Over the last few years it has been very cool to watch evangelical Christians discover or rediscover the wonder and power of film. “Narrative Theologians” like Stanley Hauerwas, Hans Frei, et. al. deserve our thanks. Cornerstone’s Flickerings, and the Damah film festivals serve as signs of the raise of the narrative, as do the many thoughtful and creative people who are seriously engaging story telling. There is little doubt that our shared/collective narrative experience through film is powerfully shaping our world, replacing old barriers, and crafting a common story.
It seems to me that video games maybe one of the most powerful narrative forms of the emerging world. Most games are narrative, and the stories do not exist without the active participation of the player; in fact the industry calls this “interactive-entertainment”. Games invite our presence, validate our existence, and provide a community centered around a common mission. Increasingly, games invite players to link up with other players to form alliances. These alliances often transcend the game. Today’s games not only allow players to choose a character but shape the personally and abilities of their character(s), and some games have cumulative affects, so that how one plays today impacts what the character can do tomorrow.
According to Gloria Goodale of the CSMonitor, “The interactive-entertainment industry has been vying with
Hollywood for top dollar in recent years. Figures on video-game profits vary all the way up to $30 billion worldwide, including hardware and software sales” (November 01, 2004).
Is there a comparison between movies (say, The Passion of the Christ or any movie really) and many of our modern Protestant churches. “Come, sit, watch… and be transformed by our presentation.” Gaming seems to say “invest, participate, enter a different culture and co-create a narrative for communal transformation.” Maybe I have taken this too far, but maybe not.
Has anyone seen any essays like, “how is power and control used by game makers compared to movie directors?” Or something like this.
I got to thinking about what might missional gaming look like? What if characters in the virtual world were to e-embody Christ?
Peace, dwight
Imagine…the e-missionary. An individual who goes into online multiplayer gaming worlds to embody Christ.
Dont discount other forms of gaming besides video games (the most lucrative).
Board games and pen and paper RPGs and LARP all mesh with a context of people crying out for relationship.
Of course the church has a hurdle here in that it has sensationalized its loathing and condemnation of gaming. Everything from poker (gambling) or any kind of cards lead to drinking, smoking, sex and possibly sleeping through Sunday church to the diatribes of the 70s-80s that Dungeons and Dragons makes people Satanists that want to stab thier parents and teachers.
I too have wondered about this- games will overtake movies, in terms of gross receipts, within the next few years, so just in numbers alone they certainly have a huge cultural impact. (Lord knows its all most elementary-school boys think about!)
Somebody must have a vision for this. I find it problematic, though, because video games are, by nature, a solitary enterprise. Its you and nobody else, perhaps as unrelational as our culture gets.
However, this may be shifting. The internet has enabled RPGs to become truly interactive, and whole online gaming societies have been formed and even studied for their economic & social characteristics. Furthermore, as the complexity of games increases, more and more are taking on true narrative- which I would argue enables the illusion of control, the storyteller not really being the gamer but the maker of the game. And that in itself could be a revelation that isnt far removed from the Christ-followers.
So theres room in there for God to work, surprise. I expect that, in the coming years, an authentically Christ-centered vision will be developed for gaming.
Well, this has been a vision of mine for quite some time, and since I am a United Methoist Pastor, I am longing for a conference/district/church that would be willing to do lots of risk in ministry in new and different ways.
Andrew the gaming world has already taken over Hollywood
see the link below:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2004/12/18/MNGUOAE36I1.DTL
But, I am seeing that LAN parties with computer geeks (geeks is now an acceptiable term to computer people, heh) are becomgin the new arcades of the present. Yes, there is lots of start-up costs, but youwould be reaching a huge demographic of people (not just kids or teens) and you can develope great relationahips with them all! Yes, you will have to get over the mature ratings of the games that most people love to play, but the potiental is amazing! If you want you could even provide classes to parents or guardians that could teach internet safety while thier children are playing a LAN party. Now this is just the outreach aspect….
What if you (or I) could preach a sermon while everyone was playing a game? As they interact with the invironment, you give meaning to what they see and bring them into the Biblical Narritive, ut this time it is interactive, they decide what they want to see and where they want to go. yes, it is a streach, but it could be done!
I am an avid gamer and love playing Halo 2 for the Xbox and especially over Xbox live. It is amazing the community they have created in that game…just like the amazing community they have created with Everquest (Evercrack). There are people who are getting married online via thier Everquest representation, with a Pastor and guests and everything…even the game makers were present and gave them gifts that they can use while they are gaming.
The online gaming world understand how to meet the Post-Moidern needs of the world today. Look at the most popular shows on TV…what do you see? You see community..Friends, Cheers, Sex in The City, Survivor, all of these are meeting a need to allow the view to join into the community with them. Way back when it used to be all about family, and in some cultures it still is (Hispanic) but now it has changed to personalized community. (i.e. knowing that \"I\" belong.)
But, I have been hoping that someone some where could pull off the new ways of doing ministry via videogames!
Thanks for remindeing me that I needed to blog this…I wonder if I ever did blog this in the past? heh. Thanks again!
Oh, and another thing….. I condiser myself to be an e-vangelist! (Everytime I play Halo 2 I live a life that is one full of Christ, in the hopes that they can see the truth behind the voice. Actually my \\\\\\\"clan\\\\\\\" is made up of several Seminary friends and others who rrarely cuss and are always developing relationships with other players.
I have another vision where a local church has classes to teach people how to share the Gospel and make friends online. you coul doffer computer classes on how to chat, email, blog, anf forum post all for the purpose to develope a relationship with others, and eventually share Christ with them. Then some how get them involved in a church that they would be comfortable worshiping in.