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USC Off the Beaten Path: The Search for Spirituality

Spiritual Gaming

By Jessica Roberts, July 18, 2007

The majority of video games – and the most profitable – on the market today would not be described as calming, meditative or spiritual. Popular games feature strategic war planning, first-person shooter perspectives or competitive professional sports, but the future of gaming may be vastly different. Spiritual video games are the newest segment of the industry to develop. Games with spiritual messages, like the Christian-themed "Left Behind" series, have been around for years. But now developers are looking to provoke spiritual reactions, rather than merely evoke spiritual ideas. They are trying to create games that will make players feel peaceful, reflective or meditative.

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