Video games set in the Middle Ages: time spans, plots, and genres

Abstract

Within the study of video games, there is a burgeoning interest in the phenomenon of historical representation; nonetheless, few studies have centered on the reflection of particular eras of History, such as the Middle Ages and the effect of this on interpretations of culture and potential pedagogical applications with respect to this specific period of time. In this study, we present and discuss the compilation and content of a database of over 600 medieval titles released between 1980 and 2013, demonstrating the growing popularity, with producers and consumers, of what we could now refer to as a stand-alone genre. We discuss our categorization of the collection as purely historical or as hybrid and provide what could prove a very rich source of data for researchers on typical plot lines, most and least popular eras or events in history, genres commonly adopted within both types of game.