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Desperation Time At Left Behind Games?

By Timothy F Simpson	Sat Jan 20, 2007 at 11:43:08 AM EST
topic: Broadcasting & Media section:Diary	print this story

The misguided folks over at Left Behind Games, who are committed to giving Christian young people what they call the "positive message" that God wants them to convert or kill non-Christians, seem to be having some serious problems.

According to news reports in Southern California where their headquarters are located, they have been reduced to peddling the game to mom and pop stores, apparently in order to boost flagging sales. They're 'splainin this as some kind of creative marketing strategy but it's hard to believe that if this thing were flying off the shelves at Target or Best Buy that they would be selling this with all of the "creativity" of a door-to-door Fuller Brush salesman from the 1950s.

Worse, their stock price (you didn't think this was a ministry, did you?) has dropped more than 80% in the past ninety days from a high of 7.44 on October 27th, which was right about the time they launched the game, down to today's close of 1.17. Despite worldwide publicity and a base of tens of millions of readers of the books who should be buying the game in droves, they have only managed to sell 65,000 copies of the game. Apparently gamers don't want this game on their PCs any more than investors want it in their portfolios.

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Desperation Time At Left Behind Games? | 6 comments (6 topical, 0 hidden)

To answer your question... (none / 0)

... this thing were flying off the shelves at Target...

At least not at the Target I work at...

Plus, the game just plain sucked (here, here, here and here for the game's crappiness)

-------------------------------------------------
"Free nations do not have weapons of mass destruction." - George W. Bush
by hardindr on Sat Jan 20, 2007 at 04:58:14 PM EST

: I love it! (none / 0)

I absolutely love it! After all the hype about the kind of message this game sends to people and all the disgust people have shown for the makers of this game what it all comes down to is the fact that the game is just plain bad. Real Time Simulator (RTS) games have been around for a while and there are plenty of good engines available to use as a base. I guess the folks that made this one decided to start from scratch and this piece of junk is the result.
This is typical of the fundies. They like to throw lots of money at a project but they never focus on substance. The result is typically insipid Christian rock, the equally cheesy Hellhouse, and attrocious Christian themed movies like Meggido. What's next, fundamentalist theme parks? Oh wait, they already did that. How did that little project work out for you "Doctor" Hovind? Hmmm?

by Ross Raymond on Sun Jan 21, 2007 at 12:00:55 AM EST
[ Parent ]
: too bad it sucks (none / 0)

I, for one, don't find the cncept terribly unchristian, and i think they should be applauded for bucking both the stifling "nice guy" faith, as well as the risking the "warmonger" label.
As a gamer, i was hoping this might be fun and different, but like most "faith-based" games, it sucks. To date, the only "christian" game worth mentioning is The Neverhood. That was fun, though not overtly religious.
However, xian cinema (think Walden Media) and gaming are still in their infancy, so they may mature into something of quality, like some of the xian music. I mean, early on, it was just sloganeering, but now, some of it is quite good.

by devilsadvocate on Mon Jan 22, 2007 at 09:09:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Drat! (none / 0)

If only I'd known they were a public company, I would have shorted their stock!

Seems like tough times for the fundamentalist business model these days. Just look at the chart of Matthew Crouch's movie company, owners of those wonderful pieces of high art, "The Omega Code" and "Meggido":

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=GNXE.OB&t=2y&l=on&z=m &q=l&c=

by tacitus on Mon Jan 22, 2007 at 12:18:08 AM EST

: Yeah.... (none / 0)

Left Behind Games Company CEO Troy Lyndon has stated that controversy over the game was having a positive effect on sales.
That may not be the case.

by Bruce Wilson on Sun Feb 04, 2007 at 03:42:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]
: Yeah.... (none / 0)

Left Behind Games Company CEO Troy Lyndon has stated that controversy over the game was having a positive effect on sales.
That may not be the case, and since Rev. Simpson's post the market share has dropped further, to 80 cents a share.
LBG has announced that a "Gold" version of the game is in the works, for an October 2007 release.

by Bruce Wilson on Sun Feb 04, 2007 at 03:50:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Desperation Time At Left Behind Games? | 6 comments (6 topical, 0 hidden)

Left Behind: Eternal Forces: Installments of Jonathan Hutson's Talk To Action expose series

on the "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" video game have been viewed by up to 1/2 million people. See our site section featuring Over 35 original articles covering the controversial "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" video game that has provoked a boycott by a coalition of religious groups and a letter writing campaign urging Walmart to stop selling the game. Media inquiries click here
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