The end of the year is upon us, and enough blogs and news sites have already written great articles on the best games of the year. Therefore, instead of being lost amongst the white noise of award features, I'd like to point out a few trends which I felt were especially important during 2005. These aren't just news stories and scandals, but largely new trends that have effected gaming.

A blogger on another games blog (rhymes with Joystick) did by direct association label the Chronicles of Narnia movie tie-in title a Christian game. I disagree without the least hint of concession. Not only do we have a game twice removed, based on a movie based on children's fantasy stories, but although the use of Christian theme and symbolism certainly exists in C.S. Lewis's Narnia tales these are not "Christian stories" per se.

But the game. I've heard good things about it. It reviewed well. Almost surely it's a title appropriate for a wide range of ages, especially children. Why in the world does it need to be stuck into a Christian pigeonhole? It's apparently exactly the kind of game for people who want some sort of wholesome gaming diversion for their kids. Why is it so important that Narnia, the game and the movie and the novels, be knocked into the Christian category, unless it is merely to market to a demographic perceived as under served by the video game and film industries? And why is it so important to a large swath of Christians that the entirety of Narniadom belong to what amounts to a very narrow view of Christianity -- a view C.S. Lewis himself would have been unlikely to support?

Why?