The study of religion and video games is a subfield of digital religion, which the American scholar of communication, Heidi Campbell, defines as "Religion that is constituted in new ways through digital media and cultures." Video games once struggled for legitimacy as a cultural product; today, however, they are both business and art. Video games increasingly turn to religion not just as ornament but as core elements of their video game design and play. Games involve moral decision, rely on invented religions, and allow users to create and experience virtual religious spaces. As one of the newest forms of entertainment, however, there is often controversy and moral panic when video games engage religion, for instance, in Insomniac Games' use of the Manchester Cathedral in Resistance: Fall of Man. Concepts and elements of contemporary and ancient religions appear in video games in various ways: places of worship are a part of the gameplay of real-time strategy games like Age of Empires; narratively, games sometimes borrow themes from religious traditions like in Mass Effect 2.
Defining religion and religious elements Religion has several definitions. Religious groups that are organized can be seen as cultural systems, with corresponding behavior and practice. They often have sacred texts and holy places. A religious experience, however, does not necessarily have to be understood through an established religious framework.
Themes and questions about life and death, innocence and guilt and violence are existential in nature; while they are not immediately understood as "religious", they are about the meaning of life.
Use of religious elements Video game developers use religious and spiritual themes to involve the player more deeply in the game. Video game developer Shigeru Miyamoto, who used to play outside as a child, used his experiences and memories of exploring the forest and discovering a Buddhist temple in the design of his video games. Canadian developer BioWare (Mass Effect, Dragon Age) has in its offices several encyclopedias on religion, as well as the Book of the Dead.
The negative portrayal of religions has been criticized.
Religious elements are used in two ways: explicit and implicit. They are seen side by side in video games and do not exclude each other. Religion in Mass Effect, for instance, can be understood as an "unseen character".Irizarry, J.A. & Irizarry, I.T. The Lord is My Shepard: Confronting Religion in the Mass Effect Trilogy. In Heidbrink, S. and Knoll, T. (ed.) Religion in Digital Games. Multiperspective & Interdisciplinary Approaches. Volume 05 (2014)
Explicit narrative references An explicit reference to a religious or spiritual concept is one that is clear to what it is referring. These can be based upon real-world religions, but also on fictional ones. Stories, motifs and names of characters from religious texts are used as reference points.
Ancient religions Ancient religions and their deities are used in various ways. The religions portrayed are often no longer practiced, like ancient Greek religion. In the real-time strategy game Age of Mythology the player has to choose a "major god", which gives certain gameplay benefits. In Prince of Persia, the nameless Prince has to fight Ahriman, an evil deity from Zoroastrianism.
Events and places Real world historical religions and events are used as inspiration for video games. For instance, while Assassin's Creed is fictional, it is set during the Third Crusade in the Holy Land; the player takes on the role of the Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad and is involved in the conflict between Catholic Christians, Orthodox Christians, Sunni Muslims and Shi'ite Muslims. While these religions appear, they are portrayed in a "sanitized manner".
Organizations Religion is often institutionalized, having a certain organisational structure. Most games in the Megami Tensei series involve a religion, or a cult. In The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, the Tribunal Temple rules over Morrowind and persecute those who blaspheme against their doctrines. The player is able to join the Temple and can rise through the ranks, eventually becoming Patriarch of the Temple.
Religious violence In the action role-playing game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim a civil war is about to erupt between the Empire and the Stormcloaks.Thames, R. C. Religion as a Resource in Digital Games. In Heidbrink, S. en Knoll, T. (ed.) Religion in Digital Games. Multiperspective & Interdisciplinary Approaches. Volume 05 (2014) The Stormcloaks wish to worship Talos, a human ascended to godhood. The Empire previously fought a war with the Aldmeri Dominion, an alliance led by a group of elven supremacists called the Thalmor. As a condition of their peace treaty, the worship of Talos was criminalized. It is up to the player to help in the conflict.
Implicit narrative references
The stories of action-adventure and role-playing games often involve world-saving quests. The player, as the protagonist, takes on the role of the hero.McGonigal, J (2011). Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better. Maven Publishing, Amsterdam. Page 13 The player character is often destined to save the world, which in itself is a prophecy.Slater, A. "Prophecy, Pre-destination, and Free-from Gameplay The Nerevarine Prophecy in Bethesda's 'Morrowind' ". In Heidbrink, S., Knoll, T. and Wysocki, J. (ed.) Religion in Digital Games Reloaded. Immersion into the Field. Volume 07 (2015)
The Legend of Zelda uses religious elements and motifs like the Triforce.Cuddy, L. (ed.) The Legend of Zelda and Philosophy (2008). Open Court, Chicago. Page 196
Virtual rituals and telepresence Players and developers use games to express their existential and spiritual feelings. Video games as cultural objects can provide religious and spiritual experiences, like Journey. Developer Jenova Chen said that "I feel that Journey is a very spiritual game. People from around the world ask me if the game has a religious connection. Many religions share an affinity with Journey—this is because many religions partly share a common structure". Chen said Journey is based upon Joseph Campbell's book on comparative mythology The Hero with a Thousand Faces and the "Hero's Journey" narrative structure.Scholar Rachel Wagner believes that games can serve as "virtual rituals," where players perform repetitive actions that carry profound symbolic meanings, similar to traditional religious rituals . This interactivity creates a "remote immersion," which makes players feel whether they are actually in a sacred digital environment, even if this environment is entirely fictional.
