The study of religion and video games is a subfield of
digital religion, which the American scholar of communication,
Heidi Campbell, defines as "Religion that is constituted in new ways through digital media and cultures." (Campbell, 2012, p. 3). Video games once struggled for legitimacy as a cultural product, today, however, they are both business and art.
Video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
s increasingly turn to
religion
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
not just as
ornament but as core elements of their
video game design
Video game design is the process of designing the content and rules of video games in the pre-production stage and designing the gameplay, environment, storyline and characters in the production stage. Some common video game design subdiscipline ...
and
play
Play most commonly refers to:
* Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment
* Play (theatre), a work of drama
Play may refer also to:
Computers and technology
* Google Play, a digital content service
* Play Framework, a Java framework
* P ...
.
Games involve moral decision, rely on invented religions, and allow users to create and experience virtual religious spaces. As one of the newest forms of
entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousa ...
, however, there is often
controversy and
moral panic
A moral panic is a widespread feeling of fear, often an irrational one, that some evil person or thing threatens the values, interests, or well-being of a community or society. It is "the process of arousing social concern over an issue", us ...
when video games engage religion, for instance, in
Insomniac Games
Insomniac Games, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Burbank, California and a studio of PlayStation Studios. It was founded in 1994 by Ted Price as Xtreme Software, and was renamed Insomniac Games a year later. The company is m ...
' use of the
Manchester Cathedral in ''
Resistance: Fall of Man''. Concepts and elements of contemporary and ancient religions appear in video games in various ways:
places of worship
A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is somet ...
are a part of the
gameplay
Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and pl ...
of
real-time strategy
Real-time strategy (RTS) is a subgenre of strategy video games that do not progress incrementally in turns, but allow all players to play simultaneously, in "real time". By contrast, in turn-based strategy (TBS) games, players take turns to p ...
games like ''
Age of Empires''; narratively, games sometimes borrow themes from religious traditions like in ''
Mass Effect 2
''Mass Effect 2'' is an action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in 2010 and PlayStation 3 in 2011. It is the second installment in the ''Mass Effect'' series and a ...
''.
Defining religion and religious elements
Religion
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
has several definitions.
Religions that are
organized can be seen as
cultural system
A cultural system is the interaction of different elements in culture. While a cultural system is very different from a social system, sometimes both systems together are referred to as the sociocultural system.
Social theory
A major concern i ...
s, with corresponding
behavior and practice. They often have
sacred texts and
holy places
Sacred space, sacred ground, sacred place, sacred temple, holy ground, or holy place refers to a location which is deemed to be sacred or hallowed. The sacredness of a natural feature may accrue through tradition or be granted through a bless ...
. A
religious experience
A religious experience (sometimes known as a spiritual experience, sacred experience, or mystical experience) is a subjective experience which is interpreted within a religious framework. The concept originated in the 19th century, as a defense ...
, however, does not necessarily have to be understood through an established religious framework.
Themes and questions about life and death, innocence and guilt and violence are
existential
Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and valu ...
in nature; while they are not immediately understood as "religious", they are about the
meaning of life.
Use of religious elements
Video game developers use religious and spiritual themes to involve the player more deeply in the game. Video game developer
Shigeru Miyamoto, who used to play outside as a child, used his experiences and memories of exploring the forest and discovering a Buddhist temple in the design of his video games. Canadian developer
BioWare
BioWare is a Canadian video game developer based in Edmonton, Alberta. It was founded in 1995 by newly graduated medical doctors Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk and Augustine Yip, alongside Trent Oster, Brent Oster, and Marcel Zeschuk. Since 2007, ...
(''
Mass Effect
''Mass Effect'' is a military science fiction media franchise created by Casey Hudson, Drew Karpyshyn and Preston Watamaniuk. The franchise depicts a distant future where humanity and several alien civilizations have colonized the known unive ...
