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Tuesday, August
23, 2005 Troy Lyndon, Left Behind Games Christian Games Gaining Popularity |
| Mel Gibson's "The Passion of The Christ" certainly proved that Christian themed experiences can be very successful in the entertainment industry as a whole. How can that level of success be translated to the video game industry, though? Left Behind Games CEO Troy Lyndon believes Christian games can have mass market appeal as long as they don't become too preachy. | |
Troy Lyndon: The Passion of the Christ made the size and potential of Christian entertainment clear for everyone. The tremendous growth of Christian music over the past 15 years is also confirmation that Christians in America desire 'quality' Christian entertainment...and video games will be an extension of this. It's also a natural evolution as gaming becomes more mainstream. For years our industry has concentrated on developing content for only the young hardcore male gamer. We've seen great expansion of the market with the average age of gamers increasing and more women gaming. As the market continually grows, as an industry we'll need to cater to more diverse tastes. BIZ: What is Left Behind Games doing in the Christian games market that others have not? TL: I don't think you can approach making a mass-market game with sermonizing to the audience as your primary objective. I believe that many of the people in the Christian games market have taken that approach. Left Behind Games is all about creating 'quality' games that are targeted at everyone (the mass market), that also happens to appeal to Christians. Accordingly, we will be the first to create such a high-quality product that will have crossover appeal; just as the Left Behind books have done in the book market. BIZ: So how do you plan to get gamers in general, not just Christians, to play your games? TL: Gamers want great games, period. The stories behind them are secondary. So our strategy is simple, make a great game and gamers will love it. We don't want people who play our game to say, "That was a great Christian game." We want gamers to say, "That was a great RTS."
BIZ: You don't see many Christian video games at the big retail chains. Is it difficult to convince retail buyers to stock these games because they don't have the same appeal as games like Halo, GTA, Final Fantasy, etc.? TL: Retailers are concerned about moving product. You don't see many Christian games on big retail shelves because there hasn't been a game with the same level of quality you see in secular releases. Left Behind: Eternal Forces will have the same high-level of quality you see in other RTS games. Our game just happens to be based upon a Christian theme since the material is from a book of prophecy. But really, the ultimate battle of good vs. evil has been a recurring theme in some of the best selling computer/video games. BIZ: As you alluded to before, Mel Gibson's The Passion of The Christ was an extremely successful film. Do you believe you can capitalize on the same audience that enjoyed that movie as a spiritual experience? TL: Absolutely. But we will also appeal to a broader audience, since our stories are set in the fictional future world of the Left Behind books. The Passion of the Christ is a strict biblical retelling of the crucifixion of Christ. We have a lot more flexibility in designing our game. With a fictional setting we can make sure the story elements serve to make the game more fun to play. BIZ: Is it your hope that your games may inspire more people to start reading the Bible, or to start taking more interest in religion? TL: Our desire is to become a successful developer and publisher of quality games that appeal to the mass market, while also appealing to Christians. I personally believe that making games that get people to consider matters of eternal importance, without a judgmental or preachy message, is much better than the tremendous amount of negative gaming that the industry has created. But ultimately, this is each person's individual choice...and not our primary motivation. BIZ: At a time when video games are often cast in a bad light in the mainstream press because of violent or sexual content in some titles, do you feel that Christian games are sorely needed to emphasize more wholesome values among today's youth? TL: Left Behind Games was established on the belief that given the choice, people will voluntarily choose games with positive moral elements. We just need to make sure the Christian games are as fun to play as other games. Only one of the top twenty grossing movies of all time was rated R, and that movie was The Passion of the Christ. It is my opinion that Christian games can only make a positive difference in our culture if they portray the Jesus of the Bible; a caring loving person who didn't come to condemn, but to save. This message will reach our youth...and the best way we can show the youth we care, is by spelling love as TIME. As parents, we need to be connected with our kids and video games provide a great opportunity for us to do this on a regular basis. BIZ: How do you feel the Bible quote "You can't serve both God and Mammon" would apply to Left Behind's business? Do some of the profits made on Christian games go to Christian charities? TL: The only way to assure we can successfully perpetuate positive games for years to come is to be financially successful. As the Bible says in the quote above, it's a matter of the heart...not a matter of business. BIZ: Finally, how do you see the field of Christian games evolving in the next 5-10 years? TL: 10 years from now, I believe it will represent 10-15% of all video game sales. I think we'll see major game publishers jump on the bandwagon and start developing games in this new genre. BIZ: Thanks for your time, Troy. Comments
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