Making Christian art isn’t celebrating diversity. The vast majority of Americans still claim to be Christian (it’s less common in Europe). Christian games are uncommon mainly because of the anti-Christian sentiments that prevail in every entertainment industry and because the Christian worldview is difficult to fit into typical game design templates.

I’ve tried many times to come up with the basics of an action-adventure game based on Christian beliefs (which doesn’t necessarily mean praise… just setting), and one belief alone makes it very difficult: Christians believe evil is an absence (of good), not a presence, and that evil has already lost the war. How do you portray evil in a game without making it appear equally powerful?

@Colin: DLC for Guitar Hero would have been better, but I’d be surprised if Red Octane was open to the idea. Still, Digital Praise should have pitched the idea to them before making a clone.

@Brian: Why didn’t you tell me you have a music site?! I’ve got a music site on myspace too, and one of the songs on there is a Christian song (“Our Father”… yes, it starts with the prayer). I’m Catholic, so the song reveres Mary too, but I expect you’ll enjoy it anyway. Not surprisingly, it’s my best recording.

Peter Kreeft is one of my favorite modern theologians. Him and Father John Richard Neuhaus of First Things.

But I did talk to a father the other day who wanted to get his 11 year old son a GH or RB. For him, singing sexual innuendo and swear words like hell and damn are big deals, as they are for many Christian parents.

It’s a shame, cause it might cause them to miss out on a well produced game, but I don’t know if I’d feel comfortable with my 11 year old singing the lyrics of My Sharona. The first time I sang that song and really listened to the lyrics, I just laughed and said “this song is creepy!”

In that case, it might make sense in some markets to do a GH CCM bonus disc, ala GH 80’s. If it’s financially viable, it’s a win-win for everyone–Activision makes money, Christians get music they listen to, and no one else has to play it if they don’t want to, or even have it on their disc.

I guess it just comes down to, everyone would like to see some of the music they listen to on there. Christians are no different.

It’s just too bad that most Christians feel the need to wall themselves off from society, instead of engaging with it. Especially when it degenerates into poorly made knock offs of other successful forms of entertainment.

I think it would be great if there was a Christian Pack for GH or RB. If it’s one thing that the Wii has shown the gaming industry, there are untapped markets out there. I think the Christian market would be one of them.