Diversity and exclusion?

Any work of history is shaped not only by its chosen medium – an academic book, documentary, film or play – but also the period in which it is produced. Historians and audiences alike explore the past through the lens of their current era, its preoccupations and anxieties. There has been a concerted move in recent years to centre stories of people from history who were pushed to the margins, an effort to restore balance and parity to our understanding of the past and the people who lived then. The decision to present, in Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, a Black man and a young woman in the lead roles sits within this broader trend in history-writing. And while the game is hardly designed to be an academic work, it fits comfortably within the category of public-facing history. As you collect information, the game’s codex fills with museum-grade information and essays about, say, tea production in Ujitawara, specific castles, and even artefacts such as kabuto helmets. This coupling of entertainment and education has a meaningful impact on society’s knowledge of the past – particularly younger generations who might be less inclined to tuck into the latest Max Hastings or Anthony Beevor. Games are apt for this kind of work. How many westerners knew about the first Mongol invasion of the Japanese archipelago prior to playing Ghost Of Tsushima? Likewise, Assassin’s Creed has always attempted to blend flippancy with accuracy, a recipe that has worked to varying degrees of success. Ubisoft clearly understands there is, if not a public-service remit to its work, then at least a marketable benefit from an association with historians. The publisher’s podcast series, Echoes Of History, promises to “dive into the real-life history that inspires the locations, characters, and storylines of the legendary world of Assassin’s Creed”. It is produced in conjunction with British historian Dan Snow’s company, History Hit, and frequently tops videogame podcast charts. The collaboration laudably attempts to kindle in players a deeper interest in history, perhaps first piqued by the games. And yet, even the most omniscient historical works can never be completely neutral in the viewpoints they put forth, despite what the CEOs of their publishing companies might hope.