When I originally sent my email inquiring about attending the Christian Game Developers Conference, I was not aware that I would be the only reporter interested enough to go. You see, having just come back from E3, I never really feel alone as a reporter. But knowing I would have the opportunity to not only cover something brand new, but also have the exclusive, well, to put it mildly it just send shivers of power running up and down my veins.

Finally I would have the chance to tell the world about my experience, and not have it trampled down by fifteen thousand OTHER similar stories. Now I could tell people the event from my point of view, and lie as much as I want. well, okay, maybe that's not true, but as a reporter, there's a certain, how do you say, thrill one gets when they are the only one there "of your kind."

It also has a way of making me feel very much like an outsider. I should, at this point, also tell you my other black mark going into an event like this. You see, from a very early age I was brought up mysteriously un-religious. Neither mother, nor father pushed organized religion on me, and up to this point in my life have never considered myself to be anything but "alive" and "undecided." Going in, I knew I was going to be something of an outsider. But thankfully I won over their trust early, and the rest, well, we'll get to that. First we have a story to tell.

My experience of conventions and game conferences have taken me everywhere from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to Seattle, but few are ever in Portland. When you really think about Portland, games and computer software doesn't exactly spring to mind. Actually, I don't know what you think of when you think of Portland, because I too am drawing a blank, and I was just there.

But I digress. The very first Christian Game Developers Conference was being held this year in Portland Oregon, and as luck would have it, that's an easy two hour drive from where I live. Ah yes, finally something I can drive to, something I can finally do in style. I had even picked up a brand new CD player for the journey, so I was ready for what could be the one and only great road trip of the Summer.

Upon arrival I learned that I was basically the closest patron (outside of the staff that was putting it on). Just about everybody was groggy from a flight, or even just the pure incontinence of the airport. This could explain why the first ever conference got off to a rather late start (about an hour and fifteen minutes by my clock).

This time allowed me to set up my laptop, get familiar with some of the displays, and meet some of the developers. This also gave me the time to fully determine how I was going to cover this event.

I'll admit, over the last few weeks I've been very confused on how to report an event like this. Not being a Christian, I questioned if I could remove bias enough to be an effective journalist. I wrestled with the notion that perhaps my usual "half serious" writing style might actually blur the very serious line these programmers are trying to put forth. And I was a bit concerned that I wasn't going to be able to copy my fellow reporter's notebook after the show.

But then I saw the light, and you know what, I realized that these people are just as confused as I am. This being their FIRST edition of the conference, I already knew that it was going to be one heck of a mess to put together, and I'm sure that they were just as nervous as I was.

I also realized one other fact: if videogames are an art form (and I fully believe they are), then this sort of event NEEDS to be covered, even if I'm not part of the process. Art is the work of emotion and personality put out for the world, and if video games are really an art form, there needs to be personality from all side.

Oh, and I also wanted to see what they thought of Grand Theft Auto III.

After getting set up, introduced, and taking a few pictures, I found myself smack dab in the middle of the first Christian Game Developer's Conference. Hosted (and organized) by Tim Emmerich, I felt a comfort that is not often found in conference moderators. Even though he warned of cutting people off, Tim did a good job of letting just about everybody have their own say, even me. It was established early on that there were a set of core issues that needed to be discussed in greater detail. For example, as a Christian developer, should one make games specifically for the believer, or try to cross over to a secular market? Or if you're going to try to convert people, is there a way to do so without being preachy, or just citing Biblical verses?

Over the course of the two days these topics, and many others, would be discussed in overwhelming detail. But before we could focus on the positives, I was kicked out on the street.

Well, not literally. You see, even though the majority of the conference goers were the absolute nicest people, one of the speakers had specifically asked for no reporters. I gladly obliged, and took myself outside. Thankfully it was a nice day, and it gave me a chance to get a good look at the demos I had picked up.

This time also gave me an opportunity to look around the campus a little bit. This very first Christian Game Developer's Conference was being held at Cascade College. I had never heard of this school, but was told that it is now being funded as a private Christian College. The grounds seemed nice, and even though it was summer, there were still enough people around to make it look educational.

Having come back from E3 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, I was in for quite a contrast when looking around. There was a certain friendliness involved with this location that was somewhat missing from that much bigger game expo. As I wandered around I thought to myself, 'wow, this seems like a strange spot to stage something like this', but I soon remembered that Chris Crawford had started the very first Game Developers Conference out of his living room. So it all made sense, in the best way it possibly can.

