The Sericum Via: A Serious Game for Preserving Tangible and Intangible Heritage of Iran

Abstract

Efforts to preserve cultural heritage have continued throughout history, and currently use game technology. Serious games, with their audio-visual features make it possible for players to absorb and retain the often rather arid data of heritage. Furthermore, such technology facilitates the transmission of heritage globally amongst remote people, without the need to commute personally. Exploring the literature, we noted a lack of local game culture in Iran, and in the Middle East more broadly. This region is limited in terms of the existing global game industry, and the introduction of its culture to the world depends on the global market. This ascertains the paper's research problem: the need for more local games in the field to promote local historical culture. Hence, the paper aims to preserve and disseminate the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of its focus area, Iran’s Silk Roads and its caravanserais, by developing and testing a serious game named The Sericum Via. It has a non-linear narrative, engaging the player in a long journey visiting the Safavid caravanserais on the Silk Roads, using their detailed information. The game's text-based and strategic environment demands decision-making skills throughout the game and is challenging enough to make the player revisit the game frequently.

Full text

The Sericum Via: A Serious Game for Preserving
Tangible and Intangible Heritage of Iran
Sarvin Eshaghi, Sepehr Vaez Afshar, Güzden Varınlıoğlu
[1,2] İstanbul Technical University
[3] İzmir University of Economics
Architecture in the Age of Disruptive Technologies
Cairo, Egypt
∣
March 2-4, 2021
Virtual Conference
1 2 3

Term Definitions Architecture in the Age of Disruptive Technologies
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March 2-4, 2021
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Cultural Heritage
Tangible
Intangible
Inheritance from previous
generations
Giphy.com
Sarvin Eshaghi, Sepehr Vaez Afshar, The Sericum Via: A Serious Game for Preserving Tangible and Intangible Heritage of Iran
Digital Media
Serious Games
Gather a Database
Audio-visual Nature
Educational &
Transitional Ability
Digitalize the environments,
artifacts & intangible heritage
Manipulate them spatially
and temporally
Perishing

Existing Examples Architecture in the Age of Disruptive Technologies
Cairo, Egypt
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March 2-4, 2021
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The Oregon Trail
Teach elementary students
19th-century pioneer life
Like an encyclopedia in terms
of the knowledge amount
Played two decades from the mid-1980s in schools
Previous educational games
Sarvin Eshaghi, Sepehr Vaez Afshar, The Sericum Via: A Serious Game for Preserving Tangible and Intangible Heritage of Iran
Giphy.com
Certain game
market regions
Lack of local
game production

Aim and Objectives Architecture in the Age of Disruptive Technologies
Cairo, Egypt
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March 2-4, 2021
Virtual Conference
Sarvin Eshaghi, Sepehr Vaez Afshar, The Sericum Via: A Serious Game for Preserving Tangible and Intangible Heritage of Iran
Key Words: Digital Heritage; serious game; the Silk Roads; Iran; caravanserais
Via Dissemination
The Silk Roads Route of Iran
Safavid Caravanserais
Ceremonies, Poets, Souvenirs
Preserve the Cultural Heritage of Iran
Serious Game
The Sericum Via
Educational
games
Games about Iran
and the Silk Roads
Analyze
Design
Testing
+

Methodology Architecture in the Age of Disruptive Technologies
Cairo, Egypt
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March 2-4, 2021
Virtual Conference
Sarvin Eshaghi, Sepehr Vaez Afshar, The Sericum Via: A Serious Game for Preserving Tangible and Intangible Heritage of Iran
Google Earth
Data management
104 Safavid Caravanserais on the Silk Roads in 18 provinces of Iran
Google Earth

Game Design Architecture in the Age of Disruptive Technologies
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A Text-based Video Game
Detailed information of selected caravanserais on the road
Non-linear Narrative
Engaging player in journey of Safavid caravanserais
Strategic Environment
Sarvin Eshaghi, Sepehr Vaez Afshar, The Sericum Via: A Serious Game for Preserving Tangible and Intangible Heritage of Iran
Giphy.com
Developed by Twine Platform

Game’s Playing Screen Architecture in the Age of Disruptive Technologies
Cairo, Egypt
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March 2-4, 2021
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Sarvin Eshaghi, Sepehr Vaez Afshar, The Sericum Via: A Serious Game for Preserving Tangible and Intangible Heritage of Iran
Capable to run on any browser in any device
The shortest route, calculated by GIS

Playtesting and Survey Architecture in the Age of Disruptive Technologies
Cairo, Egypt
∣
March 2-4, 2021
Virtual Conference
Sarvin Eshaghi, Sepehr Vaez Afshar, The Sericum Via: A Serious Game for Preserving Tangible and Intangible Heritage of Iran
Open Alpha Playtest
+
Online Questionary
User Feedback
+
Target Audience

Conclusion Architecture in the Age of Disruptive Technologies
Cairo, Egypt
∣
March 2-4, 2021
Virtual Conference
Sarvin Eshaghi, Sepehr Vaez Afshar, The Sericum Via: A Serious Game for Preserving Tangible and Intangible Heritage of Iran
Sericum Via digital game
Provoke interest
Children = Adults
Preserve the Cultural Heritage
Increase
strategic thinking
ability
Develop
decision-making
skills
Anchoring
the intended
information
Leisure activity Future study Further interface
of the game
Integrated
with Turkey’s
caravanserais’ data
Story
development
of the game

The Sericum Via: A Serious Game for Preserving
Tangible and Intangible Heritage of Iran
Sarvin Eshaghi, Sepehr Vaez Afshar, Güzden Varınlıoğlu
[1,2] İstanbul Technical University
[3] İzmir University of Economics
Architecture in the Age of Disruptive Technologies
Cairo, Egypt
∣
March 2-4, 2021
Virtual Conference
1 2 3
Sarvin Eshaghi, Sepehr Vaez Afshar, The Sericum Via: A Serious Game for Preserving Tangible and Intangible Heritage of Iran