LOL, that was interesting guys. I never knew LA had such a good radio voice. Seriously LA, not every one has a good recording voice, but you really have somthing there .
Anyway, I was thinking about some of the things you guys talked about.
First up, about SquareEnix. This company has tried time and time again to create a winning game formula. Yes, they have greatly suceeded in creating a game formula in Final Fantasy that can be reused and changed in minor ways, but still carry a winning mix. The differance between this and many other sucessful game formulas is that FF has minor trates that carry the majority of the weight. Sequels are not restricted to a singular world enviroment or concept. That gives freedom from continual storylines and character developments and gives each installment a clean slate with an already winning fomula. Its like a mad-lib, just fill in the blanks and its bond to be funny.
Yes, Chrono Cross was a great game, but the formula is to simmilar to FF for them to coexist (unless it was compettition against). Do this, take FFXII and play through it telling your self its a brand new CC game. Sure, you wont fight Lavos in the end, but whats the difference here?
So the point is, why not spend their profit else where? Invest in other areas of technology that may indirrectly increase their profit in the areas they have already secured a foot hold in (like games). Look at Microsoft, did they get big by just sticking to an operating system? Just like Square will not grow and profiet from just sticking with games (so much as it COULD by spreading out). They are already winning in the RPG relm with FF, so why waste money on trying to produce new game formulas when they can put their capital to work for the ones they already have.
In the end this is a business. Who knows, if their side investments turn big then they may have all the more resources to throw into new game development later on. Dont think of them as abandoning their roots so much as securing a future.
When I was in Japan this past year, I was amused to see
Konami Sports clubs and fitness centers (Formerly known as People Co., Ltd). So I say spread out Square, invest and grow! ^_^
The other thing I wanted to mention was about Christian Video games. First of all, what is it that you guys are looking for? Specifically. You talk about the game enviroment but we all know that graphics or enviroment are nice, but a good game can manage a winning formula in its method and concept alone. I agree, throwing Biblical material into a game to serve another purpose then what it was intended for, isnt going to work. In some cases it isnt any different then say Evas use of Bible names.
But what are you looking for? FPS? RPG? Fighting? RTS? Think of the concept of most games them selves. You typically take the role of a protagonist who is faced with a problem who then initiates and follows through on a solution. In each case you have a series of options you can demand from the program to gain certain results.
Like you mentioned in reguards to prayer, this formula is drastically different from our lives as Christians. We do not pray expecting our wishes to be granted, though we have faith they will be heard. A game based on truthful Biblical teaching would leave the player no different then they would be today (in real life). No picking up your flame thrower in the name of Christ. In reality the player would probably be martyred in the first few min (of a modernday war game).
I agree, the problem is that most developers of Christian games (like the ones you mentioned) today are trying to make a game with Christian ideas but with a model that is not compatible. More importantly to me then making a
Christian game that is fun, is one that can accurately portray portions of the Bible to its audiance (lest we loose the point of calling it Christian in the first place). Im not talking about scripture being pasted on the screen now and then, but perhaps a game around the Kings of Jerusalem and Samaria. However (as we have learned from the throwing of baby Moses in the river) it would have to be made with peramiters that do not deviate from the story. Which, in most Bible cases, means you lose in the end...
Perhaps the whole phylosophy behind a 'Christian Game' is what really needs to be reworked.
EDIT: Oh, and I think we all need to hear more of what MS has to say.
