ABSTRACT
This introduction asserts that videogames now rival film as a medium through which people encounter the past. It establishes the purpose of this book: to introduce advanced secondary school and undergraduate university students to the major historical themes that historians examine; and how videogames cover these themes, or in some cases ignore them. This chapter also outlines this book’s organization into thematic chapters, briefly summarizing the content of each. Finally, this introduction defines the parameters of the book: the book’s focus is on videogames set in the past. It refers to fantasy games, adventure games in modern settings, and science fiction games only when they inform readers about the context of marketing, mechanics, and reception of games that propel gamers into historical settings.
