournament 2004 would not be much fun if I couldn't be reincarnated every time I died.

    1. Re:There's plenty of religion by servognome · · Score: 3, Funny

      The voice of God booms, "Headshot"

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      D6 63 0D 70 89 81 BB 8E 7B 7C 5F 5D 54 EA AB 73
  16. Re:Semi-serious? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    >Once we fully understand brain chemistry where will God go next?

    Into computer games apparently.

  17. Re:How can you simulate God in games? by Savatte · · Score: 2, Funny

    Who'se AI programming could be considered good enough to simulate God?

    Easy. John Romero.

  18. Re:uh,, Black and White anyone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Food I could supply. I kept having them complain "Villagers need offspring." Sorry, guys. You're going to have to handle that yourself.

  19. Re:AHEM by tool462 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Ahh, you just winged him and made him a Unitarian. :)

  20. Re: where will God flee to? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    ... Once we fully understand brain chemistry where will God go next?

    Being immaterial and omnipresent, I doubt this will worry God in the slightest.
  21. Does this mean... by Mongoose · · Score: 1, Funny

    Does this mean the money I pay to the temple of the dark elf sect in lineageII ( http://lineage2.com ) aren't tax deductable?

  22. Yeah, there's a good idea.... by DroopyStonx · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Jesus: The FPS":

    While demented soldiers and demons run around the battle arena trying to frag you and each other, your ask as Jesus The Peacemaker is to persuade them to stop fighting.

    With a bag full of holy water and bibles, your task is to put and end to the violence.

    Powerups include "Quad-prayer" (make them believe in you. If they fail, instill fear into them.) and "Persistent nagging" - If they ignore you, annoy the shit out of them until they listen. ...hm, on second thought: no.

    If you played that and anyone knew about it, you'd probably get your ass kicked for being such a pansy, haha.

    Not to mention, religious games (with the exception of Black and White) would be utterly boring, just like most religious movies.

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  23. Re:simulate religion in games? by meringuoid · · Score: 3, Funny
    Murphy's law. If anything can go wrong, it actually does. Always.

    A guy in Russia already programmed that game, I think...

    --
    Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
  24. "Insult to my intelligence" by wtrmute · · Score: 5, Funny

    except that for the most part, religion is false. (...) i know what's real and what's not.

    That's rich. And you are, of course, able to perceive with complete accuracy truth from lies. Maybe I should start worshipping you...

  25. Re:Semi-serious? by servognome · · Score: 4, Funny

    There never was a Job.
    Maybe Job just got outsourced?

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    D6 63 0D 70 89 81 BB 8E 7B 7C 5F 5D 54 EA AB 73
  26. So what? by tektor · · Score: 3, Funny

    I don't think there are any games that treat anaesthesiology at anything more than a superficial level, either.

  27. Re:uh,, Black and White anyone? by seitentaisei · · Score: 1, Funny

    I tend to let "Fluffy" deal with those heretics.

  28. Re:uh,, Black and White anyone? by Firethorn · · Score: 2, Funny

    What? You couldn't keep up with Zeus?

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    I don't read AC A human right
  29. Re:Semi-serious? by HermanAB · · Score: 2, Funny

    No - Lightning is caused by the God Thor - Shame on you - Heretic!

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    Oh well, what the hell...
  30. Original Sin by Kadmium · · Score: 2, Funny

    Bah, original sin is just too difficult to bother with nowadays. Everything's been done already. The other day, I threw eggs at a nun's car while riding a unicycle and smoking a joint, and my priest said even that had been done before. QED.