New MMO Brings Old Testament Online

[TsunamiWombat]

If this game was REALLY based on the old testament, it would be too violent and brutal to sell on open market. King David used to slaughter all the male inhabitants of an area when he conquored it...

I'm a Christian, btw.

 

[RowdyRodimus]

Meanwhile, how this game will make its money isn't entirely clear: presumably a monthly subscription fee or microtransactions will be used, though neither seems terribly appropriate for a game based on bringing people closer to the Bible.

Oh god no it is so terribly appropriate especially if its being done by the christian church.

Its going to be a terrible game but another great money making sceme for the church. I mean that really is all they do, start wars, rob the stupid, and hassle everybody else.

I wonder how quick I'd be banned if I said the same thing about the Jews or Muslims?

 

[z3rostr1fe]

Touching Religious Themes end up in the "Controversy" bin...

 

[Jared]

IT had to happen eventually...well, as long as they are not forcing everyone to play it, thats ok.
Let them enjoy there own lil MMO

 

[Kavonde]

There has been sufficient snarkiness of the "I can't wait to commit a horrific atrocity in the name of my vengeful and petty war god" variety, so I'll let the opportunity pass.

Will be interesting to see how realistic the game is, though. Leviticus wouldn't be a fun set of laws to live under.

 

[manythings]

Oh gods, while I was reading this article there was a little add underneath for some game called Satan's Retrievers or something. I laughed hard. Sweet sweet irony.

Anyway, the Old Testament is full of hardcore action, so it shouldn't be too hard to make an awesome game out of it. Shame that there's always this Deus Ex Machina...

The original one some might say... Unless you're Sumerian or something then you will just cry about them ripping off your culture.

EDIT: Am I the only one who doesn't really care that much? Everyone seems to think this is somehow evil and wrong. Games, pending our pass-times rebranding, are a form of self expression and if you want your Gears of Wars and Master chiefs or psychonauts and Shadow of the Colossus then I think at least a few people can muster a touch of fucking maturity and let someone else have their own things. How many of you would be bitching if this was focused on Judaism or Islam? (And it sort of is)

 

[manythings]

New MMOG Brings Old Testament Online

And today, God said, "let there be an MMOG."

Browser-based MMOGs cover a wide range of genres, but none have ever attempted to make religious texts interactive. That's all going to change, as German developer FiAA GmbH has announced The Bible Online, an upcoming browser-based MMOG that will put players in the middle of events from the Old Testament.

Even though this is an MMOG/RTS, players don't take on the role of God. Instead, you get to play as Abraham - as well as his offspring Isaac and Jacob - as they set out for the promised land of Canaan. During gameplay, you build up villages, manage resources, and go to war (presumably to bring religion to the unbelievers).

According to Dr. Alan Kim, president of GmbH, The Bible Online, "is developed for players of all ages to easily get closer to the Bible, while enjoying the game. We plan to service the game in most of the European languages by the end of the year. We will also develop following chapters to cover all the stories of the Bible."

Players will apparently get to "reenact and witness" events from the Book of Genesis, though exactly how interactive moments like Caine's murder of Abel and the Great Flood will be (or if they'll even show up) remains to be seen. Meanwhile, how this game will make its money isn't entirely clear: presumably a monthly subscription fee or microtransactions will be used, though <a href=http://bible.cc/matthew/21-12.htm>neither seems terribly appropriate for a game based on bringing people closer to the Bible.

I can't see the The Bible Online's development ending well. It's only a matter of time before someone condemns it as a mockery of religion or something, thus leading to a ton of controversy that this game likely doesn't reserve. Personally, I plan to boycott the game since it won't let me play as a vengeful god (thus denying me the opportunity to rain down destruction on Sodom and Gomorrah), but I suspect a lot of people are going to avoid it for other reasons.

Source:<a href=http://pc.gamespy.com/articles/111/1115971p1.html> Gamespy


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bros, while being a god is pretty cool, the bible god isn't pretty cool tbh. he isn't hardcore enough.

in black and white, you get to throw villagers across cliffs with your mighty hand and feed them to your super cow.

My christ, the bible is more entertaining than that garbage.

 

[Escapefromwhatever]

How can it be an MMOG if everyone is playing as Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob?

 

[manythings]

My christ, the bible is more entertaining than that garbage.

bro, don't be disresctful bro, we're all bros here. it's a pretty cheesy game where you get to have a giant cow.

sorry bro. i was being silly.

I'm not being super christian. Black and White was one of the most boring games ever. It took WOOD, seven times as much as you needed for a house, to make a freaking grain field! How does that make sense?

 

[manythings]

How can it be an MMOG if everyone is playing as Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob?

In the same way that everyone is pretty much the same guy in WoW, AoC and who knows how many other MMOs that certain around you being "The CHOSEN ONE!!!1"

 

[Sworm]

WoW killer.

I think this here is all that is needed to be said.

I'm not being super christian. Black and White was one of the most boring games ever. It took WOOD, seven times as much as you needed for a house, to make a freaking grain field! How does that make sense?

it's a game... WHERE YOU CAN HAVE A GIANORMOUS PET COW! not really the kind of place you should be seeking sense in...

 

[manythings]

WoW killer.

I think this here is all that is needed to be said.

I'm not being super christian. Black and White was one of the most boring games ever. It took WOOD, seven times as much as you needed for a house, to make a freaking grain field! How does that make sense?

it's a game... WHERE YOU CAN HAVE A GIANORMOUS PET COW! not really the kind of place you should be seeking sense in...

I was, amazingly enough, seeking a game worth playing and once again molyneaux didn't deliver. How does he keep conning everyone?

 

[Johnnyallstar]

If this game was REALLY based on the old testament, it would be too violent and brutal to sell on open market. King David used to slaughter all the male inhabitants of an area when he conquored it...

I'm a Christian, btw.

You're absolutely right. Its funny how people are always saying how horrible "Eye for an Eye" is as a policy because of how brutal it seems, but they don't realize that it was a restraining order, not an allowance for violence. The first step in making people LESS violent, not more.

It's absolutely amazing we haven't killed ourselves off yet.

 

[cobrausn]

Eh, browser game. If it was a proper strategy game I'd consider it.

Duno but it would be interesting to find out il have to try it some day. I have no respect what so ever for the christian church or really religion at all. Its basically be used as an excuse to kill people for two thousand years. Infact the christian church is probably the worse culprit when talking about genecyide or mass murders. During the crusades/wars they killed off more people then hitler did simply because they had a different belief and yet we fully accept that as normal. Seriously during the crusades hitler and the christian church were no different at all. One is however considered a monster the other a perfectly acceptable religion.

Did you come to all these conclusions somewhere between cutting satanic stars on yourself and browsing reddit?

Religions have been used as an excuse to kill people for far longer than two thousand years. I imagine that in the future, such reasons will be unacceptable and 'rational' people will need 'rational' reasons for wholesale slaughter. Or not.

Seriously, do some real research. Take a theology course at a respectable university and find another target for your (hopefully) teenage angst.

 

[samsonguy920]

Regardless of its theme it doesn't sound like this will go well anyway, since it would seem they don't really have a plan on how to launch or handle it.
How in the heck did you even hear about it, Mike?

 

[tgr]

Hope it has shebears.

"From there Elisha went up to Bethel. While he was on his way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him. "Go up baldhead," they shouted, "go up baldhead!" The prophet turned and saw them, and he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two shebears came out of the woods and tore forty two of the children to pieces. (2 Kings 2:23-24 NAB)"