Left Behind Games: Foiled Again!
Frederick Clarkson printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Thu Aug 16, 2007 at 02:56:14 AM EST
The producers of Left Behind: Eternal Forces thought they were going to make a big score last Christmas -- with a new video game based on Tim LaHaye's best-selling Left Behind series of novels. It didn't work out that way. Talk to Action's Jonathan Hutson exposed that the game peddled an ideology of 'convert or be killed' to children and promoted, even rehearsed end-times religious warfare.  Christian, Jewish and Muslim groups, among others, agreed; denounced the game and variously encouraged the producers of the game to with draw it; stores not to stock it; and consumers not to purchase it. The controversy generated international media coverage. The game did poorly; got terrible reviews, even from gamers who were not concerned about the content. The company's stock tanked and it appeared that that was the last we would hear from them.

Then, researchers for the Military Religious Freedom Foundation learned that an evangelical Christian group operating under the auspices of the Pentagon was going to disseminate the controversial apocalyptic game to American troops in Iraq. Max Blumenthal exposed their plans in The Nation last week. This week, ABC News asked the Pentagon about it:

Plans by a Christian group to send an evangelical video game to U.S. troops in Iraq were abruptly halted yesterday by the Department of Defense after ABC News inquired about the program.

Operation Start Up (OSU) Tour, an evangelical entertainment troupe that actively proselytizes among soldiers, will not be sending the "apocryphal" video game in care packages as planned, according to the department.

"Left Behind: Eternal Forces" was inspired by about the battle of Armageddon, in which believers of Jesus Christ fight the Antichrist.
Well, the story and the game were not "apocryphal," the DOD statement not withstanding -- and neither has been the leading role that Talk to Action and the greater blogosphere has played in exposing this horrendous product.


To discuss this story, sign up for a free account

Display:
Left Behind Games: Foiled Again! | 7 comments (7 topical, 0 hidden)
Lemonade out of lemons (5.00 / 1)
The publisher no doubt had a big run of these games made up, anticipating that everybody who saw The Passion of the Christ was probably going to rush right out and buy this game, too.

And, of course, it didn't work out that way. Which means that somewhere, they had a warehouse filled with tens of thousands of boxes of software they couldn't sell.

I used to work in the computer game business, so I know what happens after discounting, promotional giveaways, and other attempts to unload the product fail. The remaining product goes to the landfill -- where the company has to pay Waste Management a handsome sum to bury it for good.

No doubt, that's what was happening here. The warehouse space was costing money. Disposal would cost money. And then, lo and behold! -- here comes OSU, with their bright and shiny 501(c)3 exemption to save the day. Left Behind Games "donated" their little problem to the troops, and got a big fat tax writeoff (probably based on original the suggested retail price, or somethng close to it) in return.

It needs to be note that, if it did indeed go down this way, then we the taxpayers subsidized this "gift," and gave LBG a nice little bailout from its failure. Which makes it just another faith-based initiative bought and paid for with your tax dollars.

As long as you're looking into angles, this might be one to check out.

by Mrs Robinson on Thu Aug 16, 2007 at 03:38:27 AM EST

Great analysis ! (none / 0)
Also, I just have to add....

"apocryphal" ?!

Gee, the Pentagon's sure scuttling in full speed reverse away from that bit of "apocrypha" !  BOO !

by Bruce Wilson on Thu Aug 16, 2007 at 09:02:15 AM EST
Parent



Kudos (none / 0)
To Max and everyone at MRFF and Talk2Action involved in getting this story publicity. ABC News may have been the big name to ask the crippling question, but there's no doubt this is a victory for the blogosphere - including this site. Obviously, they know when they've been caught screwing up, or they wouldn't have retreated so quickly. They're accustomed to getting away with church-state melding without notice or outcry. Not any more.

by DonByrd on Thu Aug 16, 2007 at 04:46:54 PM EST
thanks, Don (none / 0)
I notice that a lot of what gets written about the game and the controversy it has generated leaves out how all this got started: the original reporting and and powerful framing by Jonathan Hutson -- and A LOT of related writing, primarily by Bruce Wilson, Chip Berlet and me.

