Left Behind Games Inc. is now Inspired Media Entertainment.
The company gained infamy for a game called Left Behind: Eternal Forces, based on the books by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. And the company got attention for threatening bloggers or game sites with legal action for being critical of the theology or gameplay. However, no one was ever told what the problem was, various people online were just threatened.
This company has gone through a number of transformations and people, defunct Bonanza Gold, (originally Vermillion Gold Inc. via: Standard & Poors) became Left Behind Games Inc. and is now Inspired Media Entertainment.
And they are continuing to attempt to peddle their product to churches. The game made 2 million dollars, but that wasn’t near enough to get it out of fours years of debt totalling about 31 million dollars.
When Left Behind Games: Eternal Forces boosted it would put a million games into the hands of a million church goers, that didn’t go well. When they tried to put their game into “Freedom Packets” through the US Department of Defense to soldiers overseas, that did not go well either. Nor did Double Fusion (a tracking system through the advertisements in the game) So, back to the church crowd, which wasn’t hoodwinked the first time around. Will they be inflamed to buy this time around?
Furthermore, as part of its grass-roots marketing efforts, the company has distributed more than 150,000 gold-ticket coupons to churches and ministries for the purpose of increasing product sell-through at retail. This initiative has progressed ahead of schedule.
Inspired yet?
Left Behind II: Tribulation Forces is scheduled for release in July 2008. The company has restructured it’s debt with Tyndale Inc.
If you want a quick run down of the history - an undisputed wiki entry is finally up. If you want a more in depth look at the company, the game and the theology behind it, Jonathan Hutson’s Left Behind: Eternal Forces series at Talk2Action remains the definitive source.
Published 11 months, 3 weeks ago
Search
Subscribe 
You are currently browsing the Bene Diction Blogs On weblog archives.
Related Entries
For blog design, Wordpress or MovableType coding or blog consulting, see cre8d design.
The last statement in the release was “The company’s direct shipments of products is at its highest levels since the company was founded”
Perhaps the company is turning the corner through the addition of other products they have to offer.
Wow. What a fat load of misinformation. Might as well start from the top:
“The company gained infamy for a game called Left Behind: Eternal Forces”
The only “infamy” they gained was manufactured by liars who, among other things, falsely claimed the game promoted the killing of non-Christians.
“And the company got attention for threatening bloggers or game sites with legal action for being critical of the theology or gameplay. However, no one was ever told what the problem was, various people online were just threatened.”
So if no one was told what the problem was, then how can you say they were threatened “for being critical of the theology or gameplay?” Very, very strange.
Of course, of those who came forward to say they received this letter, all of them had included the “convert or kill” falsehood. None of the websites which did not include it, yet were still critical of the game, have come forward to say they received this letter.
“When they tried to put their game into “Freedom Packets” through the US Department of Defense to soldiers overseas, that did not go well either.”
The DoD had nothing to do with the Freedom Packets. The packages were put together by Operation Straight Up, an evangelical pro-troop organization that partnered with the Pentagon under the America Supports You program along with other organizations of both secular and religious origin. The Pentagon had no oversight as to what each organization did and the partnering was not an endorsement of any of the organizations (which was explicitly stated on the America Supports You website).
“Nor did Double Fusion (a tracking system through the advertisements in the game)”
The only thing that was tracked was the advertisements. That sort of thing is done all over the web. Your privacy is far more vulnerable looking at other blogs and news websites than playing Eternal Forces.
“If you want a more in depth look at the company, the game and the theology behind it, Jonathan Hutson’s Left Behind: Eternal Forces series at Talk2Action remains the definitive source.”
Yes, the definitive source for b.s. Hutson refers several times to Christian characters in the game shouting “Praise the Lord!” whenever innocent bystanders in the game are killed. Also, in this radio interview:
http://bprescott.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=157575
Hutson talks about (among other things) nurses being shot in the head by Christian characters. Hutson’s descriptions of the game are simply and completely false. No one shouts “Praise the Lord!” when anyone is killed, unarmed non-combatant characters cannot be attacked (even if they are part of the Antichrist’s forces) and the graphics are not detailed to the point of depicting characters getting shot in the head. Hutson is a big, fat liar.
Perhaps Gary.
Hi Jason: You’ve been clear you don’t work for the company, the links are available for people to make their own decisions.
Your tenacity is admirable.
“Operation Start Up (OSU) Tour, an evangelical entertainment troupe that actively proselytizes among soldiers, will not be sending the “apocryphal” video game in care packages as planned, according to the department.” - ABC News
What happened to Gordon D. Katz?
“To whom this may concern:
I represent Left Behind Games Inc., the developer and publisher of the LEFT BEHIND series of video games. Your organization hosts a website that has information posted about this game. Unfortunately, there are many statements on your website which appear to be false and misleading. This type of misinformation may cause significant and irreparable harm to Left Behind Video Games Inc. and must be removed.
Left Behind Games Inc. generally supports free speech in the media and understands how important it is to have various opinions presented for public consumption. It will not, however, tolerate the publication of information regarding its products that is false or misleading.
Left Behind Games Inc. is demanding that you immediately remove any and all information contained on your site about the above stated game that is false and/or misleading, including any such statements or commentary and the responses thereto. This includes posted comments made by others in the context of reading the incorrect or misleading statements.
If you do not comply immediately, the company will be forced to pursue additional legal action which will include claims for damages, costs of suit and attorney’s fees. This may subject you and your organization to significant legal and financial damages.”
etc. etc. So what happened?