'', ''
Dragon Age
''Dragon Age'' is a media franchise centered on a series of fantasy role-playing video games created and developed by BioWare, which have seen releases on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, OS X, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The fra ...
'') has in its offices several encyclopedias on religion, as well as the
Book of the Dead.
The negative portrayal of religions has been criticized.
Religious elements are used in two ways: explicit and implicit. They are seen side by side in video games and do not exclude each other.
Religion in ''Mass Effect'', for instance, can be understood as an "
unseen character
An unseen character in theatre, comics, film, or television, or silent character in radio or literature, is a character that is mentioned but not directly known to the audience, but who advances the action of the plot in a significant way, and w ...
".
[Irizarry, J.A. & Irizarry, I.T. The Lord is My Shepard: Confronting Religion in the Mass Effect Trilogy. In Heidbrink, S. en Knoll, T. (ed.) ''Religion in Digital Games. Multiperspective & Interdisciplinary Approaches.'' Volume 05 (2014)]
Explicit narrative references
An explicit reference to a religious or spiritual concept is one that is clear to what it is referring.
These can be based upon real-world religions, but also on fictional ones. Stories,
motifs and names of characters from
religious text
Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual pr ...
s are used as reference points.
Ancient religions
Ancient religions and their deities are used in various ways. The religions portrayed are often no longer practiced, like
ancient Greek religion.
In the real-time strategy game ''
Age of Mythology'' the player has to choose a "major god", which gives certain gameplay benefits. In ''
Prince of Persia,'' the nameless Prince has to fight
Ahriman
Angra Mainyu (; Avestan: 𐬀𐬢𐬭𐬀⸱𐬨𐬀𐬌𐬥𐬌𐬌𐬎 ''Aŋra Mainiiu'') is the Avestan-language name of Zoroastrianism's hypostasis of the "destructive/evil spirit" and the main adversary in Zoroastrianism either of the ...
, an evil deity from
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religion and one of the world's oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. It has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil within the framework of a monotheisti ...
.
Events and places
Real world historical religions and events are used as inspiration for video games. For instance, while ''
Assassin's Creed'' (2007) is
fictional, it is set during the
Third Crusade
The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt by three European monarchs of Western Christianity (Philip II of France, Richard I of England and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor) to reconquer the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem by ...
in the
Holy Land; the player takes on the role of the
Assassin
Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have a ...
Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad
Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad ( ar, الطائر ابن لا أحد, meaning "The Bird, Son of No One") is a fictional character in Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartere ...
and is involved in the conflict between Catholic Christians, Orthodox Christians, Sunni Muslims and Shi'ite Muslims. While these religions appear, they are portrayed in a "sanitized manner".
Organizations
Religion is often institutionalized, having a certain organisational structure. Most games in the ''
Megami Tensei
''Megami Tensei'', marketed internationally as ''Shin Megami Tensei'' (formerly ''Revelations''), is a Japanese media franchise created by Aya Nishitani, Kouji Okada, Kouji "Cozy" Okada, Ginichiro Suzuki, and Kazunari Suzuki. Primarily developed ...
'' series involve a religion, or a cult.
Religious violence
In the action role-playing game ''
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim'' (2011) a civil war is about to erupt between the Empire and the Stormcloaks.
[Thames, R. C. Religion as a Resource in Digital Games. In Heidbrink, S. en Knoll, T. (ed.) ''Religion in Digital Games. Multiperspective & Interdisciplinary Approaches.'' Volume 05 (2014)] The Stormcloaks wish to worship Talos, a human ascended to godhood. The Empire suffered a defeat against the powerful Aldmeri Dominion, an alliance of Elves who have made the worship of Talos illegal. It is up to the player to help in the conflict.
Implicit narrative references
The stories of
action-adventure
The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres.
Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a storyli ...
and
role-playing
Role-playing or roleplaying is the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role. While the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' offers a definition of role-playing a ...
games often involve world-saving quests. The player, as the protagonist, takes on the role of the hero. The player character is often destined to save the world, which in itself is a
prophecy
In religion, a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a '' prophet'') by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divine will or law, or pr ...
