Recognizing the Structure of Video Games with a Focus on the Education of History and Art (Case Study: Discovery Tour Game Series)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 MA., Department of Advanced Studies of Art, School of Visual Arts, College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran, Corresponding Author.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Painting and Sculpture, School of Visual Arts, College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Since students in various educational levels are among the audience of video games universally in this current era, it can be said that there is a significant capacity to produce works with educational content based on this art industry and digital media. Various researchers have analyzed the effects of using video games as an efficient and innovative tool in the process of teaching the audience, and considering the importance of the category of virtual education in various levels of education. The creators of video games, especially in recent years, have goals beyond entertainment and "game" in their productions in this new and popular art and digital industry and have invited audiences from different walks of life to the beautiful and unique world of these games.  One of these goals has been the production of video games based on education for players, relying on scientific and academic sources. Educational video games are one of the types of serious games. Serious games are games whose main purpose of design is more than mere entertainment; the adjective "serious" refers to the use of these games in areas such as education, scientific research, health, crisis management, urban planning, etc. These games simulate real-world events or processes designed to solve problems. Although these types of games can be fun, their main purpose is not just entertainment. It was in the 1960s that educational games (in a general sense) attracted the attention of researchers, and the value of experimental educational approaches in increasing the motivation and learning of students in educational environments. The first video games with educational purposes were created in the 1970s. In the following decades, video games with educational purposes have continued to be produced. Using educational aspects in a video game while maintaining its entertaining structure is an effective and efficient way to improve the level of education in the audience, especially students, and convey the lesson concepts to them as best as possible. In some countries, the creators of educational video games, as well as the ruling educational system, use other complementary tools such as the use of "virtual reality" technology or the possibility of viewing images in 3D, taking into account the importance of interaction and immersion of users (players) in these games. Also, the importance of virtual distance education in different educational stages, especially in the last few years, has been the focus of the educational system all over the world, and video games can play an effective role as a new tool in this way of education. One of the newest and most successful games created for educational purposes and the introduction of outstanding historical, cultural, and artistic capacities of the world is a collection titled: "Discovery Tour”, three versions of which has been published, i.e. “Discovery Tour: Ancient Egypt" ( 2018), "Discovery Tour: Ancient Greece" (2019), and "Discovery Tour: Viking Age" (2021). The first two games are related to the re-creation and introduction of the historical and artistic capacities of the two great civilizations of Egypt and Ancient Greece, and the last game is to re-create, analyze and teach the historical, cultural and artistic events of the 9th century during the conquests of the Viking tribes in Scandinavia and Anglo-Saxon England. After its global release, the game series received very positive feedback, not only from players and critics of the art industry of video games, but also historians and academic researchers of art disciplines. In addition to opening its way to the educational system in some countries, shortly after release, the game has been used in many historical, cultural and artistic centers such as famous museums in the world. After the release of the Ancient Egypt Discovery Tour game, the British Museum, in collaboration with Ubisoft, made it possible to experience the game in the museum environment, next to the main examples of ancient objects and mummies. Also, Montreal's "Pointe a Collier" museum exhibited images and videos of the exploration tour game in an exhibition in 2018 and in the "Queens of Egypt" section. In addition to these two museums, cultural centers and museums such as "The British Library", "The National Museum of Denmark", "Hampshire Cultural Center", "Preston Park Museum" and "The Union of National Museums of France" are in the stages of construction and development of this collection with the construction group. They have cooperated and introduced this collection to their audience on various occasions. The present research introduces and analyzes the unique and hidden capacities in this video game collection in the first step and then recognizes and emphasizes the structure and innovations used in these games with a focus on history and art education. The main question of this research is as follows: What are the structures and elements of a video game focused on teaching history and art, and what are the unique and distinctive features of such games compared to other common educational methods of history and art? In response to this question, among the statistical population including educational video games, the three mentioned parts of the "Discovery Tour" game series have been selected and analyzed with a purposeful method. The approach used in this research is inductive, and the type of research is descriptive-analytical from the perspective of the applied goal and the research method used. Its data analysis method is also qualitative, and the statistical population includes educational video games and analyzed samples, i.e. three video games named "Discovery tour: Ancient Egypt", "Discovery tour: Ancient Greece" and "Discovery tour: Viking Age" from the "Assassin's Creed" games collection. The method of gathering information is by using library sources and pictures taken from the stream of these three games. According to the research process and the analysis of the main components and parts of the "Discovery Tour" game series, it is possible to realize the existence of a systematic structure and innovative and significant features in a new way of teaching history and art. Innovative features in the technical and structural part of these games are simplicity, dynamism and freedom of action, which increase the possibility of interacting with the game, especially for parents, teachers, professors and any user who is not familiar with these games. The "open world" environment of this collection provides players with the possibility of virtual and free exploration in historical cities. Also lists and an attractive user interface allow the player to track progress and review what he has learned. In the characterization section, the possibility of choosing from both genders and children, people from various jobs, as well as historical figures can lead to an increase in a sense of identity, interaction, and immersion. The use of various audio, text, and video guides, as well as the use of reliable scientific and historical sources enhance audience's information at different levels. Amazing discoveries and new productions based on the data obtained from these games, as well as covering all civilizational and cultural capacities and specifically addressing various historical aspects, including mythological and narrative history, lead to presenting an all-round, documented, and detailed image to the audience. Other features such as the possibility of taking pictures of the game environment, the question and answer system and evaluation at the end of each section, establish a balance between entertainment and education as well as links to the world's leading academic and artistic circles. The aforementioned facilities and features that sometimes distinguish this educational method from other common methods of teaching history and art are also considered. Consequently, by recognizing and reflecting on the structure and elements of this successful game series at the international level, an effective step can be taken in the direction of building Indigenous video games focused on history and art education and thus overcome the challenges in the country's traditional education system. It is also possible to use educational games with an instructive focus on history and art at schools, universities, museums, and cultural centers, alongside with the financial and spiritual support of governmental institutions, the private sector, universities, and academic circles and the connection, companionship, and support between them, regarding video games as newly established influential media.
 
 

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منابع
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Glory of Art (Jelve-y Honar) Alzahra Scientific Quarterly Journal
Volume 15, Issue 4 - Serial Number 41
December 2023
Pages 84-101

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