Like Erika, I too feel that it is difficult to get truly
“attached” to a video game character. No matter which game I’m playing, I feel
that I can quite easily dissociate myself from the avatar that I am controlling
on screen. However, I also agree with Erika’s point that the degree to which
one becomes immersed in the video game experience can vary tremendously.
Although I may not feel particularly connected with the video game characters I
play, this is likely is due to the fact that gaming is of little importance to
me. However, for those who do dedicate much of their time to playing video
games, I can appreciate how a character can become an important part of their
life. Ultimately, in my opinion, it boils down to a matter of personal
interest.
For some, gaming can be a serious endeavour.
However, I feel that the matter of personal interest is where
Erika and I are at odds. One’s decision to play a video game can be influenced
by many things, including advertising and peer pressure, however personal
interest likely plays a much greater in role in determining how involved
someone becomes in the gaming experience. Thus, although a Christian game may
seem boring to many, to a select group it may be very appealing, and therein
lies the dangers that Wagner is concerned about. It isn’t that Wagner believes
that a Jesus avatar would be un-Christian, it is that the immersion,
identification and degree of play possible in gaming can provide an interaction
with Jesus that is not inline with how many interact with Christ today.[1]
It ultimately stems from a concern that we really haven’t had much experience
with any form of media that allows us to step in to Jesus’ shoes (or sandals
…seems to be what he wears in movies), and the possibility for
misrepresentation is definitely a concern. However, in light of Anton
Kozlovic’s discussion of Christ-figures in film, we may not even realize when
we are dealing with covert representations of Jesus, which is likely the case
with many video game characters.[2]
Thus we may already have experience with Christ-like avatars, calling to
question Erika’s argument that Christ and gaming are incompatible.
"Infamous" a video game rife with Christian symbolism
[1]
Rachel Wagner, “The Play is the Thing: Interactivity from Bible Fights to Passions
of the Christ,” in Halos and Avatars: Playing Video Games with God,
ed. Craig Detweiler (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010), 62.
[2]
Anton Karl
Kozlovic, “The Structural Characteristics of the Cinematic Christ-Figure,” Journal of Religion and Popular Culture
8 (2004): 1.
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