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.'"

All I know I learned from Civ2.

[Slayk]

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.

Religion

[falzer]

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

Re:Games?

[ArsonSmith]

Chess has bishops

Re:Personally, I would go one step further.

[ramdac]

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

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

you see... difficult.

Black and White....

[mdvlspwn99]

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.

Re:Games?

[Anonymous Coward]

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

Re:Personally, I would go one step further.

[dunsurfin]

Great idea, personally I am looking forward to:

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

Re:uh,, Black and White anyone?

[wo1verin3]

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

God you say...?

[liloconf]

IDDQD

A v P v Big G

[Cave Crickett]

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

Re: How can you simulate God in games?

[Black Parrot]

> 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.

Re:Slashdot Poll: Which Religion are You?

[Medievalist]

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

Tolerance not included

[NWRefund]

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?

Re:Anything but

[Anonymous Coward]

simpsons:

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

There's plenty of religion

[jjoyce]

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

Re:Semi-serious?

[Anonymous Coward]

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

Into computer games apparently.

Re:How can you simulate God in games?

[Savatte]

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

Easy. John Romero.

Re:There's plenty of religion

[servognome]

The voice of God booms, "Headshot"

Re:uh,, Black and White anyone?

[Anonymous Coward]

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

Re:AHEM

[tool462]

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

Re: where will God flee to?

[Anonymous Coward]

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

Being immaterial and omnipresent, I doubt this will worry God in the slightest.

Does this mean...

[Mongoose]

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

Yeah, there's a good idea....

[DroopyStonx]

"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.

Re:simulate religion in games?

[meringuoid]

Murphy's law. If anything can go wrong, it actually does. Always.

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

"Insult to my intelligence"

[wtrmute]

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...

Re:Semi-serious?

[servognome]

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

So what?

[tektor]

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

Re:uh,, Black and White anyone?

[seitentaisei]

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

Re:uh,, Black and White anyone?

[Firethorn]

What? You couldn't keep up with Zeus?

Re:Semi-serious?

[HermanAB]

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

Original Sin

[Kadmium]

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.