Chris Crawford has been a major influence, not just as a game fan, but also has a writer. His opinions, while sometimes controversial, are always well worded, and never dull. His books make even the most closed minded gamer feel a new found respect for the industry. And his magazine articles always made you look at what you thought you knew completely differently.

I confess, a major part of my interest in this Conference comes from the desire to see Chris Crawford. And thankfully HE had no problems letting me watch him, and even report on him. And did he disappoint?

Heck no.

Well, let me put that in context, he didn't disappoint me. True to form, Chris came with a bagful of controversy. I'm not entirely sure where it all started, but it was around the time that he proclaimed that what he saw in this room was not much more than secular games with Christian themes. A certain uneasiness came over the room, you could literally count the amount of hours these programmers had labored on their games based on their faces.

Chris continued by explaining that taking a "Big Fucking Gun" and making it a "B.F.C." does not make it a Christian game. To relax the hostile audience, he tried to give some examples of how to actually work Christianity into games, stories, and whatnot. He explained many of his theories in abstract form, and I'm afraid it would be far to difficult (and time consuming) to try to sum up his speech in a matter of paragraphs.

One of the things I like about Chris is the way he talks. He's very expressive, that's true, but he also strands numerous conversations together. One minute he might be explaining his take on the current state of the industry, and the very next minute he will be talking about how the brain has evolved since we've learned to interact with computers. Then maybe he'll explain the difference between men and women, and how each sex thinks, only to connect it to the rest of the discussion having it all make complete sense. Few speakers can top Chris when it comes to pure energy.

A writer, a speaker, and a man with a vision he is, but one thing Chris Crawford is not, is Christian. This did not, however, seem to be an issue. After wrapping up his set he gave everybody in the room a workbook, so to speak. "Understanding Interactivity" goes into great detail about his theories, and how they can be put to good use in the real world of gaming. This, like all of his other works, is highly recommended, and is guaranteed to change the way you look at the marketplace.

After a lengthy question and answer section, Chris Crawford left the building, and the conference continued with several round table discussions. There was still more to be done, but it was obvious, the excitement was over for that day. It was time for Cyril to go to the motel and get himself some work done.

Even without Chris Crawford, day two of the Christian Game Developers Conference was a packed experience. It was on this day that we were able to see and test many of the games currently in development. And not just the games, but the stories behind them. Believe it or not, some of these companies are nothing more than one or two people working in their basement. Other companies consisted of dozens of people, all working for free. In this fast paced world of videogames, it's sometimes hard to remember a time when it wasn't a big business. To think, at one point in our history games like Quake were coded by people in their basement, without the help of millions of dollars and hundreds of staff members. The secular industry is pumping out games that take multiple years to make, and millions of dollars. Games like Grand Theft Auto III, Halo, and Metal Gear Solid 2 all represent a standard that is extremely hard to do with only a few people helping you.

It's a simple enough dilemmas, and frankly, I don't care who you are, basic human nature shows we love an underdog story. People love to root for the little guy, because in a symbolic form, "WE" are that little guy. We all live in a world that seems to chew us up, and spit us out, and even if you have hundreds of friends, we all feel alone and left out at least once in our lives, some even feel it now. We root for the little guy because if he can do it, well, then why can't I?

I also spent a greater amount of time meeting these industrious programmers. I was able to sit down and listen to many of their plights. What took me off guard was the difference in everybody at the event. Between the almost thirty attendees, there were enough eccentric personalities, well spoken speakers, and opinions to make a trio of Robert Altman films.

Not that this was a bad thing; in fact, I am one who fondly believes that you have to be a little eccentric to make art. These programmers didn't lack drive or ambition, and they certainly have the message they want to get across. Having a personality can get you a long way in this industry, just look at Trip Hawkins, David Perry, or even Chris Crawford.

As I talked with each of these programmers, developers, and so on, I got my first glimpse at how close, yet far they are from obtaining their goals. Without a doubt, a number of the products shown on the floor were promising, some might actually do well in the secular marketplace, but it was more of what was being said that made me come to this realization than what was being shown.

Many of the developers and conference attendees had mixed thoughts about how to better serve the Christian market. But there are a number of uphill battles that each speaker was willing to admit to.

How big is the Christian game market, for example. How can you compete in a market place that practically shuns faith-based games? And how do you work up enough money to effectively market these games.

There were some extremely promising ideas tossed around, and frankly, many of them seemed viable to this journalist. This group, collectively, held both the energy to attempt something difference, and likely, the talent to make it happen.

