DEVELOPMENT OF HISTORICAL REPRESENTATION IN VIDEO GAMES: HISTORY IN ASSASSIN'S CREED I-III, 2007-2012

Abstract

History-based video games represent an important avenue for historians to analyze how values of the present can impact video games' portrayals of the past. Operating as sites of commemoration, historical representation in video games is simultaneously a reflection of the heritage values of the imagined player (intended audience), the team behind the game's development, and the game's "present." Using Assassin's Creed I-III (2007-2012) as a focal point, this thesis examines the internal dialogue (in-game content) and external dialogue (online debates, reviews, and accolades) of the Desmond narrative arc to demonstrate the effects of each game's external dialogue on subsequent games in the Assassin's Creed series. This pattern demonstrated a clear "call and response" discourse taking place between Ubisoft's development team and their consumers. Beginning with the original Assassin's Creed (2007), Ubisoft's stated goal was to encourage players to think critically about the history they consume. However, player feedback quickly demonstrated to the development team that players wanted Ubisoft to focus less on historical interpretation or context and instead place greater emphasis on "accurate" details. As a result, each subsequent game in the Desmond narrative arc gradually prioritized engaging with the minutiae of "accuracy," eventually resulting in a portrayal of the American Revolution (Assassin's Creed, 2012) that - despite purporting an alternative view of this era - ended up reinforcing dominant historical narratives.