Quite aside from matters of credit where credit is due, althought that is important -- it is also  important to understand how this series of tremendous victories came about so we can learn from the experience -- as well as properly celebrate the victory.

by Frederick Clarkson on Thu Aug 16, 2007 at 07:18:54 PM EST
Parent



Army Times article (none / 0)
DoD-connected Christian group draws fire

by Chris Rodda on Thu Aug 16, 2007 at 06:33:54 PM EST

Congratulations, all, esp. J. Hutson (none / 0)
Look on the bright side - the cost of warehousing or disposal has to be borne by someone, and that someone is now OSU and likely Steve Baldwin. I wonder how long it will take them to try to move the product into churches, now that they have to redirect the hatefest training to some other demographic.

Will the next Jesus Camps have game platforms and this game?

by NancyP on Thu Aug 16, 2007 at 11:00:16 PM EST


Been there, done that (none / 0)
Nancy, IIRC (and if I do, I probably read it here first), LBG hired the same marketers who pushed The Passion of the Christ into churches. That was their original marketing strategy: to sell it directly into the pews.

But, apparently, quite a few pastors balked (in no small part to the critiques provided by sites like this one). The churchgoers just didn't bite for this game like they thought they would. It was not, to say the least, anything like the phenomenon they'd hoped it would be.

Which is why it seems likely they probably overproduced the game, and got stuck holding onto a lot of copies they couldn't sell. And also why going back into the churches with it isn't going to be an option. They've already been through that blitz, and kicked it back out again.

Crap stinks, no matter where you try to hide it.

by Mrs Robinson on Fri Aug 17, 2007 at 01:51:34 AM EST


Left Behind Games: Foiled Again! | 7 comments (7 topical, 0 hidden)

WWW Talk To Action


Cognitive Dissonance & Dominionism Denial
There is new research on why people are averse to hearing or learning about the views of ideological opponents. Based on evaluation of five......
By Frederick Clarkson (375 comments)
Will the Air Force Do Anything To Rein In Its Dynamic Duo of Gay-Bashing, Misogynistic Bloggers?
"I always get nervous when I see female pastors/chaplains. Here is why everyone should as well: "First, women are not called to be pastors,......
By Chris Rodda (203 comments)
The Legacy of Big Oil
The media is ablaze with the upcoming publication of David Grann's book, Killers of the Flower Moon. The shocking non fiction account of the......
By wilkyjr (111 comments)
Gimme That Old Time Dominionism Denial
Over the years, I have written a great deal here and in other venues about the explicitly theocratic movement called dominionism -- which has......
By Frederick Clarkson (101 comments)
History Advisor to Members of Congress Completely Twists Jefferson's Words to Support Muslim Ban
Pseudo-historian David Barton, best known for his misquoting of our country's founders to promote the notion that America was founded as a Christian nation,......
By Chris Rodda (113 comments)
"Christian Fighter Pilot" Calls First Lesbian Air Force Academy Commandant a Liar
In a new post on his "Christian Fighter Pilot" blog titled "BGen Kristin Goodwin and the USAFA Honor Code," Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan......
By Chris Rodda (144 comments)
Catholic Right Leader Unapologetic about Call for 'Death to Liberal Professors' -- UPDATED
Today, Donald Trump appointed C-FAM Executive Vice President Lisa Correnti to the US Delegation To UN Commission On Status Of Women. (C-FAM is a......
By Frederick Clarkson (126 comments)
Controlling Information
     Yesterday I listened to Russ Limbaugh.  Rush advised listeners it would be best that they not listen to CNN,MSNBC, ABC, CBS and......
By wilkyjr (118 comments)
Is Bannon Fifth-Columning the Pope?
In December 2016 I wrote about how White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who likes to flash his Catholic credentials when it comes to......
By Frank Cocozzelli (251 comments)
Ross Douthat's Hackery on the Seemingly Incongruous Alliance of Bannon & Burke
Conservative Catholic writer Ross Douthat has dissembled again. This time, in a February 15, 2017 New York Times op-ed titled The Trump Era's Catholic......
By Frank Cocozzelli (65 comments)
`So-Called Patriots' Attack The Rule Of Law
Every so often, right-wing commentator Pat Buchanan lurches out of the far-right fever swamp where he has resided for the past 50 years to......
By Rob Boston (161 comments)
Bad Faith from Focus on the Family
Here is one from the archives, Feb 12, 2011, that serves as a reminder of how deeply disingenuous people can be. Appeals to seek......
By Frederick Clarkson (177 comments)
The Legacy of George Wallace
"One need not accept any of those views to agree that they had appealed to real concerns of real people, not to mindless, unreasoning......
By wilkyjr (70 comments)
Betsy DeVos's Mudsill View of Public Education
My Talk to Action colleague Rachel Tabachnick has been doing yeoman's work in explaining Betsy DeVos's long-term strategy for decimating universal public education. If......
By Frank Cocozzelli (80 comments)
Prince and DeVos Families at Intersection of Radical Free Market Privatizers and Religious Right
This post from 2011 surfaces important information about President-Elect Trump's nominee for Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos. -- FC Erik Prince, Brother of Betsy......
By Rachel Tabachnick (218 comments)

