The game I am focusing on is Assassin’s Creed Origins: Discovery Tour. While the Assassin’s Creed game series has been around since 2007, the latest entry in the series, set in Ptolemaic Egypt, includes a game mode called Discovery Tour which allows the player the freedom to explore the open world free of conflict with the focus on education.
This game mode sounded appealing to me as a history teacher and I was eager to not just play the game but also to evaluate its educational merits. I thought that enabling students of history to immerse themselves into that world would bring that culture to life in a way that no other medium can do. One concern I had was the ability for the game to hold the players attention. Video games rely on triggering dopamine hits to keep players engage. I don’t imagine that this mode will provide those same hits.
What I know I will find interesting about this game is its ability to immerse me in the world of Ptolemaic Egypt. This is something the Assassin’s Creed series has done very well, and I have no doubt that they will be able to do it again with this entry. One concern I have is whether the information will be quite light in content – will I learn anything new about this time period in Egypt’s history or will it just be repeating things that I have already learned over the years.
The main thing I will need to do is spend time playing it, moving from tour to tour and listening to the narrator explain this history. I will also need to learn how to control the game aviator but given that I have played many entries in this series over the years, I don’t imagine I will find this difficult.
What I need to learn first within the game are both the controls and the game interface. I expect this will be done quite quickly as all of the best games tend to design their controls to be quite intuitive – I expect no less from Ubisoft, the studio that produces Assassin’s Creed.
I expect it will be very similar to other Assassin’s Creed games. Outside of that series, I have little to compare it to as I play few video games and those games I do play tend to be quite different from each other. The one game I have could compare it to is Red Dead Redemption 2 which, like Assassin’s Creed, has an open world to explore. I found RDR2 to be a slower paced game in all the right ways allowing a player to fully immerse themselves into its world. I think that the discovery tour mode of Assassin’s Creed will also be much slower than the main Assassin’s Creed game and perhaps because of that there could be a similar immersive feel to RDR2.
Fieldnote Summary:
I expect the discovery tour to offer some excellent information combined with stunning graphics and intuitive game controls. Ubisoft has been designing these games for a decade now and their reputation is excellent as is their research into the time periods of all of their games.
This game mode sounded appealing to me as a history teacher and I was eager to not just play the game but also to evaluate its educational merits. I thought that enabling students of history to immerse themselves into that world would bring that culture to life in a way that no other medium can do. One concern I had was the ability for the game to hold the players attention. Video games rely on triggering dopamine hits to keep players engage. I don’t imagine that this mode will provide those same hits.
What I know I will find interesting about this game is its ability to immerse me in the world of Ptolemaic Egypt. This is something the Assassin’s Creed series has done very well, and I have no doubt that they will be able to do it again with this entry. One concern I have is whether the information will be quite light in content – will I learn anything new about this time period in Egypt’s history or will it just be repeating things that I have already learned over the years.
The main thing I will need to do is spend time playing it, moving from tour to tour and listening to the narrator explain this history. I will also need to learn how to control the game aviator but given that I have played many entries in this series over the years, I don’t imagine I will find this difficult.
What I need to learn first within the game are both the controls and the game interface. I expect this will be done quite quickly as all of the best games tend to design their controls to be quite intuitive – I expect no less from Ubisoft, the studio that produces Assassin’s Creed.
I expect it will be very similar to other Assassin’s Creed games. Outside of that series, I have little to compare it to as I play few video games and those games I do play tend to be quite different from each other. The one game I have could compare it to is Red Dead Redemption 2 which, like Assassin’s Creed, has an open world to explore. I found RDR2 to be a slower paced game in all the right ways allowing a player to fully immerse themselves into its world. I think that the discovery tour mode of Assassin’s Creed will also be much slower than the main Assassin’s Creed game and perhaps because of that there could be a similar immersive feel to RDR2.
Fieldnote Summary:
I expect the discovery tour to offer some excellent information combined with stunning graphics and intuitive game controls. Ubisoft has been designing these games for a decade now and their reputation is excellent as is their research into the time periods of all of their games.
Descriptive Notes
I found it difficult to move back and forth between playing the game and writing down notes. One of the main things that I enjoy about a game is its ability to immerse me in its world. When I move away from that world to write notes, that immersion effect is broken and I find it difficult to come back and focus. Given this fact, I decided to write my thoughts after playing.
The discovery tour has many icons spread through the map for the player to interact with. These interactions are varied – some are tours around a site (i.e. the pyramids), others are simply a one off where a real picture will pop up with either a description in text or with a narrator describing it. One thing that struck me was I found myself feeling somewhat impatient – perhaps it is because I am used to the fast-paced excitement of engaging in conflict and not as used to the slower tours.
