The purpose of this qualitative interview study is to understand junior high school students' perception of the use of historical video games for learning and from this identify and analyze how the students perceives story-driven historical games in relation to developing historical empathy and a sense of history. The study also seeks to understand student’s perception of potential challenges with using historical digital games for learning purposes. The theoretical basis of the study is grounded in a history didactic perspective on game-based learning and a genealogical approach to history. The study uses semi-structured interviews with five junior high school students aged fourteen to fifteen years. The study found that all of the students who participated in the study had a perception that historical games may increase students’ understanding of history and that the increased sense of understanding takes place above all through the games ability to let students immerse themselves in the games story. Furthermore, the study shows that most students had a perception that the games allowed them to be virtually present in history, which can help students view the world and the people in it from different perspectives, to reflect on history, see connections between different historical events and to form their own thoughts about history. Perceptions of several potential challenges with using the games as teaching aids were also found. The most distinctive challenges according to the students were an increased distractibility, requirements for prior knowledge and interest in the games, structural challenges, and a perceived lack of historical accuracy in the games.

This thesis focuses on Paradox Interactive's information seeking as a process in the construction of historical computer games. The study is collecting data through a series of interviews with two professional groups: Content designers and 3D graphics. The study focuses on the role of information gathering as a internal process in the creation of the game but also on how the two professions, which have been involved in the study's interviews, gather information relevant to their specific tasks. The study also touches on whether it exists a connection between how Content designers and 3D graphics conduct their searches for information and the ABM sector (that is archives, libraries and museums) as sources/distributors of information. The study has resulted in knowledge regarding the professional groups' information behaviour, what factors that affect the process of gathering information. The study has also resulted in an awareness regarding what kind of information sources that are attractive. Furthermore, the interviews conducted have produced information on how archives, libraries and museums function as information sources for the selected professional groups. The information gathered through the interviews shows that archives, libraries and museums are not used as information sources by the professional groups. Reasons as to why this is the case are a lack of awareness as well as the professional groups' various needs, such as right content and easy accessibility. Games which are utilising or relate to popular history are a clear aspect of modern days popular culture. There exists an abundance of games which relate to history whether they are historical strategy-focused computer games or more action-packed videogames constructed around historical events and contexts. There exists an equally abundance of studies which focuses on games in certain aspects; one such area of research is how history is utilised in games. This study, as noted above, doesn't focus on the games themselves or how they utilise history but rather on the specific question of how the developers gather the information about the past, what sources that exists, and how archives, libraries and museums can better accommodate game creators as a specific group of information gatherers and users.