Ars Technica defends Left Behind, industry grows up a little

by Alexander Sliwinski { Jan 2nd 2007 at 11:25PM }

Recently Ben Kuchera of Ars Technica was interviewed about Left Behind: Eternal Forces on NPR's All Things Considered and found himself "defending the Christian right." He says Left Behind is being unfairly "demonized," the same way Bully and GTA have been, "We can't pick and choose our fights based on whether or not we agree with what a game says; we must fight for the game's ability to say anything it wants to." And that sound you hear is the industry getting just a little older.

Religion, sex, politics and everything else we've heard "don't belong in games" will be -- or already has been -- incorporated into titles that'll sell millions of copies. As the industry gets older and the average demographic playing them does as well, complex ideas that may offend or challenge will start to pop up. What's thrilling and horrible at the same time is we have to defend the games with messages we agree with as strongly as those we don't. Like movies, music, theater, literature, television and other art, we shouldn't stop the message from being said, just make sure to vote with your wallet on what games you want to see more of.

See also:

[Via Game Politics]

Tags: 1st Amendment, ars technica, ArsTechnica, controversy, free speech, left behind, tolerance

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

samfish @ Jan 2nd 2007 11:34PM

This guy's a moron pretending to be an even bigger moron than he already is.

The reason people are so offended by the Left Behind game is because it's just MORE hypocrisy from the crazy Christian right, who are cheering on more death and killing.
(but it's OK, because you're only killing heathens.)

Christ, I hate Christianity.

Callandor @ Jan 2nd 2007 11:34PM

While I don't necessarily agree with the game's message, I will fight to defend the rights of the developers to include it within their game. Politicians shouldn't attack the game simply because they don't agree with what it is promoting. It's shameful activity designed to garner votes.

Pablo the Fish @ Jan 2nd 2007 11:40PM

But we can still criticize the game for being poorly designed, right? I agree that, if we defend sex and violence found in games like the GTA series as free speech, we should defend religion and violence the same way in Left Behind. But let's not lose sight of the fact that the game just plain sucks, regardless of the subject matter.

Elias @ Jan 3rd 2007 12:26AM

Honestly, ever since I installed Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 a week after the 9/11 attacks and was tasked with blowing up the Pentagon, well, anything's fair game.

Cynders @ Jan 3rd 2007 12:29AM

I'm not OMGSOOFFENDED by GTA because it is pure fantasy. There is no organized political agenda pushing or promoting the actual thieving of cars and killing of hookers. Left Behind advertises a religious and political world view which sincerely desires the eradication of non-christians and looks forward to the destruction of the world as we know it.

Rubang @ Jan 3rd 2007 12:30AM

The developers had and have every right to make a half-assed RTS with a hypocritical plot based on hate. And we have every right not to buy it. I'm actually interested in playing it some day just because of this controversy. But I wouldn't pay for it.

Anyway, Mr. Kuchera is making a very good point. If you want to kill a prostitute with a rocket launcher and then drive over the corpse a hundred times and then take a picture of it in one game, you have to let somebody else make a game where you kill all the enemies of the fundies. And that's a lot.

fawazr @ Jan 3rd 2007 12:55AM

Good luck expecting the best from people who don't expect much from themselves. People form hard and quick allegiances to philosophies that demand that followers be on constant defense. They do so due to some frailty in consciousness and an inability to propel themselves any closer to "self-realization". Alexander Sliwinski, I commend the free-thinking ideals of this post, but fanboys who spend much of their time honing button pushing skills while blankly staring at a flickering screen aren't the audience you were hoping for. In other words, lofty ideals have no place in a mass market video game culture.

Steve @ Jan 3rd 2007 12:59AM

One of the sad truths to the "tolerance" movement is that the more tolerant a person professes to be the more intolerant they actually are. That's why when these groups announce that they are offended by some politically incorrect statement I tend to roll my eyes.