The discovery tour has many icons spread through the map for the player to interact with. These interactions are varied – some are tours around a site (i.e. the pyramids), others are simply a one off where a real picture will pop up with either a description in text or with a narrator describing it. One thing that struck me was I found myself feeling somewhat impatient – perhaps it is because I am used to the fast-paced excitement of engaging in conflict and not as used to the slower tours.
Affective Notes
As mentioned above, I found it somewhat slow paced and I had to take a moment to refocus on what this game mode was about. This surprised me somewhat as this game mode was what I expected it to be. Perhaps there is some sort of subconscious expectation within my brain that wanted something from a video game that I was not getting. This made me wonder about how video games may have programed my mind over the years.
After a few moments of refocusing what it was I was doing, I allowed myself to sink further into the world of Ptolemaic Egypt and begin learning. The information is solid and descriptive, and I believe that a student of history could learn a lot from it. To control both the character and the interface was very easy and intuitive and I don’t imagine anyone would have much trouble quickly becoming competent.
After a few moments of refocusing what it was I was doing, I allowed myself to sink further into the world of Ptolemaic Egypt and begin learning. The information is solid and descriptive, and I believe that a student of history could learn a lot from it. To control both the character and the interface was very easy and intuitive and I don’t imagine anyone would have much trouble quickly becoming competent.
Analytic Notes
As this game is designed to be something different from most games, there was little in the way of problems or puzzles to overcome. Rather, this was an immersive experience designed to bring the world of Ptolemaic Egypt. The challenge this game mode has is in engaging the player and keeping them motivated to learn more. In addressing gender, the game gives the player the option to pick from a variety of avatars to choose from – male and female, young and old, upper and lower class. The game explores the issue of class during this period quite well.
Egyptians, though in the majority, struggle with being repressed by those of Greek heritage who tended to make up the upper class during this period. To make things more complicated, Roman soldiers have recently arrived and see themselves far above both Egyptians and Greeks. Violence is not a part of the discovery tour though it is ubiquitous in the main game. What this game mode essentially does is educate the player while providing them with an immersive experience. Learning is the focus in this mode and according to a google search while writing these notes, it has attracted over 2.3 million players (https://www.pcgamesn.com/assassins-creed- odyssey/discovery-tour-player-count)
Egyptians, though in the majority, struggle with being repressed by those of Greek heritage who tended to make up the upper class during this period. To make things more complicated, Roman soldiers have recently arrived and see themselves far above both Egyptians and Greeks. Violence is not a part of the discovery tour though it is ubiquitous in the main game. What this game mode essentially does is educate the player while providing them with an immersive experience. Learning is the focus in this mode and according to a google search while writing these notes, it has attracted over 2.3 million players (https://www.pcgamesn.com/assassins-creed- odyssey/discovery-tour-player-count)
Fieldnote Summary:
This game was straightforward and easy to become competent with quickly. The controls are intuitive and well designed – this game mode is unique in providing a gamer with an educational experience rather than a challenge to overcome.
This game was straightforward and easy to become competent with quickly. The controls are intuitive and well designed – this game mode is unique in providing a gamer with an educational experience rather than a challenge to overcome.
Descriptive Notes
For this activity I did something a little different, I had my two daughters play the game and tell me what they thought of it. The first up was my older daughter. She is 18 and has little experience playing games but a great love of history. I wanted to know how quickly she could get a handle on the controls and begin learning. One of the first things she remarked on was how easy it was to use the game controller – I had predicted this would be the case and it was gratifying to see my predictions come true.
I noticed that my daughter moved slower than I did through the world. While I quickly went to the map to see what there is to see, she went to the closest marker and began her tour. One after the other, she moved to the markers that were closest to her and patiently listened to the narrator and read all of the text. She did not appear to be impatient at all – I wondered if this was because her brain was not expecting that dopamine hit that gamers are used to.
Next up was my younger daughter who just turned 6. I was curious to see how she would take to the game and how she would interact with it. Firstly, her hands are too small for the game controller, so she struggled with movement a little. She had little interest in the educational parts that were created by the game designers. Instead, she was far more interested in simply riding her horse from location to location.
I noticed that my daughter moved slower than I did through the world. While I quickly went to the map to see what there is to see, she went to the closest marker and began her tour. One after the other, she moved to the markers that were closest to her and patiently listened to the narrator and read all of the text. She did not appear to be impatient at all – I wondered if this was because her brain was not expecting that dopamine hit that gamers are used to.
