Cloud 9 Games Releases "Christian" Karaoke Game

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.

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.

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? :-)

Thanks for the kind words! Please, keep reading and commenting! :)

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

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