Catechism video game to have Play Station version

MANILA, Philippines - The catechism video game “Paolo’s Journey” that was conceptualized by Catholic Church officials will soon have its version to suit the Play Station game console and cater to children.

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said that after the successful launch of the digital versatile disc (DVD) formatted video game Paolo’s Journey, the Catholic Church intends to widen its evangelization of children by coming out with a version of the game compatible for Play Station.

Villegas, chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the

Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education (CBCP-ECCCE), yesterday said that he has received offers for the 11-month-old video game to create a Play Station version of the game.

“There have been offers to turn it into a Play Station (version) because it is in its DVD form and not all children play the computer but most of the children are into

the Play Station, so our foreign outlets are asking to have it reformatted into a Play Station format and they are doing it,” said Villegas.

He said the first ever Church-initiated video game was a success. “There were many schools that bought copies of the video game and our outlets were regular Catholic bookstores and we also have secular markets. It just so happened that it was noticed that the children do not always play in the computer. We still want to reach out to our children that is why we want the play station format.”

The game is now being sold in other languages such as Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Tagalog and English. It was also translated in Cebuano.

He admitted that having the catechetical game reformatted is easier said than done.

It would require raising a capital of US$30,0000. They would also have to make revisions on the graphics.

Villegas added since Paolo’s Journey was launched last year, they had to explore new methods and other approaches in order to reach out to children and teach them catechism. “This is just one. We have to explore all options, where the children are we catch them there.”

He said that the Church should conduct a “new evangelization” not for faith propagation, but to remind the faithful of the social teachings of the Church. The target gamers are Grade 3 pupils to college students.

In the game, 10-year-old Paolo falls into a deep well as he was looking for his kitten.

Inside the well, he meets an angel who tells him to collect the three keys he needs to be able to return home.

As the player obtains a key, he advances to the next level of the game. Along the way, Paolo gets to slay creatures called Bloobas and collect scrolls.

He also has to answer 45 catechism questions.

In the first or easy level, the questions would be related to the Sacraments; in the second or medium level, the player would be asked about the 10 Commandments; and in the third or difficult level, the player would be tested on Christian values.

Villegas said the questions in the game were taken from the catechism of the Catholic Church. “The children play while they study or study while they play. In answering these questions, you have to read a book and in reading the book you answer the questions and you also gain points in Paolo’s Journey.”

Once they have produced the Play Station version of Paolo’s Journey, they would give a complementary copy to President Aquino.