Next up was my younger daughter who just turned 6. I was curious to see how she would take to the game and how she would interact with it. Firstly, her hands are too small for the game controller, so she struggled with movement a little. She had little interest in the educational parts that were created by the game designers. Instead, she was far more interested in simply riding her horse from location to location.
Affective Notes
It was more difficult to discern any responses from my older daughter. The only time I noticed a response was when she remarked how easy it was to use the controller. After that she seemed absorbed in the information, taking in as much as possible as if there were going to be a test.
My younger daughter was far more reactive while she played. Though she struggled a little with the controller she still managed to go in the direction she wanted, granted with some zigging and zagging. I would routinely ask her what she knows about Egypt from playing the game. Sometimes she would answer “nothing” other times she would answer “I already know everything about Egypt” but it was clear that she was absorbing the geography of the region, traversing deserts and mountains to reach the towns along the Nile river.
My younger daughter was far more reactive while she played. Though she struggled a little with the controller she still managed to go in the direction she wanted, granted with some zigging and zagging. I would routinely ask her what she knows about Egypt from playing the game. Sometimes she would answer “nothing” other times she would answer “I already know everything about Egypt” but it was clear that she was absorbing the geography of the region, traversing deserts and mountains to reach the towns along the Nile river.
Analytic Notes
While my older daughter appeared to have little trouble, my younger daughter did become frustrated at times when she couldn’t easily do what she wanted. One challenge was when there were mountains in her way which her horse could not get over. She then had to figure out whether it was quicker to ride around the mountain or to dismount and climb over the mountain – she often picked the latter option knowing that with a whistle she could recall her horse, a button she learned quickly.
The other button she learned quickly was how to change day to night and vice versa. She prefers to play in the daytime as it is easier to see things. As I watched my younger daughter play, I tried to imagine seeing this world through her eyes, what would stand out, what would make her want to return to the game and start interacting with the tours the game provides. For now, I think she is getting as much out of it as a six-year-old could.
Fieldnote Summary:
I believe that Assassin’s Creed Origins: Discovery Tour offers something for gamers of all ages. While my older daughter carefully listened to the tours and read all of the text provided, my younger daughter was able to experience Ancient Egypt’s geography simply by riding around the land.
The other button she learned quickly was how to change day to night and vice versa. She prefers to play in the daytime as it is easier to see things. As I watched my younger daughter play, I tried to imagine seeing this world through her eyes, what would stand out, what would make her want to return to the game and start interacting with the tours the game provides. For now, I think she is getting as much out of it as a six-year-old could.
Fieldnote Summary:
I believe that Assassin’s Creed Origins: Discovery Tour offers something for gamers of all ages. While my older daughter carefully listened to the tours and read all of the text provided, my younger daughter was able to experience Ancient Egypt’s geography simply by riding around the land.
Case Study Final
The Assassin’s Creed game series has been one that I have played for many years. As a history buff, I have always been drawn to games that provide an open world experience where I am able to immersive myself into another era. With the release of Assassin’s Creed Origins, it was revealed that a mode called Discovery Tour would be a part of this game. As a history teacher, I was eager to try this mode out and see what it would offer in terms of educational value. Scholarly interest in video games seems to have been inconsistent since I’ve been an educator and I have come to learn that it isn’t just me who feels this way. Taylor (2018) also notes that “[o]ver almost two decades of watching game studies develop as an area of research, I’ve seen it wax and wane in the attention of scholars out-side the domain” (pg. 11). It would appear that educators interested in the value of gaming to their students will need to do much of their own research.
The first thing to do was to sit down and play the Discovery Tour mode of the game and see if it was an educational experience that would be worth the effort. Immediately I found the controls easy to use – both the movement of the onscreen avatar as well as the interface. I was quickly traversing the streets and buildings of Alexandria as it would have appeared during the reign of Cleopatra VII (she is the famous one). I am always struck by the beauty of these games – it truly is a work of art. Bogost (2011) explores the idea of video games as art in considerable tedious detail in the first chapter of his book. He states that “[t]he pursuit of a pure, single account of art in any medium is a lost cause” (pg. 10). This sounds to me like scholars rather than artists discussing art. Artists have always gone where the money is - in the 15th century it was Florence, in the 19th century it was Paris and at the dawn of the 21st century it is to gaming studieos. Assassin’s Creed is most certainly a work of art. This beauty combined with the ease of the controller allowed me to immerse myself into this world and take in as much as I could. I visited the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the pyramids, and the Sphinx and followed the tour for each. The information was excellent and certainly worth the time of any student of history. The next step would be to see how my daughters would take to it.
