Not even "modest" sales.
Why? Because it has the words "Attack" and "Zombies" in the title. Kids love the title, but they don't buy software. Parents and teachers buy software, and they've told me they don't like the words "attack" ...sounds too violent, or "zombies" ...sounds too ghoulish. But I adore the title, and the game, and the concept of what the game is trying to achieve.
So this "review" is actually a lesson in THE MARKETING of Christian game software. ;-)
The 3D Game:
Players navigate "Super Kenz the Bible Kid" around a 3d church, flinging donuts from her "donut flinger" at 8 different 3d characters. The 8 characters have been turned into "Zombies" (not the bloody kind, but the church kind) who have a bad attitude or the wrong reasons for going to worship and Sunday School. Did I mention "donut flinger" ?? Super Kenz must find boxes of donuts to reload it. And they're chocolate, so they leave a mess.
After quite a few donuts "hits," the Zombie stops and talks to Super Kenz. First the zombie spouts their complaints about church ("it's boring," or "I don't like some of the people," or, "people are hypocrites."). It's all familiar stuff, unfortunately. Kenz sympathizes a bit, then opens up her handheld iTell Bible Computer and shows them a couple of Bible verses that address the specific complaints. The zombies comes around, and returns to normal. After all 8 zombies are found and corrected, they all show up in the sanctuary to thank her.
I wanted to make fun little game about the RIGHT REASONS to go to worship. I wanted a game that addressed all the EXCUSES I've heard over the years from kids in the various churches where I've served and taught.
But I know what churches buy: they buy software about Bible stories, not topics. "Why you should go to church" is not on their curriculum! So by creating Zombies, I'm trying to force the subject. Because frankly, if you've taught for any length of time, you know it is "THE" topic.
Notes to Fellow Developers:
If this were the only game I ever developed, it would be my last, because most every developer needs to make some profit out of a project in the first year. I could only develop it because I had other more successful titles. So in a very real sense, Attack of the Sunday School Zombies CD is my gift, an indulgence. And because I can carry the title for many years, and keep it in front of my audience, I'll probably eventually make my development dollars out of it. Production houses and bookstore chains can't do things this way.
I knew I needed to make a FUNNY game. (and there's a difference between "fun" and "funny" btw, and games should be BOTH). I knew it had to be a game kids would want to play long enough to get them to hear themselves complaining, and maybe get little attitude adjustment along the way. The game's narrated scriptural "reasons" and attitudes also give teachers and parents something to grab and discuss.
I'm no dummy. I know kids will want to bypass the content and keep shooting donuts. That's the key in my designs: balance. "Balance" means make the game interesting or fun enough that the content catches them with their guard down.
And because of everything I've just said, I knew I needed to make it a "short" game, and not a 10 level 12 hour epic. Epics cost money, and this game would only get bought by church folks who have on average only 35-45 minutes of class time. Zombies takes about 20-25 minutes to play.
Learn and see more at http://www.sundaysoftware.com/zombies
Note about Violence in Christian Video Games...
I've had some customers who don't like the fact that Super Kenz SHOOTS donuts at people. Any kind of "shooting" or "hitting" bothers them. For most developers in this small market, you simply can't make choices like that. You have to appeal to as many as you can to be able to make a ago of it. But once again, because Zombies was a "pet" project, and didn't have to pay the mortgage, I could indulge my strange sense of humor. I think shooting donuts at the pastor is hilarious, and quite appropriate to get him to loosen up a bit. (yes, the pastor is one of the zombies)
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