Gate Zero. – which is the name of the game – has been a significant investment for BCC Media. It started in Norway in the Bible X game studio, and the goal has been to develop an engaging and biblical game that allows players to explore the events of the New Testament in a new and dynamic way. Now the further development of the game is moving to the USA.
Saw a huge potential
“What started with a small team in 2020 developing a 3D model of the temple in Jerusalem for a Bible study project in BCC has grown into a game studio with over 30 developers,” explains Arve Solli. He has led the game development from the start.
“Young people don’t read long articles anymore, so being able to travel back in time on their own is an extremely powerful way to convey Jesus’ message. For many, the game may pave the way for their first encounter with Jesus,” Solli hopes.
This entrepreneurial mindset attracted the attention of an international audience.
“From the moment we saw Gate Zero, we knew it had enormous potential with its combination of a high quality game being created for a massive, yet underserved gaming audience,” says John Gibson, CEO and founder of Templar Media.
From left: Level Designer Gabriel Fuentes, Lead Producer Andy Anderson, Templar Media CEO John Gibson, Game Director Arve Solli, and Associate Producer Deb Vedvik. Photo: Private
An important choice
“We were in a bit of a balancing act between what was our intention from the start and what we saw the game could actually become,” explains Solli.
“We had to decide whether this should be a simpler game only for use in BCC’s youth work, or whether we should develop it into a game that could also meet the expectations of a wider audience around the world,” says Solli.
He adds that choosing the latter would lead to a completely different level of technical quality, the need for significantly more capacity and expertise, and, not least, it was necessary to look for other financing solutions.
This meant that further funding for the game had to come from outside the church, which until then had financed the entire development.
You play Max, who is accidentally sent back in time from the year 2072. In his efforts to get the time machine working again, he encounters events that gradually awaken both his curiosity and confront him with serious challenges.
While working on repairing the time machine, he stumbles upon something much bigger. He needs to take back the real story and protect it.
Collaboration enhances the gaming experience
The fact that a professional operator like Templar Media, with 25 years of experience in the gaming industry, wants to invest in the Bible game emphasizes how unique and promising the concept is.
“With this acquisition we can now apply the full experience, support and resources of Templar Media into creating the incredible ‘Entertainment First’ experience that gamers worldwide have been asking for,” explains John Gibson in a press release.
While Templar Media continues to be responsible for financing, progress and creative development, part of the agreement is that BCC continues to contribute to the communication of the biblical content of the game.
“This was an important point for me in the agreement,” explains Solli, “The strong expertise and long experience of communicating content from the Bible to a young audience helps to ensure that the game also has high content quality.”
He and most of the team will be staying on, now that the game development will be led from the USA.
This is what the agreement entails
Many BCC members have supported the Bible X project through donations and have great ownership of the project. The contribution from the church amounts to more than NOK 60 million, and has been crucial for the development to come as far as it has.
The agreement therefore implies, among other things, that if Gate Zero becomes a commercial success, BCC will receive parts of this dividend through royalties. In addition, BCC and its members get the right to use the game in their further youth work.
A historic milestone: Bible content to millions of players
The agreement between BCC and Templar Media means that the game now has the opportunity to reach its full potential.
“Millions of young people all over the world will soon be able to have exciting experiences and have fun with the most rich and meaningful content there is – the Bible,” says Arve enthusiastically.
He is proud that the vision that started in Norway is being continued by a global player, contributing Christian content that gets noticed in the gaming world.
When asked when the game will be launched, he replies:
“We haven’t announced a date yet, but are looking forward to being able to tell you!”
Watch the demo shown to the press at Gamescom
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