Gabriele Aroni
Dr Gabriele Aroni is Senior Lecturer at the School of Digital Arts of Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. Trained as an architect, he pursued his studies in digital media communication. His research is situated at the intersection of cultural heritage, game studies, architecture, and semiotics. He is the author of “The Semiotics of Architecture in Video Games” and “Gli ordini architettonici di San Lorenzo a Firenze 1420-1490”. Amongst his publications “Vitruvian Proportions in the Design of the Architectural Orders of the Basilica of San Lorenzo” (Annali di Architettura) and “The Architecture of Assassin’s Creed II’s Florence” (Well Played).
Session
The combination of cultural heritage and digital games is nothing new. The technological tools behind digital heritage and games, such as 3D scanning and photogrammetry, are similar, and cross-pollination between disciplines exists, such as archaeogaming (Caracciolo 2022). However, the current literature mostly focuses on serious games, i.e. games designed with specific educational aims in mind, which, despite their successful application, are still a minority compared to normal commercial games, which are now estimated to reach 3.2 billion players globally (Newzoo 2022). In fact, many of the most successful commercial games are rich in cultural heritage representations (Copplestone 2017), and can be powerful vehicles for the diffusion of cultural heritage within and outside designated institutions (Nizzo 2020). Nonetheless, it is important for cultural heritage to be represented appropriately, as recently demonstrated by the Sámi Council of Finland, who requested the removal of an attire from the game Final Fantasy XIV for the unauthorised use of their cultural heritage (Saami Council 2023).
This session will discuss the usage of cultural heritage data in commercial digital games, as well as the problems that might arise in terms of cultural property and appropriateness of use, and potential solutions. Through case studies from Italy, Canada, China and India, the presentation will display case studies on various implementations of cultural heritage in digital games and propose methods of collaboration between cultural heritage institutions and the creative industries.