My theory as to why all bible games have been terrible.

[Zantos]

I think Darksiders proved quite well that the best way to make a good bible game is to grab a few names and concepts, then throw the rest out and make your own game.

Well, I liked it anyways.

 

[Altorin]

generally because real game designers don't make them. Even when christianity has a broad public appeal, game designers just don't dwell in that territory. It's kind of like the seperation of church and state, but it's the separation of church and video games.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

The first one is the fact that the Old and New Testimates don't lend them selves as epics that can translate into games.

I'm pretty sure you could turn the book of Joshua/ conquering Canaan into an RTS, Action-Adventure or an ARPG.

Unlike Norse, Chinese or Greek myth, the bible holds few monsters, antgonists to work with, or stories with conflict that is easy to put into an interactive medium.

Giants, Nephilim, Leviathan, Angels, Demons, Asmodai, Azazel, Belial, Kings, armies, traitors, prostitutes, slaves, Golem, people who live 1000+ years, plagues (old testament)

dragons, demons, antichrist, false prophets, the beast, whore of Babylon, Lucifer, plagues, Abbadon, other hybrid creatures... (revelations)

If you are willing to step just outside of the Bible (like you did with Dante), you have the Ars Goetia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lesser_Key_of_Solomon

72 Demons (and many have thm have already appeared in your favourite RPGs)...

On the same note:

If you go into Apocryphal books like Enoch you get this game:

Bottom line, your post sounds like it was written by someone who did little to no research on a topic they have little to no knowledge about.

Perhaps it's also that a good deal of people are moving towards becoming Atheist or otherwise not part of the main, big religions. Because of this, making a game about the Bible wouldn't go down too well with this growing majority and the game wouldn't sell to well.

See above.
See Xenogears/ Xenosaga.
See your avatar to jump to other media
Or maybe Battlestar Gallactica.

You can still make Bible stories. Just don't tell the kids that's what the source material is.

Edit: Wait, I just quoted people on a severely necro'd thread. My apologies to the quotees.
And what is up with all the necromancy lately. Shit people...

I made this thread? >_>

Crap, it been a long time, I had completely forgotten about this.

 

[delet]

snip

This is a 2 year old thread. What's wrong with you?

snip

That's right, you should be ashamed.

 

[Nieroshai]

snip

This is a 2 year old thread. What's wrong with you?

snip

That's right, you should be ashamed.

Good for you, you owned me in front of the whole forum. You deserve a cookie.

Snark for snark aside, I found this through today's hot topics tab. It may be old, but it's not dead.

 

[Nieroshai]

Perhaps it's also that a good deal of people are moving towards becoming Atheist or otherwise not part of the main, big religions. Because of this, making a game about the Bible wouldn't go down too well with this growing majority and the game wouldn't sell to well.

So it must be about a religion dying, not about the terrible quality of these cash-ins. And Christianity is on the rise, especially in China. Especially in China. Its illegality is only making it grow faster there than anywhere else.

The thing is - Atheism is not a non-religion. It is a religious confession like any other, with more informal structures, admittedly, but even Atheism hat its sects and confessions, its leaders and followers, its canon and tradition.

People may shift between religions, but I can only guess that Atheism will see a similar development eventually.

One shouldn't kid oneself - any religious stance that is followed with any sort of certainty (i.e. 'belief') is religion. The only thing that falls out of this is agnosticism ('I don't know' instead of 'I believe) and cynical mock religions.

And then there are Agnostic Theists like myself. Sounds complicated, but summarizes prettily into "Faith in a higher power is a higher power in itself".

You misquote me. "So it must be about a religion dying" was referring to Christianity ("a" religion) not all religions at large. And isn't agnosticism the belief that ultimate truth is not just currently unknown, but indefinitely unknowable? I thought agnosticism was the definite belief in uncertainty, not just being on the fence.

 

[Veylon]

I'll throw my two cents in here. Part of why they are a bad is a piece of the "Christian Tribe" mythos. The games don't exist to actually stand or fall on their quality, but to be a part of Christian chic that, by being bought, establish the buyer's credibility within the tribe. "Look, I bought my kids Bible games!" They aren't really games but talismans in game form. Quality (or lack thereof) is a non-issue.

Another part of it is the deep distrust for agency in Christianity. Playing a game gives power and choice to the player: that doesn't square well with absolute reliance on God. Which is why a huge chunk of the "games" are Bible trivia and memorization with no real role or importance placed on the player.

 

[PrimitiveJudge]

cause every time a good bible related game is made, we have to listen to a couple dozen million christians ***** about crap. BTW Dante's Inferno was badass, I LOVE that game.