Elevate your historical video game or wargame and engage your players with an experience that balances history and gameplay. At Epoch Xperience, our researchers work closely with your development team to fine-tune historical details, help create a fitting narrative, and build rich, vibrant worlds ripped straight from the history books. From pre- to post-production, we’ll be at your side, guiding development and marketing to ensure your historical game is entertaining, immersive, and budding with historical details and facts. Our goal isn’t to bore your players, but to thrust them into a living, breathing world blended with historical details and fantastical lore.
When developing a historical game that approaches the darker or more gratuitous aspects of history, should developers shoot for something lower than an M-rating? Often, the case is that they try to portray these types of events in the most realistic manner they can, but are hindered by the heavy burden of how to respectfully recreate them. The straight answer here is “No,” if the content in question is indicative of the period or conflict covered. You still would be able to provide an authentic take on history, even with an M-rating. Although, it’s important to remember that so much of it can prevent certain markets or players from enjoying the game. It ultimately comes down to the approach, authenticity, and understanding of the appeal behind what makes an audience flock to such titles. How Do M-Rated Titles Fit into Historical Gaming? Undoubtedly, incorporating mature content into a historical setting has proven to work extremely well in today’s market. If done right, an undeniably authentic and engrossing product is created for your players. Tying your audience to the action allows for a more immersive or entertaining experience as well. It’s one of the fundamental drives for players invested in Call of Duty, Battlefield, Chivalry, and so forth. Everything from all-out medieval warfare to close-quarters trench fighting are some of many examples of how certain aspects of violence in history attract gamers. Developers around the world find ways to adapt such effectively to gameplay, often including it as a necessary part of their core design.  Yet, there is an evidently fine balance to reach between the inclusion of violence within a historical game. When do said mechanics become overdone or exaggerated? What are the boundaries of even developing a game around it? Will my players then be turned off by the...
In this addition to our new series ‘Gamifying History,’ we will be covering the Battle of Kursk. This was a decisive battle between the Soviets and Germany. It’s well known for being one of the largest tank battles of World War 2, lifting the Soviets into a power play after the successful counterattack of Stalingrad. Within the historical gaming genre, many games don’t lay into exploring this conflict. There are very few that even choose to build a game around it, but those that do are often met with a mixed reception. With how in-depth this engagement was, there are ways though to successfully adapt it into many gameable formats. Historical Background After the victory from the Battle of Stalingrad, Soviet forces traversed south in Operation Little Saturn. This was a course of military campaigns that lasted from December 12, 1942, to February 18, 1943. By near the end of the operation in January, a gap had formed between two remaining German army groups, with the Soviet armies advancing to cut them off.  Eventually, after the ongoing pressure, the Soviets retook Kursk and several other pivotal locations. In response, German field marshall Erich von Manstein would request complete control over operational freedoms. Hitler would approve of this and later assign Manstein to commit a counteroffensive against the Soviet forces. German forces would reorganize and resupply themselves, separating from north to south within the region.  Manstein would soon then utilize his armies to progress in a series of counterstrokes into the backline of Soviet armored formations. This was made with the intent of breaking these divisions as well as beginning to retake Kharkiv and Kursk. Eventually, as the indecisive and pyrrhic Third Battle of Kharkiv began and concluded, both sides fell back in their reach. Now, a Soviet line of weakness...
In historical gaming, many eras, conflicts, and events get the limelight. Some hold varying reputations in the public’s eyes though. Most tend to not want to see such history recreated due to the controversial nature it may hold. But, these unfaltering blocks do not truly limit what developers can create. Even with the scrutinous content in mind, developers can still make games around such history. Everything can be gamified, so long as the material is respected. Developing Games Around ‘Untouchable’ Events Developers that leap into the woes of recreating ‘untouchable’ history open an endless vault of opportunities for themselves. Although, these can differ or halt in various ways.  Leveraging interactivity is just one of such numerous developmental conventions that they have to thoroughly focus on. Keeping the content engaging and authentic is important, yet taking design decisions that are in the better cause of respectability is just as more significant. Entertainment can provenly meld with accurately representing how said history occurred. Players flow well into this, being one of their main diving points into said games. Limiting bias is foremost as well. Giving fair and equal views to the history-covered matters. Without this, the core experience can become a major turnoff for any player looking to grasp your title. Holding every element into account, you as a developer can build around any historical topic. Although, it sits heavily upon how accurate, respectful, and unbiased your product is in the end. How Can Games That Touch Controversial History Be Effectively Presented? Some developers that work on historical games stray far from approaching controversial parts of history. While the wealth of content is there, a cloud of doubt about how those particular games can be presented to an audience remains. There’s undeniably a lot at stake in just stepping foot onto such...
Alternate history is a well-known and popular subgenre under historical gaming. Players are always flocking to these titles, with a good few being: Wolfenstein, Command & Conquer, and Hearts of Iron. Yet, at a glance, these titles may seem to often sacrifice aspects of realism and accuracy for something far off. Although, there’s a catch in what drives gamers to engage with them. What if history happened differently? How could a certain battle or event change the past? Limitless possibilities are open through interpretation, and players dig well into said perspectives. However, answering these historical unknowns has to be done effectively. Developers have to find ways to make these takes upon the past fresh and authentic. By simply opening the doorway for reimagining, more is at stake. How Developers Approach Alternate History Undoubtedly, alternate history proves tricky to develop. Developers find themselves in the weighing position of balancing reality with fiction. It is a thin line to cross, but not without its merits. Through a multitude of factors, alternate history can be developed to bring an insightful eye into how history could possibly diverge. A primary aspect of such involves analyzing the tensions and events from any era covered. An understanding of the motives or actions that a leader, faction, or country held is key in abridging history authentically. Taking that into account, developers can connect to countless different pathways from their history. These are then used to amp up narratives, adding more thematic pressure. Bringing your audience to the forefront allows a seamless jump into the action. More immersion is granted and allows anyone to fill in any role that a game presents. These factors are just some of the numerous ways that developers work with alternate histories. Players find this freedom of choice and outlook on an adverted...
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