About this episode
Olga Kalashnikova and Jan Kremer discuss the impact of historical digital games on perceptions of history and their relevance to professional historians.
In this interview, Olga Kalashnikova and Jan Kremer discuss their on-going research into historical digital gaming. They note that around sixty percent of the population regularly play digital games, and that historical games generally constitute twenty percent of the most popular games, implying that history sells games. Olga and Jan research not only the games and their developers, but most importantly, the gamers, focussing on how they understand the games they play and the history behind those games. In this interview they consider if, and how the most popular historical digital games can change or re-enforce popular perceptions of history. And if they do, will this makes professional historians more or less relevant. They also discuss how national governments might use historical digital games for political propaganda with an example of a game developed and marketed on behalf of the Russian state. Finally Olga and Jan consider what might be better ways of using medieval, or any history, in digital games to ensure they are historically valid while still being entertaining and profitable for the developers.This podcast is part of a series of interviews covering central Europe…
People in this episode
Guests: Olga Kalashnikova, Jan Kremer
Topics covered
- historical digital gaming
- perceptions of history
- gaming and education
- political propaganda
- medieval history
Keywords
- digital gaming
- history
- gamers
- political propaganda
- medieval period
- historical validity
- entertainment
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Obsidian Entertainment
Books & works: Pentiment
Places: Russia
More episodes of CEU Podcasts
- What Keeps a University Alive? Resilience and Crisis with Verena Régent · May 25, 2026
- Saint Emeric and His Chaste Marriage · May 10, 2026
- You Are Not Alone: A Pocket Guide for Academics at Risk · April 15, 2026
- Apollonius, King of Tyre – a Medieval Blockbuster · April 9, 2026
- Bringing Science Closer: Trust, Vulnerability, and the Ethics of Engagement · February 25, 2026
- Not Just Data: Feelings, Doubts, and Hope in Academia at Risk · February 5, 2026
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the CEU Podcasts podcast page.