.
''
The Legend of Zelda
''The Legend of Zelda'' is an action-adventure game franchise created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable installments and re-rele ...
'' uses religious elements and motifs like the
Triforce
The is a fictional artifact and icon of Nintendo's ''The Legend of Zelda'' series of video games. It first appeared in the original 1986 action-adventure game ''The Legend of Zelda'' and is a focus of subsequent games in the series, including ...
.
Video games as a religious medium
Players and developers use games to express their existential and spiritual feelings. Video games as cultural objects can also provide religious and spiritual experiences, like ''
Journey
Journey or journeying may refer to:
* Travel, the movement of people between distant geographical locations
** Day's journey, a measurement of distance
** Road trip, a long-distance journey on the road
Animals
* Journey (horse), a thoroughbred ra ...
'' (2012). Developer
Jenova Chen said that "I feel that ''Journey'' is a very spiritual game. People from around the world ask me if the game has a religious connection. Many religions share an affinity with ''Journey''—this is because many religions partly share a common structure". Chen said ''Journey'' is based upon
Joseph Campbell's book on comparative mythology ''
The Hero with a Thousand Faces
''The Hero with a Thousand Faces'' (first published in 1949) is a work of comparative mythology by Joseph Campbell, in which the author discusses his theory of the mythological structure of the journey of the archetypal hero found in world myt ...
'' and the
"Hero's Journey" narrative structure.
After the death of
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy (; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor, famed for playing Spock in the '' Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes originating Spock in the original ''Star Trek'' series in 1966, th ...
, ''
Star Trek Online'' added two statues in his honor, and ''
World of Warcraft
''World of Warcraft'' (''WoW'') is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 2004 by Blizzard Entertainment. Set in the ''Warcraft'' fantasy universe, ''World of Warcraft'' takes place within the world of Azeroth ...
'' added a
non-player character (NPC) based upon
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...
after his death. Developer
Gearbox Software
Gearbox Software is an American video game development company based in Frisco, Texas. It was established as a limited liability company in February 1999 by five developers formerly of Rebel Boat Rocker. Randy Pitchford, one of the founders, s ...
honored a late fan of ''
Borderlands A borderland or borderlands are the geographical space or zone around a territorial border.
Borderland or borderlands may refer to:
Places
* Borderland, West Virginia, an unincorporated community in Mingo County, West Virginia
* Borderland (ele ...
'', cancer victim Michael John Mamaril, by adding a NPC named after him in
the sequel. Additionally, Gearbox posted a eulogy to Mamaril in the voice of the game character Claptrap. For their game ''
MechWarrior Online'', developer
Piranha Games
Piranha Games Inc. is a Canadian video game developer based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company was founded by Russ Bullock, President and Executive Producer, and Bryan Ekman, VP and Creative Director. Piranha Games is one of the oldest ...
sold a custom in-game unit called a Jenner, honoring the daughter of a player of the game.
CAD
Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve co ...
122,210 was donated to the Canadian Cancer Society. Losing his wife Pauline to ovarian cancer, ''
Minecraft
''Minecraft'' is a sandbox game developed by Mojang Studios. The game was created by Markus "Notch" Persson in the Java (programming language), Java programming language. Following several early private testing versions, it was first made pub ...
'' player "GasBandit" built a memorial for her. When players of the online game ''
Final Fantasy XIV
''Final Fantasy XIV'' is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by Square Enix. Directed and produced by Naoki Yoshida, it was released worldwide for Windows and PlayStation 3 in August 2013, as a rep ...
'' heard that fellow gamer "Codex Vahla" was in the hospital on life support, they held a digital
wake.
Religious video games
Some religious groups use video games for education. An example is the Christian game ''
Left Behind: Eternal Forces''.
