- Historical Games, History, Culture, Cultural History, Postmodernism, History and Memory, and 38 moreDigital History, Play, Historical Theory, Interactive Narrative, Video Game, Historical Consciousness, Cultural Studies, Digital Humanities, Digital Culture, Game studies, Digital Media & Learning, Interactive and Digital Media, Public History, Reenactment, Historical Re Enactment, Cultural Heritage, Film and History, New Media Studies, Technoculture, Video Games, Digital Media, Ethnography, Microethology, Everyday Life, Epistemology, Serious Games, Video Games and Learning, Digital Games, Humanities Computing (Digital Humanities), Computer Games Education, Use of story-telling in games, Historical Epistemology, Virtual Heritage, Interactive Cultural Learning, Perceptions of the Past, Cultural Memory, Collective Memory, and New Mediaedit
- Adam Chapman obtained a PhD in media, culture and society in 2013. Before this his background was in history (BA Hons... moreAdam Chapman obtained a PhD in media, culture and society in 2013. Before this his background was in history (BA Hons) and cultural history (MA). From 2014 he held a position at the University of Gothenburg as a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Education, Communication and Learning, becoming a senior lecturer at the department in 2017. Though interested in many aspects of games, popular history, collective memory and learning, Adam's main research focus is on historical games, i.e. games that represent the past.
Given that these games are some of the most widespread popular histories of recent years, he is interested in questions about what it means for history to be told through this new medium. By investigating how the game form shapes historical content, he looks at both the opportunities and limitations that digital games offer as a historical form. He has done this by weaving existing historical theory and analysis, with game-focused research that acknowledges the unique qualities of games and play, as well as, more recently, Gibsonian psychology and Goffman’s frame analysis. Accordingly, Adam approaches historical videogames from a perspective that includes understanding both action/agency and narrative/representation and the interplays between these aspects.
As well as recently writing pieces on the representation of WWI in games and the pressures of the game form on historical representation, Adam recently published his book "Digital Games as History: How Videogames Represent the Past and Offer Access to Historical Practice" (Routledge 2016). Currently he is seeking funding to investigate production and consumption practices and perspectives surrounding historical games.edit
This article explores the relation of WWI popular collective memory to historical videogames. The article provides an overview of WWI games, organising them by genre and determining their engagement with the imagery that typically... more
This article explores the relation of WWI popular collective memory to historical videogames. The article provides an overview of WWI games, organising them by genre and determining their engagement with the imagery that typically sustains and constitutes WWI popular memory. This reveals that - unusually for popular history - the majority of these games (40/58) do not significantly engage this memory. The article attempts to explain this lack of engagement by examining the issues that face videogames in trying to engage WWI popular memory given its relatively sensitive and contested nature (tonal incompatibility; fear of trivialisation through ludification; uncertainty about playable positions). Accordingly, the analysis suggests that the nature of the depictions of WWI that players are exposed to in this new popular form is partly shaped by the particular limitations that the videogame form and its perceived cultural role entail. In doing so, the article also examines the nature of the videogame as a form for historical representation.
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In press. Introduction to special section “The Past in Play: History in Games” in Rethinking History: The Journal of Theory and Practice 21 (3)
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Despite the huge sales of various historical videogames (e.g. Sid Meier’s Civilization, Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed) the discipline of history has shown surprisingly little interest in this new mode of historical expression. These... more
Despite the huge sales of various historical videogames (e.g. Sid Meier’s Civilization, Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed) the discipline of history has shown surprisingly little interest in this new mode of historical expression. These videogames are perhaps the most popular contemporary histories but there seems to be a perception of the form as unsuitable for consideration as a legitimate form of historical narrative. This article attempts to explore the videogames legitimacy as a historical form. This is done by starting with Galloway’s (2006) informatics critique of Civilization which has serious implications for the videogame as a historical form. This is followed by evidence, from both educators and players, which affirms that play with the game already constitutes a historical experience that ties into a larger historical discourse. Finally, by using a perspective that rethinks empiricism and written representationalism and which endorses a position that frees up intellectual space for the postmodern historian, this article attempts to address issues surrounding the suitability of the videogame as an historical form. This essay seeks to show that these are inherent ‘flaws’ attributable to history (which can be thought of as representation), rather than any particular form. This leads to an exploration of the similarities in the algorithmic process of creative construction of the game-based history to our other more traditional modes of history. By re-evaluating Galloway’s work we are also rethinking empirical-analytical historical thinking and practice. Doing so, allows us to begin to explore important questions about and affirm that the videogame can be a recognisable metonymic narrative device and thus a suitable form for history.
Research Interests: History, Humanities Computing (Digital Humanities), Epistemology, Digital Humanities, Serious Games, and 10 morePlay, Video Games and Learning, Video Games, Historical Theory, Digital Games, Computer Games Education, Historical Epistemology, Virtual Heritage, Interactive Cultural Learning, and Historical Games
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World War I (WWI) has a relatively unusual presence in popular memory and historical videogames have rapidly become one of the most successful forms of popular history. Despite this, there is very little research that examines the... more
World War I (WWI) has a relatively unusual presence in popular memory and historical videogames have rapidly become one of the most successful forms of popular history. Despite this, there is very little research that examines the representation of WWI in videogames. This paper provides an overview of WWI games, organising them by genre and determining their engagement with WWI popular memory. Secondly, the paper explains the issues that face videogames in trying to engage this memory, particularly given its relatively controversial and contested nature. Thirdly, using frame analysis, the paper suggests a number of reframings which videogames that engage with WWI popular memory seem to use to negotiate these issues. Accordingly, the analysis reveals the nature of depictions of WWI that players are exposed too in this new popular form. Furthermore, in doing so, the current limitations and possibilities of videogames as a historical form are further explored.
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s demonstrated by the many insightful studies on the effect of representational practices on historical and cultural studies (see Smiles and Moser 2005; Russel 2006; Waterton and Watson 2010; Bonde and Houston 2013), when cultures,... more
s demonstrated by the many insightful studies on the effect of representational practices on historical and cultural studies (see Smiles and Moser 2005; Russel 2006; Waterton and Watson 2010; Bonde and Houston 2013), when cultures, history, peoples and their performative practices and life- styles are solidified through elaborate acts of representation, reconstruction or description, there is often little initiative to diversify and question. Through the representation thereof, the past is being globalised as an assemblage of agreed upon symbols that becomes our heritage rather than reflecting it. An understanding of the processes that make up these modes of documentation through which we communicate those places, events and performative practices that are part of our cultural heritage is crucial, since the communicative traditions these make use of constitute a large part of the public’s apprehension of past cultures and people. As have been shown on numerous occasions (see James 1997; Moser 2001; Westin 2014), the representations we are creating of the past often follows well established conventions that are outdated, homogenous, and highly problematic, and may feed into contemporary political conflict. It takes great effort to break free from these conventions, to diversify and tell new stories.