Conan O’Brien invited God on to the show last night to have a chat, and give him a quick haircut. It seems God was only interested in talking about Halo 3…
…Ya, they enhanced the Scorpion Tank from H2, added the whole Bubble Shield. Pretty awesome. Only thing that sucks is that you can’t dual-wield the Needler anymore, I mean W.T.F.? You know what I mean? … Ya, we should play online sometime, that is if you want to get pwnd…
via GamerScore Blog
Religious leaders are often quick to wage in on the negative site for the video game debate but not so in this case. An expose by the NY Times has identified the recent use of Halo 3 as a means for religious entities to reach out to young people. Here is an exert from the article:
Across the country, hundreds of ministers and pastors desperate to reach young congregants have drawn concern and criticism through their use of an unusual recruiting tool: the immersive and violent video game Halo…
Those buying it must be 17 years old… But that has not prevented leaders at churches and youth centers across Protestant denominations, including evangelical churches that have cautioned against violent entertainment, from holding heavily attended Halo nights…
Far from being defensive, church leaders who support Halo — despite its “thou shalt kill” credo — celebrate it as a modern and sometimes singularly effective tool… But the question arises: What price to appear relevant?
However not everyone is happy with the Church’s use of Halo 3. Read the rest of this entry »
Thanks to an enquiry by ABC News, the Department of Defense has abruptly halted plans to send the Christian videogame Left Behind: Eternal Forces to troops in Iraq.
The ABC report revealed that Operation Start Up (OSU), an evangelical Christian entertainment troupe, planned to include copies of Left Behind in care packages destined for U.S. forces. In the controversial game, players must kill or convert all non-believers after wiping out the armies of the Antichrist.
While its pretty clear that OSU will not back down from their plans to spread the word to troops and civilians in Iraq, they could probably benefit from using a more subtle approach.
via Game Politics
Operation Stand Up, an “evangelical military entertainment” group will be sending care packages to American troops in Iraq which will include the game Left Behind: Eternal Forces.
Besides inciting outrage amongst activist groups shocked at the killing of non-Christians, the game has been criticized by everyone from industry mega-douche Jack Thompson, to game reviewers from the mega-site Gamespot.
The so-called Freedom Packets will also include a Christian Extreme Sports DVD and “More than a Carpenter,” a book double printed in Arabic to set the enemy free. The inclusion of the game is “just one more way OSU Tour can be a conduit in changing a soul forever,” according to the OSU website.
OSU has recently been welcomed into the Pentagon-supported ‘America Supports You’ program, a group dedicated to keeping the loved-ones of troops entertained/distracted by providing an upbeat variety of family entertainment. The distribution of these Freedom Packets are just the beginning, as OSU plans on taking the stage in Iraq with a host of celebrities, musical acts and more.
via Joystiq
You’re not safe from the Good News it seems, as Jesuit Missionaries make their way onto Second Life to save more souls. Writing in Rome-based journal La Civilta Cattolica, Antonio Spadaro, a Jesuit academic, cites the popular MMO as a valuable resource for spreading the word of God.
