A model of heritage content in serious and commercial games

Serious games have received increasing interest for applications in the delivery of virtual heritage experiences, and many examples are well documented in the literature. There are also many examples of commercial (non-serious) games that contain heritage content. Although attempts have been made to classify these games, no models have been presented to define the different types of cultural heritage and historical information that can be presented at a content level, and how the information can be manifested within the game. This paper proposes such a model, and although it focuses on serious games, it will be shown how it can also be applied to commercial games. Explanations of each element of the model are given, along with examples from heritage games. The findings are relevant in helping designers of serious games for heritage to consider how heritage information can be embodied in the videogame medium. Furthermore, the model helps us to uncover learning outcomes in heritage commercial games, where they have not been explicitly defined.