For example, the "tolerance" crowd will scream bloody murder if you mention the word "Christmas" during the month of December in their warped attempt to promote tolerance. I found it very amusing that the Muslims who were at my Christmas celebration showed far more tolerance to this Christian holiday than the hardline leftwing "I'm better than you because I'm tolerant damn it" fundamentalists I used to work with.

polly @ Jan 3rd 2007 12:59AM

Can't believe you didn't include the NPR link...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6669946

I was actually surprised to hear Jack T wasn't happy with this game either. If nothing else, he's consistent.

Wolfe_boy @ Jan 3rd 2007 1:57AM

I'm a regular reader of Ars. If you want unbiased and un-fanboi reviews and game news, hit Ars. Ben's about as good and straight shooting as they come.

Also - I agree. The game sucks, but it is their right to make it.

John Cromartie @ Jan 3rd 2007 7:51AM

What's up with the swastika/cross-burning/rebel-flag image? I didn't know that the game promoted anything of that sort.

christopher @ Jan 3rd 2007 9:32AM

What I think is ironic is that a fundamentalist Christian game whose creators would probably prefer to limit American's choices, viewpoints, and freedoms are depending on the very system that they hate to sell their games in the market.

Thank God for open markets and open societies... otherwise we'd be playing nothing but Left Behind.

crono141 @ Jan 3rd 2007 10:00AM

It doesn't. The game promotes converting people in an attempt to SAVE THEIR ETERNAL SOUL, and to kill only in self defence from the literal forces of darkness.

Remeber, the game takes place in a post rapture (turns out, the christians were right all along) universe where the new christians "left behind" are the only ones left working for God.

The game even penalizes you for killing people. Again, the game promotes killing as a last ditch final option.

On tolerance: Isn't it great that if I say I think muslims are wrong I'm automatically intolerant? Guess what? You can't have tolerance without disagreement. Tolerance is the act of disagreeing with someone while at the same time respecting their right to think how they please. Intolerance is disagreeing with someone and then calling them a bigot, ignorant, and a bad person for disagreeing with you.

So yes, steve, "Tolerant" people are the most intolerant people on the planet, because they are the ones that will call you a bigot if you think homosexuality is wrong, a racist if you oppose affirmative action, and a schauvanist if you oppose abortion.

Shiro @ Jan 3rd 2007 10:54AM

I love getting game reviews by people who have only listened to game reviews by people who have only heard game reviews.

Thanks, samfish, for ONLY speaking about games which you have extensive experience with. You could almost call your patronizing authoritarian attitude a "hypocrisy".

Shiro @ Jan 3rd 2007 11:03AM

Wow... After writing my last post I read that ongoing conversation.

Crono141 wins the Internet.

Adam @ Jan 3rd 2007 11:05AM

The game industry might be growing up, but judging by the first comment, the gamers aren't.

frodo @ Jan 3rd 2007 2:52PM

I did a post about Christian groups talking out against the left behind game, and the PR people responded. Crazy stuff.

http://www.weeklygeekshow.com/2006/11/left_behind_game_being_left_be.php

wages of sin @ Jan 3rd 2007 4:30PM

Very well said Adam, very well said indeed

SJR @ Jan 12th 2007 12:18AM

This statement is posted from an employee of Left Behind Games on behalf of Troy Lyndon, our Chief Executive Officer.

There has been in incredible amount of MISINFORMATION published in the media and in online blogs here and elsewhere.

Pacifist Christians and other groups are taking the game material out of context to support their own causes. There is NO “killing in the name of God” and NO “convert or die”. There are NO “negative portrayals of Muslims” and there are NO “points for killing”.

Please play the game demo for yourself (to at least level 5 of 40) to get an accurate perspective, or listen to what CREDIBLE unbiased experts are saying after reviewing the game at www.leftbehindgames.com/pages/controversy.com

Then, we’d love to hear your feedback as an informed player.

The reality is that we’re receiving reports everyday of how this game is positively affecting lives by all who play it.

Thank you for taking the time to be a responsible blogger.