The first thing to do was to sit down and play the Discovery Tour mode of the game and see if it was an educational experience that would be worth the effort. Immediately I found the controls easy to use – both the movement of the onscreen avatar as well as the interface. I was quickly traversing the streets and buildings of Alexandria as it would have appeared during the reign of Cleopatra VII (she is the famous one). I am always struck by the beauty of these games – it truly is a work of art. Bogost (2011) explores the idea of video games as art in considerable tedious detail in the first chapter of his book. He states that “[t]he pursuit of a pure, single account of art in any medium is a lost cause” (pg. 10). This sounds to me like scholars rather than artists discussing art. Artists have always gone where the money is - in the 15th century it was Florence, in the 19th century it was Paris and at the dawn of the 21st century it is to gaming studieos. Assassin’s Creed is most certainly a work of art. This beauty combined with the ease of the controller allowed me to immerse myself into this world and take in as much as I could. I visited the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the pyramids, and the Sphinx and followed the tour for each. The information was excellent and certainly worth the time of any student of history. The next step would be to see how my daughters would take to it.
My older daughter is 18 and not a gamer and I was curious to see how she would fare. She took her ‘assignment’ very seriously, sitting down with the controller in hand and was surprised to see how easy it was for her to use. The word she used to describe the controls was ‘user-friendly.’ This was an indication that the game was off to a great first step in terms of being accessible to non-gamers. She methodically went about exploring the game, moving towards the first marker and beginning the tour. The tour involved moving from marker to marker around a temple, at each marker the game prompts the user to push a button and then listen to the narrator explain the significance of various aspects of temple life to the Egyptians. She continued on to the next point of interest and would play the game for about 35 minutes. Once done, her verdict was that she believed it was an excellent game that would appeal to students with various learning styles.
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My older daughter's review:
When I was asked to play the video game Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey for educational purposes I was not quite sure what to expect. Although familiar with the game itself due to the fact that many peers of mine enjoy gaming as a pastime, I myself am not a gamer. I was not familiar with the game play nor how to use a controller for a gaming console (such as a Playstation or XBox). However once I started playing the game I realized that the controls were quite user friendly, and not nearly as difficult as I imagined it to be. The educational mode available with this type of game contains information which I do believe would be useful in a classroom setting as well it is easy to maneuver through the map which contains many historical landmarks relevant to a course dealing in this era. One aspect which I did appreciate was the number of ways the information is presented to you throughout the Discovery Tour option in this game. While following a clearly marked path using the relatively easy controls, information and facts are available through visual and auditory questions, as well as through written text on the screen. This would be extremely helpful for those students who learn through many different study methods. To be able to immerse yourself in the history through game play is advantageous for students who have trouble connecting to the material. I found the game both educational and enjoyable, and do believe that many students my age would greatly appreciate having the option of learning course material through this method. |
Next up was my younger daughter who has just turned six. What she would get out of this game would be quite different from my older daughter. I did not expect that she would be interested in the tours provided by the game - rather, I wanted to see what she would absorb from simply traveling the world of Ancient Egypt. My one concern was how much difficulty she might have with the controller. Once she began playing, she quickly managed to figure out the controller and move her avatar where she wanted it though there was some zigzagging as she struggled with the camera angle. From this experience she learns the geography of Egypt, the harshness of the desert and the beauty of the land directly around the Nile river.
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It is clear to me that Assassin’s Creed Origins: Discovery Tour is an excellent game and has tremendous educational value for students from primary to grade 12. Both of my daughters enjoyed playing it and were able to learn at a level that was appropriate to their age. The main issue with the game isn’t in design, rather it is with the cost. Schools would need to spend a tremendous amount of money to buy the systems that could run this game whether it was a PC, PS4 or Xbox1. Perhaps as more games become available, school boards will begin to invest more into gaming as an educational tool. Another possible solution on the horizon is streaming games where the powerful software required to run the game is located on remote servers that less powerful and inexpensive computers can access. Gaming as an educational tool holds tremendous promise provided governments and school boards invest in the technology.
Works Cited
Bogost, I. (2011). How to Do Things with Video Games. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Taylor, T.L. (2018). Watch me play: Twitch and the Rise of Game Live Streaming. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Chapters 1 and 3. Login to UBC library with CWL login to access: https://www-jstor-org.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/stable/j.ctvc77jqw
Works Cited
Bogost, I. (2011). How to Do Things with Video Games. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Taylor, T.L. (2018). Watch me play: Twitch and the Rise of Game Live Streaming. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Chapters 1 and 3. Login to UBC library with CWL login to access: https://www-jstor-org.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/stable/j.ctvc77jqw