Respect for Others? or Political Correctness?
The term "political correctness" as used by Conservatives and Republicans has often puzzled me: what exactly do they mean by it? After reading Chip Berlin's piece here-- http://www.talk2action.org/story/2016/7/21/04356/9417 I thought about what he explained......
MTOLincoln (253 comments)
Fear
What I'm feeling now is fear.  I swear that it seems my nightmares are coming true with this new "president".  I'm also frustrated because so many people are not connecting all the dots! I've......
ArchaeoBob (109 comments)
"America - love it or LEAVE!"
I've been hearing that and similar sentiments fairly frequently in the last few days - far FAR more often than ever before.  Hearing about "consequences for burning the flag (actions) from Trump is chilling!......
ArchaeoBob (216 comments)
"Faked!" Meme
Keep your eyes and ears open for a possible move to try to discredit the people openly opposing Trump and the bigots, especially people who have experienced terrorism from the "Right"  (Christian Terrorism is......
ArchaeoBob (166 comments)
More aggressive proselytizing
My wife told me today of an experience she had this last week, where she was proselytized by a McDonald's employee while in the store. ......
ArchaeoBob (164 comments)
See if you recognize names on this list
This comes from the local newspaper, which was conservative before and took a hard right turn after it was sold. Hint: Sarah Palin's name is on it!  (It's also connected to Trump.) ......
ArchaeoBob (169 comments)
Unions: A Labor Day Discussion
This is a revision of an article which I posted on my personal board and also on Dailykos. I had an interesting discussion on a discussion board concerning Unions. I tried to piece it......
Xulon (180 comments)
Extremely obnoxious protesters at WitchsFest NYC: connected to NAR?
In July of this year, some extremely loud, obnoxious Christian-identified protesters showed up at WitchsFest, an annual Pagan street fair here in NYC.  Here's an account of the protest by Pagan writer Heather Greene......
Diane Vera (130 comments)
Capitalism and the Attack on the Imago Dei
I joined this site today, having been linked here by Crooksandliars' Blog Roundup. I thought I'd put up something I put up previously on my Wordpress blog and also at the DailyKos. As will......
Xulon (331 comments)
History of attitudes towards poverty and the churches.
Jesus is said to have stated that "The Poor will always be with you" and some Christians have used that to refuse to try to help the poor, because "they will always be with......
ArchaeoBob (149 comments)
Alternate economy medical treatment
Dogemperor wrote several times about the alternate economy structure that dominionists have built.  Well, it's actually made the news.  Pretty good article, although it doesn't get into how bad people could be (have been)......
ArchaeoBob (90 comments)
Evidence violence is more common than believed
Think I've been making things up about experiencing Christian Terrorism or exaggerating, or that it was an isolated incident?  I suggest you read this article (linked below in body), which is about our great......
ArchaeoBob (214 comments)

More Diaries...




All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective companies. Comments, posts, stories, and all other content are owned by the authors. Everything else © 2005 Talk to Action, LLC.