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71112-01 - Practical course: Exploring Cultural Heritage in Video Games (3 CP)

Semester spring semester 2024
Course frequency Once only
Lecturers Béatrice Gauvain (beatrice.gauvain@unibas.ch, Assessor)
Content Heritage is understood as tangible and intangible cultural assets, serving as evidence of human creativity and ingenuity with significant historical, societal, artistic, scientific, or economic importance. They are protected, maintained, and made accessible to the public. Cultural heritage is not static but undergoes constant change, particularly in the digital realm where new possibilities arise for presenting and conveying cultural assets. An intriguing genre in this context is video games, where the consumer doesn't play a passive and observational role but actively interacts with digital representations of cultural heritage.

This raises several questions to be addressed in this seminar:

How is tangible and intangible cultural heritage represented in video games?
To what extent does this contribute to the preservation and continuation of these cultural assets, and do they develop a life of their own?
How does this impact cultural memory?
How do video games handle historicity?
What is the player's approach and interaction with cultural heritage?
What cultural knowledge is conveyed to players, and what potential issues may arise?
How do various interest groups in commercial game development deal with cultural heritage?

After an introduction, participants will independently explore and present topics. There are numerous facets of cultural heritage in video games that can be examined, such as 3D models and representation of cities (Assassin’s Creed), urban structures and city building (BioShock Infinite, Age of Empires, Civilization), societal constructions (Total War, Age of Empires, The Elder Scrolls, World of Warcraft, Way of the Samurai), reception of antiquity (Caesar, Populous, God of War), reception of the Middle Ages (The Elder Scrolls, World of Warcraft), reception of indigenous peoples (Never Alone, This Land is My Land, …), Christianity and Bible reception (Darksiders, Devil May Cry, Diablo, Fallout), as well as virtual sacred places and rituals (Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, The Talos Principle, Valheim, The Legend of Zelda, World of Warcraft, Mass Effect).

 

Admission requirements The number of participants is limited. In the event of oversubscription, students of Digital Humanities will be given preferential admission.
Language of instruction English
Use of digital media No specific media used

 

Interval Weekday Time Room
wöchentlich Tuesday 10.15-12.00 Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117

Dates

Date Time Room
Tuesday 05.03.2024 10.15-12.00 Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117
Tuesday 12.03.2024 10.15-12.00 Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117
Tuesday 19.03.2024 10.15-12.00 Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117
Tuesday 26.03.2024 10.15-12.00 Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117
Tuesday 02.04.2024 10.15-12.00 Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117
Tuesday 09.04.2024 10.15-12.00 Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117
Tuesday 16.04.2024 10.15-12.00 Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117
Tuesday 23.04.2024 10.15-12.00 Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117
Tuesday 30.04.2024 10.15-12.00 Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117
Tuesday 07.05.2024 10.15-12.00 Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117
Tuesday 14.05.2024 10.15-12.00 Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117
Tuesday 21.05.2024 10.15-12.00 Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117
Tuesday 28.05.2024 10.15-12.00 Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 117
Modules Modul: Digital Humanities, Culture and Society (Master's degree subject: Digital Humanities)
Modul: Koordinaten der Kreativität (Master's degree program: Cultural Techniques)
Assessment format continuous assessment
Assessment registration/deregistration Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required
Repeat examination no repeat examination
Scale Pass / Fail
Repeated registration no repetition
Responsible faculty Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch
Offered by Digital Humanities Lab

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