Oh goodie, another product that mimics a mainstream product and gives Christians one more way to live in their secluded bubble.
This fall, Cloud 9 Games will release Heavenly Harmony, a karaoke and vocal performance game and companion Christian Rock expansion pack.
I guess Guitar Hero and Rock Band are just too secular for some parents?
Instead, Heavenly Harmony includes songs like “Amazing Grace,” “Every Time I Fall,” “Friend of God,” “I Can Only Imagine,” “On My Knees,” “Open The Eyes of My Heart,” “Praise The Lord,” “Shout To The Lord” and “The Old Rugged Cross.”
Is it for Christians, or just old folks?
Just kidding. Sort of. Can you picture a bunch of tweens throwing down a beat to “The Old Rugged Cross?”
The rock expansion pack will offer music from Kutless, Jeremy Camp, Steven Curtis Chapman, Audio Adrenaline, Sanctus Real, This Beautiful Republic and Falling Up, which is better – although I think that some of this music is already available on Guitar Hero and Rock Band, isn’t it?
Listen, I’m all for family friendly entertainment, and I’m 100% in agreement that the video game market is saturated with violent, offensive games that no one should be playing – Christian or non Christian.
But I’m always appalled when, instead of making family friendly stuff that anyone can enjoy, Christians have to turn everything into a subculture product that pretty much sells to the choir.
Why not make a family friendly karaoke game that anyone can play? Why does it have to be “Christian?”
You know why? Because the Christian marketplace is so big that it doesn’t really need mainstream buyers to sustain it. We’ll buy anything with a Jesus fish on it if we think it’ll make us more “Christian.” There’s an entire industry of “Christian” products that exist and thrive without nary a penny from the mainstream consumer.
Anyway, I’m sure Heavenly Harmony will be a lovely game and will make everyone who plays feel just a little bit holier. Whether the kids can get into it? We’ll have to see.
RELATED POST
Christian interactive Guitar Praise game debuts this fall – is that a good thing?
Heavenly Harmony adds CCM expansion pack and preps for release of Rock Band-like JAMpak
posted June 18, 2008 at 10:02 am
Woah! Snark alert!
I am in agreement that there is something very wrong when the Christian community copies the secular community (badly) and tries to make a profit off of it specifically saying, “Look ma, no garbage here!” I have no interest whatsoever in Heavenly Harmony. At the same time, though, it seems that you are woefully uninformed about Guitar Hero and Rock Band. They are huge, HUGE, in both the secular and Christian community. However, only one song in the whole lineup of music for those games could be considered Christian, and that’s on an expansion pack for Rock Band. I would love to enjoy Guitar Hero III with songs by Christian artists, but they have virtually ignored the genre entirely. And many of the songs they could use by folks like Switchfoot and Audio Adrenaline, let’s say, could be enjoyed by anyone. It’s not like Guitar Hero and Rock Band don’t have some pretty obscure secular songs on their lists, either…sadly, until Activision realizes there’s a profit in Christian music, they probably won’t bother.
posted June 18, 2008 at 10:24 am
You caught me, Jason. I am woefully uninformed about Guitar Hero and Rock Band! That’s why I count on readers like you to keep me on my toes.
I have written in the past about bands who’ve had their songs included in the games, so maybe I just assumed that there was more Christian music in there than there is. But all I see is Flyleaf listed on Guitar Hero and The Myriad on Rock Band. What happened to the other bands I’ve gotten press releases about? I’m gonna have to check on that …
Thanks for giving me the lowdown!
posted June 18, 2008 at 11:57 am
Hey, I’m a relative newbie to actually playing them, mind you…but Guitar Hero is quite addictive and loads of fun, and while those of us who play guitar in real life may have the finger dexterity, it’s still quite a challenge. It’s so much fun as it is that many of us can only imagine how much more fun it would be playing songs that we enjoy from the Christian rock scene. (Of course, I’m a bit older, so I don’t suppose they would include tracks from The 77s, Larry Norman, Adam Again, and The Choir, but I can always dream.)
Having served as a worship leader for many years and heading to a first pastorate here shortly, I can say that good Christian music can build a lot of bridges to the secular community. When you can play a song coming from a Christian worldview next to one with a secular worldview and the average listener doesn’t discern a performance-quality difference, it can be quite appealing…and can open them up to good lyrical content. (Now that’s a soapbox of a different stripe, but not one for this conversation.) If the gaming community could figure out a non-threatening crossover, it could be wonderful.
Meanwhile, if you can dredge up any reports of Christian bands who are supposed to be featured in one of these games in the future, that would be great.
posted June 18, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Jason, I think what I did was confused music included on video games in general with music on the interactive Guitar Hero stuff. Good thing I don’t cover video games, eh?
posted June 18, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Well, if you hadn’t written the post, and I hadn’t been Googling on “Christian Guitar Hero,” I would have never found this column…which, as I look at the other entries, is really quite nice. So perhaps you gained a reader…gee, isn’t it funny the way these things happen?
posted June 18, 2008 at 3:10 pm
What a great idea. As you say, I hope a lot of great music doesn’t get stuck off in the “Christian” corner of Toys R Us. Guitar Hero is scary addictive, and I would welcome more positive, G-rated songs as opposed to some of the head-banger PG-13 stuff that is currently available.
posted June 18, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Thanks for the kind words! Please, keep reading and commenting!
posted June 19, 2008 at 10:23 am
i just happen to browse and see this article, i feel that is great that us christian folks will also have a choice of music and games, but even when i ignored and pray for ignorant people, i find insulting your comments and cant help myself but to answer, christians dont leave in a secluded bubble, because of having the promise of eternal live we choose not to get corrupted, karoeke is friends and family getting together to have a good time and of course with music that you enjoy, so i dont find the reason for those comments, even when it doesnt surprise me, people that dont have the lord with in them cant understand the joy we feel and dont waste time to attack and make us look ridiculous, contrary to the comments in this article the person that wrote it seems to be a very closed minded person
posted June 19, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Hi!
I love the dear “old” Christians that have lived Christ-like lives for some 30,40,50-80+ years. Many of them are more Committed to the cause, than it sounds like you give them credit for. I minister to them once a week as God provides me voice and time. I love to see their faces light up as I sing solos and lead the Hymns-mostly (some choruses) songs of their youth. I also am a strong advocate of 4 part classical music (SATB) which is mostly ignored by todays entertained Christians and their worship leaders. I think many “younger” Christians today have itchy ears and want something with a beat and saxiphone lounge lizard type music. Give me a reserved conservative old lady singing THE OLD RUGGED CROSS any day over an old lady shaking her booty and trying to impress only God knows who!
Singing I go along life’s road praising the Lord!
For His Glory!
Ernie
posted June 24, 2008 at 11:47 am
>>Meanwhile, if you can dredge up any reports of Christian bands who are supposed to be featured in one of these games in the future, that would be great. http://blog.beliefnet.com/gospelsoundcheck/2008/06/the-myriad-on-mtv2.html
Joanne
posted November 4, 2008 at 11:33 am
Hey all! New post about two new music/interactive products from Cloud 9:
http://blog.beliefnet.com/gospelsoundcheck/2008/11/heavenly-harmony-adds-ccm-expa.html
Head over there and share your thoughts!
Joanne
host of the GS blog