Use of video games in a religious setting
In May 2012, the
Exeter Cathedral used ''
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
'' during its Sunday service.
Controversies
Opinions on video games differ from religion and denomination; there are religious groups that use games actively to convert people, while some games are
banned for religious reasons. Scholars of religious studies are also studying video games, by looking at the game and to the players and their experiences, with games like ''
Journey
Journey or journeying may refer to:
* Travel, the movement of people between distant geographical locations
** Day's journey, a measurement of distance
** Road trip, a long-distance journey on the road
Animals
* Journey (horse), a thoroughbred ra ...
'' Religion is considered a serious real world topic, while video games are an art and entertainment.
As such, developers and publishers sometimes take precaution not to offend people's religious beliefs. Religious references in the Japanese role-playing video game series ''
Final Fantasy
is a Japanese video game, Japanese science fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and ...
'' were originally censored for the U.S. release of the games. It was after the franchise switched to Sony's
PlayStation with ''
Final Fantasy VII'' (1997) that the religious references were left largely intact. Ubisoft's ''Assassin's Creed'' series show a disclaimer:
Despite efforts from some companies, there have been incidents with religious groups and video games. The German video game rating board
USK
Usk ( cy, Brynbuga) is a town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales, northeast of Newport. It is located on the River Usk, which is spanned by an arched stone bridge at the western entrance to the town. Usk Castle, above the town, overlooks th ...
gave ''
The Binding of Isaac'' a 16+ rating, considering it "
blasphemous
Blasphemy is a speech crime and religious crime usually defined as an utterance that shows contempt, disrespects or insults a deity, an object considered sacred or something considered inviolable. Some religions regard blasphemy as a religio ...
".
Christianity
''
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
''Assassin's Creed Valhalla'' is a 2020 action role-playing video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is the twelfth major installment in the ''Assassin's Creed'' series, and the successor to 2018's ''Assassin's Cre ...
'' has been considered by many as anti-Christian due to its inclusion of burning churches and monasteries. It also forces the players to steal and attack churches in order to progress in main story. It also includes blasphemous wording used by NPCs against Christians that directly targets Jesus Christ. The game ''
BioShock Infinite
''BioShock Infinite'' is a first-person shooter video game developed by Irrational Games and published by 2K Games. The third installment in the BioShock (series), ''BioShock'' series, ''Infinite'' was released worldwide for the Microsoft Window ...
'' is heavily based on the notion of
American exceptionalism
American exceptionalism is the belief that the United States is inherently different from other nations.
Peggy Noonan, an American political pundit, wrote in ''The Wall Street Journal'' that "America is not exceptional because it has long att ...
at the turn of the 20th century, and incorporates notions taken from Christianity to support the game's dystopian themes. One aspect of this was the use of
baptism
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...
. One developer on
Irrational Games
Irrational Games (known as 2K Boston between 2007 and 2009) was an American video game developer founded in 1997 by three former employees of Looking Glass Studios: Ken Levine, Jonathan Chey, and Robert Fermier. Take-Two Interactive acquired t ...
staff expressed strong concern to the lead developer,
Ken Levine, that the game's presentation of baptism was highly controversial, leading Levine to consider baptism in relation to forgiveness rather than merely as a religious tenet. At least one player objected to the final changes, prompting them to request a refund from
Steam.
The scene was otherwise well received by critics as less a commentary on Christianity but on as a representation of themes such as free will, evil, rebirth and redemption that were central to the game.
Hinduism
On October 22, 2008, Microsoft announced that ''
Fallout 3
''Fallout 3'' is a 2008 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The third major installment in the ''Fallout'' series, it is the first game to be developed by Bethesda after acquiring ...
'' would not be released in India on the
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ...
platform.
Religious and cultural sentiments were cited as the reason. Although the specific reason was not revealed in public, it is possible that it is because the game contains two-headed mutated cows called Brahmin, or that
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (gur ...
is also the name of an ancient, powerful hereditary caste of
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
priests and religious scholars in India, or its similarity to the spelling of
brahman
In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...