But there was one other rather major problem that I hadn't even thought of. From what the panelists continued to reiterate, it sounds to me like Christian gamers (or maybe just Christians in general) are difficult to fully please. For example, some Christian book stores won't allow games that have pictures of anything evil, or demonic. Not having a antagonist is something very difficult to do in videogames, especially if it's a story based game.

Another problem was that some Christians would only use a certain version of the Bible, limiting your impact in the marketplace. Others had worries about making a game that would give people the wrong message about Christianity, or even tarnish the name of Jesus Christ. These were all understandable concerns, but serious roadblocks preventing them from hitting the mainstream.

Some issues brought up dealt with being successful and still preaching the gospel. Companies in the past have tried to make religious games, only to blasphemy much of the source. How can you tell the story of Jesus, or even his message, without giving he player the wrong information?

Many of these concerns seem minor to the non-Christian gamers, but to the passionate programmers found at this conference, I assure you it was not taken lightly. I'm not sure there is any one answer, but I am sure that this is the sort of challenge the conference was made for.

Everybody had ideas on how to break some of these barriers down. And some of them sounded workable. Perhaps, by the 3rd or 4th annual Christian Game Developers Conference, these barriers will be replaced with much greener pastures. For now, though, it's time for the developer's circle to pray.

When covering an event about videogames, you'd be amiss if you didn't include information about the games themselves. Compared to the secular market, Christian games are few and far between, but then, that was the purpose of this organized conference in the first place.

What was shown, however, included first person shooters to adventure games, puzzle games to strategy games, and even the faint hints of a massively multiplayer online role playing game. Many of the games were still in the very early stages of development, so I was only able to get a small taste of them.

N'Lightning Software: One of the few companies that have had minor luck in the secular market, is N'Lightning. With a first person adventure game called Ominous Horizons: a Paladin's Calling, the company was able to sell a few thousand units in mall outlets and nationwide retailers. Do to an over ambitious production run, and perhaps bad marketing on the retailer's part, many copies still sit unclaimed in a warehouse.

Now a few years old, N'Lightning's first product, Catechumen, shows promise, despite having funky controls and a rather tricky interface. It does show how the company can use one game as a stepping stone, and isn't all bad. Thankfully the team seems bright, and for the most part unharmed after the disappointment with the ambitious Ominous Horizon's.

Inspired Idea: One of the most prolific companies at the show was Inspired Idea. Believe it or not, it's only an old school game designer, his wife, and their child (on vocals). Thanks to a few already released apps, Inspired Idea, like N'Lightning was already established as a popular Christian game maker.

Thanks to the success of Captain Bible, Stone Englebrite felt confident enough to develop and release his own version of Solitaire: Scripture Solitaire. Featuring several different ways to play, including a few based on the Bible (like Noah's Arc), this version of Solitaire was perfect for the office worker wanting to memorize different verses.

His follow up included a well worded pun, Godspeed 3D, which gives you all the excitement of answering questions and roller coasters. As gamers rush through a hypnotic world, you are forced to answer Biblical questions. Answer wrong, and you'll connect to the path that is disconnected from rest of the course.

There were some oddly un-religious games at the show as well. To be fair, they didn't stray too far from the path, as they were about American history and the poor saps that lived it. The game in question, Inspired Idea's upcoming One Nation Under God, is literally the most patriotic thing you'll ever see.

Think having a having a flag on your SUV is patriotic? Think singing songs and attending outdoor fireworks events is patriot? Well you haven't seen One Nation Under God. Here you help a polygonal Uncle Sam answer questions that you really SHOULD know. Questions like:

"Thomas Jefferson was the writer of the Declaration of Independence: True or False?"

You'll have to buy the game for the answer (or consult your fourth grade teacher), but needless to say, it's a teaching tool that puts together both extreme patriotism and American history, while still managing to play like an early version of Mario 64.

In the future, Stone expects to use the engine to tackle more Christian related topics, as prayer in school. But for now, one could almost get away with calling this product a secular game. Perhaps this game wasn't aimed at me, but it did put a smile on my face early into the show.

Remnant Entertainment: While this company didn't have a lot of product to show, it did offer up some promising information. Besides the ads for their web based game Conquest, Remnant gave out comic books, and fake news papers to promote what could be the most innovative product of the show.

Using the world of the Massively Multi Online Player Role Playing Game, the Tales of the Unwritten isn't exactly a Christian game, but does provide a lot of the morals that go with the faith. Thanks to a large staff of unpaid workers, Remnant Entertainment is looking to take over where EverQuest and the like left off.