After the death of Leonard Nimoy, Star Trek Online added two statues in his honor, and World of Warcraft added a non-player character (NPC) based upon Robin Williams after his death. Developer Gearbox Software honored a deceased fan of Borderlands, cancer victim Michael John Mamaril, by adding a NPC named after him in Borderlands 2. Additionally, Gearbox posted a eulogy to Mamaril in the voice of the game character Claptrap. For their game MechWarrior Online, developer Piranha Games sold a custom in-game unit called a Jenner, honoring the daughter of a player of the game. CAD122,210 was donated to the Canadian Cancer Society. Losing his wife Pauline to ovarian cancer, Minecraft player "GasBandit" built a memorial for her. When players of the online game Final Fantasy XIV heard that fellow gamer "Codex Vahla" was in the hospital on life support, they held a digital wake.Fahey, M. "FFXIV Community Holds Massive Vigil For A Dying Player" (2014), Retrieved 14 September 2015 on http://kotaku.com/ffxiv-community-holds-massive-vigil-for-a-dying-player-1673823454
A significant area of research focuses on the representation of non-Western traditions. In the game Far Cry 4, the setting of Kyrat is deeply influenced by Himalayan Buddhism and Hinduism. Scholar Souvik Mukherjee states how games often use religious iconography—such as prayer wheels, shrines, and thangka paintings—to create an "exotic" atmosphere for players. In his analysis, Mukherjee points out that while the "Shangri-La" missions allow players to interact with ancient myths, they often simplify complex theological concepts into combat-oriented goals, which can be seen as a form of cultural appropriation or a "sanitized" version of faith.
Karma or "morality" systems are employed in many contemporary role-playing games to evaluate the player's deeds, like Fallout or Mass Effect, which is forcing players to make difficult choices that can affect their character's "spiritual" standing within the game world. These systems allow players to experiment with different ethical frameworks in a safe environment. Researchers have noted that these mechanics often mirror real-world religious ethics, where good deeds are rewarded and bad deeds result in negative consequences, reinforcing the idea of a "just world".
Religious video games
Some religious groups use video games for education. An example is the Christian game Left Behind: Eternal Forces.
Use of video games in a religious setting In May 2012, the Exeter Cathedral used Flower during its Sunday service.Narcisse, E. (2012) A PlayStation 3 Game Will Be Part of a Church Service This Sunday, Retrieved 15 September 2015 on http://kotaku.com/5909361/this-sunday-video-games-go-to-church
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Roblox platform has been used to stage virtual religious processions in lieu of in-person ceremonies due to quarantine restrictions, such as a server by devotees of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila where models based on the icon of the Black Nazarene and other icons were made. Similar virtual processions and religious ceremonies have also been staged by various Roman Catholic parishes in the Philippines and other countries by religious youth organizations.
Controversies
Opinions on video games differ from religion and denomination; there are religious groups that use games actively to convert people, while some games are banned for religious reasons. Scholars of religious studies are also studying video games, by looking at the game and to the players and their experiences, with games like Journey. Religion is considered a serious real world topic, while video games are an art and entertainment. As such, developers and publishers sometimes take precaution not to offend people's religious beliefs. Religious references in the Japanese role-playing video game series Final Fantasy were originally censored for the U.S. release of the games. It was after the franchise switched to Sony's PlayStation with Final Fantasy VII that the religious references were left largely intact.Ong, A. The Religions Behind Final Fantasy. History of Computer Game Design: Technology, Culture, and Business March 22, 2001 Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series show a disclaimer:
Despite efforts from some companies, there have been incidents with religious groups and video games. The German video game rating board USK gave The Binding of Isaac a 16+ rating, considering it "blasphemous".
Christianity The game BioShock Infinite is heavily based on the notion of American exceptionalism at the turn of the 20th century, and incorporates notions taken from Christianity to support the game's dystopian themes. One aspect of this was the use of baptism. One developer on Irrational Games staff expressed strong concern to the lead developer, Ken Levine, that the game's presentation of baptism was highly controversial, leading Levine to consider baptism in relation to forgiveness rather than merely as a religious tenet. At least one player objected to the final changes, prompting them to request a refund from Steam. The scene was otherwise well received by critics as less a commentary on Christianity but on as a representation of themes such as free will, evil, rebirth and redemption that were central to the game.
Hinduism