It has been reported that a University of Edinburgh art historian has helped build the immersive digital world of ninth-century Baghdad for the upcoming video game Assassin’s Creed Mirage.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage Gets Accurate Advice from Expert
Ubisoft is currently working with Dr. Glaire Anderson of Edinburgh College of Art on Assassin’s Creed Mirage, the upcoming installment in the Assassin’s Creed franchise launching worldwide on October 12, 2023. This game follows the early years of protagonist Basin Ibn Is’haq in the capital of the medieval Abbasid caliphate.
Dr. Anderson has given expert advice on medieval Islamic history, art, architecture, archaeology and civilization to Ubisoft’s in-house history team. She has also contributed to a new educational feature, ‘History of Baghdad’, which offers players an interactive way to learn more about the game’s rich setting.
Stéphane Boudon, Creative Director for Assassin’s Creed Mirage at Ubisoft Bordeaux, said:
“The ‘History of Baghdad’ is our new historical codex feature – information that players can find in the world, telling them about the culture, tradition and daily life of 9th century Baghdad.
“In addition to providing intensive seminars on medieval Islamic Art to the Ubisoft in-house history team, Glaire and her students contributed directly to this feature, reviewing texts written by our in-house historian Raphaël Weyland, and suggesting illustrations from museum collections.”
Discover Historical Sites
Players will be able to discover a total of sixty-six historical sites throughout the in-game world of Assassin’s Creed Mirage, each serving as a portal to insights about the era, divided into five categories: Art and Science, Beliefs and Daily Life, Court Life, Economy, and Government.
Dr Anderson, who specialises in the history of medieval Islamic art and architecture, originally began using video game engines during her research, to visualise historic environments and architecture. She said:
“I showed my work to my son, who was about 11 at the time, and he said, ‘Oh mom, if you’re interested in that kind of stuff you should check out Assassin’s Creed!’ I did, and I loved how they were visualising medieval Islamic monuments and urban environments. Then, when I learned they were engaging with museums and academics to enhance the educational aspects of their games, I reached out to Ubisoft’s head of world-building, historian Maxime Durand.
“The University’s commercialisation service, Edinburgh Innovations, helped me formalise the relationship.
“The impact on my work has been dramatic. Collaborating with Ubisoft has allowed me to bring my work out of the university and share it with a broader audience of people of all ages who play video games. I respect what Ubisoft have achieved and how they are helping people engage with history.”
Assassin’s Creed Mirage launches on October 12, 2023 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Press Release