Playing with Religion in Digital Games

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