, a type of cow that originated in India. Brahman, a breed of
Zebu
The zebu (; ''Bos indicus'' or ''Bos taurus indicus''), sometimes known in the plural as indicine cattle or humped cattle, is a species or subspecies of domestic cattle originating in the Indian sub-continent. Zebu are characterised by a fatty h ...
, are revered by Hindus.
The action game ''Hanuman: Boy Warrior'' was criticized by Rajan Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, for portray the Hindu deity
Hanuman
Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and on ...
. Developed and published in India by Aurona Technologies, the player controls Hanuman. "Controlling and manipulating Lord Hanuman with a joystick/button/keyboard/mouse
sdenigration", said Zed. "Lord Hanuman was not meant to be reduced to just a 'character' in a video game to solidify
company/product's base in the growing economy of India." He urged Sony, the publisher of the game, to pull the game. Sony's regional manager however said that ''Hanuman: Boy Warrior'' sold beyond their expectations.
Zed was also critical of the use of
Hindu deities
Hindu deities are the gods and goddesses in Hinduism. The terms and epithets for deities within the diverse traditions of Hinduism vary, and include Deva, Devi, Ishvara, Ishvari, Bhagavān and Bhagavati.
The deities of Hinduism have evolved ...
in the
MOBA
Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) is a subgenre of strategy video games in which two teams of players compete against each other on a predefined battlefield. Each player controls a single character with a set of distinctive abilities that i ...
game ''
Smite
''Smite'' is a 2014 free-to-play, third-person multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game developed and published by Hi-Rez Studios for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch, and Amazon Luna.[Hi-Rez Studios
Hi-Rez Studios is an American video game company. The company was established in 2005 by Erez Goren and Todd Harris. Hi-Rez Studios' games include the squad-based shooter ''Global Agenda'', the critically acclaimed '' Tribes: Ascend'', the third- ...]
COO Todd Harris said that ''Smite'' would still be featuring Hindu deities, possibly adding more. GameSpot asked if characters based upon Abrahamic religions would be added as well, but Harris said that "the key Abrahimic figures—Adam, Noah, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, are not that interesting in character design or gameplay".
The Japanese role-playing game ''
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse'' was criticized by Rajan Zed for portraying the Hindu god
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
.
Islam
''
LittleBigPlanet
''LittleBigPlanet'' (stylized as ''LittleBIGPlanet''; abbreviated ''LBP'') is a puzzle platform video game series created and produced by British developer Media Molecule and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Most games in the seri ...
'' (2008) had a last-minute delay involving a licensed song in the game's soundtrack,
after a PlayStation Community member reported the lyrics to one of the licensed songs in the game included passages from the
Qur'an
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , s ...
and could therefore be offensive to
Muslims. However, no actual complaints regarding the music were made. The song, entitled "Tapha Niang", was by
Mali
Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mal ...
an artist
Toumani Diabaté
Toumani Diabaté ( ; born 10 August 1965) is a Malian kora player. In addition to performing the traditional music of Mali, he has also been involved in cross-cultural collaborations with flamenco, blues, jazz, and other international styles. ...
, himself a devout Muslim. The game was patched twice, the day before its release for players who had received the game early, before its intended release date. The first update did not affect the song, whilst the second updated the game to remove the vocals from the track, leaving only an instrumental.
Some American Muslims responded to the recall and stated that they were offended by the restriction of freedom of speech. M. Zuhdi Jasser M.D., head of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, was quoted as saying, "Muslims cannot benefit from freedom of expression and religion and then turn around and ask that anytime their sensibilities are offended that the freedom of others be restricted."
The
fighting game ''
Injustice: Gods Among Us'' was temporarily banned in the
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia ( The Middle East). It is located at t ...
and
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
.
