A Game Design Plot: Exploring the Educational Potential of History-Based Video Games

The number of video games that are developed based on real historical events and evidence is increasing. These history-based video games provide learning opportunities to players, but a certain type of such games-first- and third-person shooters-has not been carefully examined for their potentials. Knowing what players say about their game experience-even if the information and knowledge are inaccurate-helps researchers understand what type of learning could happen with such games. In this article, we propose a systematic approach to assessing games as learning environments, using the method of comparing the authenticity of popular history-based video games. Through a qualitative data analysis, we studied players' comments on the web-based communication services, such as game forums, digital distribution platforms, and discussion websites. Casual players' conversations on these websites showed that there exist several learning potentials in the games for players, including building their understanding about history and historical forces of the time, through personally relating to specific events, social artifacts, and places.