PLAYING WITH RELIGION IN DIGITAL GAMES

Oliver Steffen, Peter F. Likarish, Brenda S. Gardemour Walter, Nathan Abrams, Xenia Zeiler, Jason Anthony, Vit Sisler, Michael Waltemathe, Kevin Schut, Shanny Luft, Rachel Wagner, Rabis Gregory, Heidi A. Campbell, Gregory P. Grieve

Shaman, paragon, God-mode: modern video games are heavily coded with religious undertones. From the Shinto-inspired Japanese video game Okami to the internationally popular The Legend of Zelda and Halo, many video games rely on religious themes and symbols to drive the narrative and frame the storyline. Playing with Religion in Digital Games explores the increasingly complex relationship between gaming and global religious practices. For example, how does religion help organize the communities in MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft? What role has censorship played in localizing games like Actraiser in the western world? How do evangelical Christians react to violence, gore, and sexuality in some of the most popular games such as Mass Effect or Grand Theft Auto? With contributions by scholars and gamers from all over the world, this collection offers a unique perspective to the intersections of religion and the virtual world.

PUBLICATION DETAILS

LANGUAGE	BINDING	EDITION	ISBN	YEAR	PAGES
English	Paperback		9780253012531	2014	301
English	Hardcover		9780253012449	2014	304
English	eBook		N/A	2014	304