Religion and Gaming

by Gabriel Putnam

Within our modern society, if there is one thing which is nearly unavoidable and ever-present, it is the existence of religion and the belief in a higher power. It transcends all racial, age, and societal boundaries. It speaks to a very human need and desire for an underlying pattern to existence and a purpose to life. Yet, with all of the various ways in which religion interacts and affects people’s lives throughout the globe, one venue which has only slightly been touched, and many times badly at that, is gaming. To give us a better picture of this state, I will attempt to look at what impact religion has been able to make on gaming in a couple of sections. First off, I’ll look at how gaming, and particularly role playing games, are viewed by a segment of the religious community and the general propaganda which tends to be released concerning it. Admittedly, this probably won’t take into account all of the silent religious folks who like gaming, but then again, the most virulently hateful also, unfortunately, tend to be the most vocal. Secondly, I’ll attempt to look at some notable examples of how religion has touched role playing game design and possibly even suggest some changes that might reflect the community at large.

Back at the advent of video games and electronic home entertainment, its probably safe to say that religion took no real notice of the phenomenon. They may have had the same concerns of other parents, that too much time was spent behind a TV, or that they dulled social interaction, but in general there was little to no difference between religious and common public views. In fact, on a couple of occasions, the medium itself was actually used as a way to convey views or a message; most notably with games such as Bible Adventures. However, over time, as both the medium itself improved and its acceptance within our culture broadened, religion began to feel a pressure to comment on the content which was available and press for changes which would help to fit their particular views. In some cases, these were relatively benign goals, such as the implementation of violence warnings or legislation and pressure to control the content which could be displayed. Although they may have been annoying, as any owner of a Nintendo in the mid-nineties could tell you, they were generally in line with the views of their societies, sometimes needed, and not too invasive. However, there was also a second type of crusader which began to evolve at the same time. Figures such as the somewhat famous Jack Chick, who accused gaming of all sorts of evils like the degradation of youth, the increase of violent crime, and the promotion of sorcery, witchcraft, and the like. Usually without any real evidence or studies to back their claims as well. But, despite their lack of information, the one real effect they had was to foster a worry and mistrust of games among parents in the general public. Which is roughly where we sit today. Although a number of changes to gaming, like the introduction of MMORPGs, have occurred over the past several years, the response and message among religious groups has really changed very little. Since a general view of opposition has always been maintained to video games, a subtle shift is hard to detect for better or worse.

Oddly though, among religious groups who speak out about gaming, one of the topics which is only rarely discussed is the message or story which is being delivered to players. By message, I don’t mean such subtleties as the promotion and acceptance of violence by exposure to it, since expressions like “the message being sent to our children” are often bandied about. Rather, I mean the themes and topics of the writing, which often far more straightforward and blunt in their meaning. Prime among these, is what seems to be a decidedly negative view of religion among game developer’s. Think about it. Since the days of the NES, and possibly even before, when has religion actually come into a game, as something more than a bit player, and not been a force for evil. Sure, there were small things like the Priests of Dragon Warrior who benignly cured your ailments, but religion itself was never actually discussed in the story arcs, characters never had religion be a part of their lives, and the most non-negative impact it had was when characters took a vague Priest(ess) class on their way to bigger and better things. By and large, the work among developers seems to have run completely the other direction, with the super-powerful, and thoroughly corrupt, church being so overused as a villain that it easily qualifies as a cliché. From Final Fantasy Tactics, to Xenogears, to Breath of Fire, nearly every major series has contained at least one episode in which religion was made out as the foe. In part, this may simply stem from a need for super powerful villains to oppose a group of heroes. Who would be more extensive, more pervasive, and more devastating if corrupt in a medieval setting, than a church or religious sect. Nearly every commoner in the game then suddenly has the potential for conflict with the heroes, as popular opinion and propaganda are turned against them. Additionally, the views of the programmers themselves are also a significant factor in this process, as the programming world by its nature tends to attract a less religious crowd than other professions.

However, over the last several years, we have seen a couple of clues which may point to a changing mood among the industry. These have taken the form of characters which use religion as a daily part of their lives, and are supported by it through story and plot interaction. Probably the most notable of these was Billy from Xenogears, who served as a priest until his church (cue the cliché) betrayed him and was revealed as a villainous organization. However, even after this betrayal, he never truly lost his conviction or his belief in a purpose and greater power. Mind you, he struggled with his views, but this struggle in itself served as an interesting hook for numerous plot revelations and helped to push the story forward. In addition, it served to endear him to a number of fans of the game, along with a bit of female appeal, as he was interesting simply by his uniqueness within a group that had been traditionally ignored or downplayed.

Overall, it seems clear that we need to see a shift in the way religion is handled both within and in regards to gaming. Mind you, this is not meant as an advocation of religious games or the use of games to promote a particular view. However, as I mentioned earlier, I also think that there is a significant body of religiously minded players, in fact there would almost have to be through simple statistics, who have been sorely misrepresented by gaming culture at large. Partially, this is probably due to a fear of backlash among gamers who would feel that they’re being preached to, but developers might be wise to develop some skill with the matter, as they could see a rise in sales if they intrigued a brand of gamer that makes up a hefty portion of the world’s population.