Originally, the title of the game was rebranded as ''Injustice: The Mighty Among Us'' for promotional uses in those areas.
[ It is speculated that ''Injustice'' was banned because of the inclusion of the word 'Gods' in the title, the cleavage exposed in the outfits of some female characters, and overall bloodiness.][ Eventually, the ban in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait was lifted.][
]
Sikhism
'' Hitman 2: Silent Assassin'' (2002) sparked controversy due to a level featuring the killing of Sikhs within a depiction of their most holy site, the Harmandir Sahib, where hundreds of Sikhs were massacred in 1984. An altered version of ''Silent Assassin'' was eventually released with the related material removed from the game.
Religion and violence
A study released by the University of Missouri stated that video games often emphasize the violent aspects of religion. Researcher Greg Perreault said "It doesn't appear that game developers are trying to purposefully bash organized religion in these games, I believe they are only using religion to create stimulating plot points in their story lines".
Games as focus of religious studies
For many years video games were seen as mere entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousa ...
, a form of "low culture". Playing video games was seen as a form of escapism
Escapism is mental diversion from unpleasant or boring aspects of daily life, typically through activities involving imagination or entertainment. Escapism may be used to occupy one's self away from persistent feelings of depression or gener ...
and the medium was not regarded as a valid object of scientific research. To "play" games as a scholarly pursuit was thought of as "ludicrous". It has only been in recent years that video games have become the object of scientific study. Looking at the game as an object, researchers can explore religious and spiritual references. Video game research is done in two ways; the game can be studied as an object
Object may refer to:
General meanings
* Object (philosophy), a thing, being, or concept
** Object (abstract), an object which does not exist at any particular time or place
** Physical object, an identifiable collection of matter
* Goal, an ...
, while actor-focused research looks at the player.
Game-immanent approach
Video games, as products of human culture, can be seen and read as " texts". They carry myths, stories and symbols of the time in which they were created.[Campbell, H. (ed.). Digital Religion: Understanding Religious Practice in New Media Worlds (2012). Rutledge. Page 145] By "reading" video games, philosophers, sociologists and theologians have the opportunity to study the religious and spiritual themes in video games. This can be done in several ways.
*by studying the design, rules and mechanics or by talking to the developers
*by watching others play (e.g. Let's Play videos)
*by playing the game themselves
Player-focused approach
Video games are interactive; it requires input from the player to happen. While a video game developer designs the game, including its rules and story, it is up to the player to make the game "happen". As such, it is up to individual player to give meaning to their experience.
Video games allow the player to think, form and possibly change their own opinion about religious and spiritual matters. Players often discuss these elements on online platforms. For instance, some players made their own version of the player character Commander Shepard
Lieutenant Commander Shepard, better known as Commander Shepard, is the player character in the ''Mass Effect'' video game series by BioWare (''Mass Effect'', ''Mass Effect 2'', and ''Mass Effect 3'').
A veteran soldier of the Systems Alliance ...
of the ''Mass Effect
''Mass Effect'' is a military science fiction media franchise created by Casey Hudson, Drew Karpyshyn and Preston Watamaniuk. The franchise depicts a distant future where humanity and several alien civilizations have colonized the known unive ...
'' series an atheist, while others thought of him/her as a Christian.[Knoll, T. "Are Those the Only Two Solutions?" In Heidbrink, S., Knoll, T. Wysocki, J. (ed.) Religion in Digital Games Reloaded. Immersion into the Field. Volume 07 (2015)] As such, video games also give new meaning to the concept of religion.
See also
* God game
A god game is an artificial life game that casts the player in the position of controlling the game on a large scale, as an entity with divine and supernatural powers, as a great leader, or with no specified character (as in ''Spore''), and pla ...
References
Notes
Footnotes
{{Religion and topic
Christianity in popular culture
Hinduism in popular culture
Video games
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedbac ...
Religion and society
Religion in popular culture
Video gaming