Gaming and Digital Public History

Over the past 50 years the part of digital games in our everyday’s media use has consistently grown. They are thus an extremely revealing source for public history. This chapter argues that digital games are among other things a ‘historical form.’ They are not merely products of entertainment, but as cultural artifacts communicate perceptions of history. Digital games are also ‘historical sources.’ Because they are developed from the inside of societies, they are shaped by cultures and politics. Furthermore, digital games are ‘historical research tools’. Historical simulations can help to understand historical structures and processes. There are however practical, methodical and technical challenges for public historians. Historians must have a comprehensive knowledge of a vast field of academic disciplines from game and media studies, political sciences, sociology to anthropology and philosophy. A historical analysis of games must search for historical game influences but also for other historical conditions and influences.