Game Reviews: Spore
There's been a lot of heated discussion about the new computer game "Spore" lately. In order to better understand and comment on this game and its impact upon Christian youth I did something none of the other Christian reviewers have done.
I played the game.
The main criticism of the game is that it endorses evolution and promotes a "try and see if it works" vision of creation. Even when not explicitly endorsing evolution it, according to its critics, promotes the idea that God was just trying different things to see if they would work. The reviewers further wen out and showed photos of "creatures" that were obscene or resembled genitalia.
The reality of the game is very different and I think Christians are missing out on a tremendous opportunity to use popular media for evangelism.
The game is simple in concept. You design a creature and then set it loose in the world. If you made a mistake, such as failing to give it the ability to eat, it will die. If it out competes the other creatures it will survive.
The actual "evolution" in the game is limited to a creature surviving or dying based on how well it's adapted to its environment. At no point in game play does the creature actually change form one type of creature into another. All of the "evolution" is micro evolution, variation within the created type.
The actual design phase is where the creature is advanced. The design phase is where you step into the role of the creator and build or modify your creation. Critics claim that this is evil because it's not a reflection of how God created the universe. I think its brilliant because it shows just how HARD designing a creature can be.
The game only gives you a tiny, finite number of variations compared to the complexity of creating an actual living creature from scratch. Even that is HARD to do right. The game highlights the fact that random evolution simply can't create creatures as complex as the life around us. It further demonstrates that the intelligence needed to create life must be orders of magnitude beyond our own.
After playing the game for a couple of hours, I sat down with the young man who'd let me use his copy and we spoke at length about the complexity of life and the difficulty involved in building even a simple simulated creature. We wondered at the incredible intellect God must posses to have designed even a simple, single celled organism, let alone humanity.
God has given us a fascinating tool in the game Spore and I encourage Christians to find ways to exploit it for God's work instead of fight or ban it.
8 comments:
this is NOT the reply I'd have expected form Corny
"At no point in game play does the creature actually change form one type of creature into another. All of the "evolution" is micro evolution, variation within the created type."
This one paragraph shows that you almost understand evolution, almost.
Could I just point out the obvious fallacy in all of your arguments here.
Its a GAME!
If the game is fun, who cares what it promotes? Its a fantasy game with made up creatures. Its an exercise in creativity. And even if it actually did promote evolution, so what?
K9 Mold Pro,
Any media, be it a game or a record, that promotes a Satanic agenda needs to be excluded from Christian homes. This is about what's appropriate for a Christian household.
To give you an example, my Church holds an annual event where we burn Satanic material that has crept into our homes, mostly though the humanist friends of our children. The first year we held this we burned several copies of a Occult game called "Populous" and a host of heavy metal albums.
Maintaining a Godly home is a constant struggle and the only way we can keep the leftist, humanist, Satanic influences that rule the media at bay is through constant vigilance.
Great review Alexander, you are a true patriot & culture warrior.
I noticed that ShelleyTheRepublican quoted you extensivly on her blog, you might want to take a look some time:
http://www.shelleytherepublican.com/2008/10/08/spore-a-great-way-to-teach-your-kids-about-intelligent-design.aspx
James
Macro-Evolution, evolution on a large scale, is just continued micro-evolution. It's the adaptation to such a point that the beginning product is nothing like the beginning. I find that there's nothing about evolution that defies Christianity, as long as you approach it from a rational deistic view.
Macro-Evolution has NEVER been observed. No examples of it have ever been found in the fossil record. It's purely theoretical.
You might as well claim that because we've seen tornadoes that are a mile wide, it's only logical to assume that 1,000 mile wide tornadoes are possible. The existence of the small does not mean the large HAS to exist, or is even possible.
After playing "the game" for a couple of hours, I "sat down" with the young man who'd let me use "his copy" and we "spoke" at length...
Corny, when you say "the game", do you mean the young man's penis?
Be honest.
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