ABSTRACT
Applying virtual reality and virtual-world technology to historical knowledge and to cultural heritage content is generally called virtual heritage, but it has so far eluded clear and useful definitions and it has been even more difficult to evaluate. I have recently written about the history of virtual heritage and related general issues for the Oxford Handbook of Virtuality (Champion, 2014a) and I have also written about what culture means in a virtual heritage environment (Champion, 2005b), but I have not detailed the challenges and potential of games from a humanities perspective. For example, how can digital media complement rather than compete with the academic and public uses for history and heritage? What sort of realism and accuracy is required? How do we determine if interaction is meaningful and appropriate? How do we encourage collaboration beyond silo-creating computer screens? How do we incorporate ownership concerns? And in relation to evaluation, how do we make it meaningful?