The amount of information, some important, some subtle (to the point of almost being non useful) was mind-boggling. Be it the realistic weather or the amount of damage the weapons take off, or maybe the attention to detail when it comes to replay. If all goes well, this could be one the most interesting products the industry has seen in years. But it's far too early to tell for sure, especially since nary a screen shot was packaged on the press disc.

Remnant's display was also something to behold. Including not only poster size illustrations of characters, but also handing out the most interesting knick-knacks at the event. Not to take anything away from the other presenters, but when it came to presentation, Remnant set a standard. Could this be the start of bigger and better booths in the future?

When going about organizing an event like the Christian Game Developers Conference, it's natural to have a certain amount of anxiety. After all, you have people come from all over the United States to collect ideas, trade thoughts, and hopefully have a good time. And if they don't, well, it all lands on the shoulders of Tim Emmerich.

As it stands, Tim can breathe a large sigh of relief. Everybody who attended was attentive, and brought great ideas to the table. Everybody kept in excellent spirits, no matter what was being talked about.

I've listened to many conferences in my life, some at conventions at E3, others at smaller venues, but most of the time it feels like nothing comes out of it. This is one of those few conferences that actually felt like something, like there was something accomplished here.

At the end of the event it was decided that the Second Annual Christian Game Developer's Conference would be held next year, sometime in July. Everybody seemed inspired to keep in touch, if only over the internet. Which leads us to one question we won't be able to answer in an article: Is the public ready for games that are about more than just fun and games, but serious morals and beliefs?

It's not up to the programmers, the publishers, or even the person that writes the story, but rather the millions of game players not only in the United States, but in Europe, Asia, and beyond. Unlike most news stories that have an outcome, this conclusion likely won't occur for many years. But that's okay for the people at the Christian Game Developers Conference, because they know it will happen. And that, my friends, is undying devotion; something this industry needs more of.

Perhaps this is a bit presumptuous, but I feel the need to editorialize a little more than I already have. As I said in the opening Prologue, I am not a follower of Christianity, and therefore had mixed feelings about some of the ideas being tossed around. But as this was not my conference, but merely one I was reporting on, I felt the need to stand back, and try to be as out of the way as possible. It was, however, Tim Emmerich, who asked me to put for my opinions of the event, and so I shall do just that.

As a non-believer, I found myself questioning how a group of Christians go about trying to convert, or just bestow the values they hold dear. Understandably, I think that most of them do not understand what it is like to be a non-believer, just like I don't fully understand what it is to be a believer. I believe it is no more arrogant to put ones pro-religious views in a game than say, anti-religious views. It all comes down to what the market place wants, and can handle.

The problem that many non-believers have with organized religion, be it Christianity, Catholicism, or even Islam, is that it plays be a set of rules, or truths. People play games, in my opinion, to not have to worry about the rules of the real world.

The argument that people play games for content has some merit, one could argue that Grand Theft Auto III is a huge hit because of it's insane violence. On the flip side, one could argue that it is a success was largely due to it's open ended game play, and non-linear story. Not to mention the hundreds of things you can do. The argument that games sell only because of their content seems off base to me.

People are willing to accept biblical stories; movies have proven this throughout the years. I'm sure one could argue that they were not accurate portrayals, but they were, at least, entertaining. I think people would play a game based on the Bible, but I don't believe it's the message that brings them; it's the great game play.

Believing that the secular industry is in a funk can only get you so far, sure there are an over abundance of seven or eight tried and true genres, but the industry is at an all time high. Systems are selling like mad, more people own consoles than ever before, and the market isn't slowing down. Sure there should be more originality, but sadly the market place doesn't reward those so daring.

If there's one thing I know for certain, none of these games will go anywhere if they aren't getting the shelf space at the mainstream stores. Be them Target and Wal*Mart, or Babbages and GameStop, until these apps break through this market you'll never see a huge Christian video game. The target audience for Christian book stores is NOT the same as the that shops for games. It might be hard to deviate from this outlet, but until then, there will never be a huge selling Christian game.

As I sit on the cusp of what could be, I have to wonder just one thing: in 100 years, will all religions, including those that might be unpopular at the time, be represented in the game industry? I'll leave it up to you to debate whether or not that would be a good thing.

(Editors Note: I'd like to take this time and thank Tim Emmerich for allowing me to report on this event. If you would like even more information about this event, or feel you can add something to next years event, make sure you visit Grace Interactive's CGDC Page. It has all the newest information about this conference.)