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Current and future University of Arizona and Arizona Online students can now earn credit toward their college degrees when they interact with special educational content while playing the popular strategy video game Age of Empires IV.
The University of Arizona Illuminated History Experience, developed by two Department of History faculty members – associate professor of medieval history Paul Milliman and associate professor of Roman history and department head Alison Futrell – in collaboration with game designers from Microsoft's World's Edge game studio and Relic Entertainment, is included in the March 29 Age of Empires IV content update. The educational material supplements the historical storytelling in the Age of Empires IV campaign.
Based on admission status with the University of Arizona or Arizona Online, engaging with the content could allow players to earn one academic credit at the university.
To mark the content launch and to give prospective players and students an up-close look at Age of Empires IV and the Illuminated History Experience, Arizona Online will host an in-person and online event at the university's Esports Arena. Students are invited to stop by the arena on first floor of the Student Union Memorial Center from 4 to 7 p.m. on April 1, where they can play Age of Empires IV on one of the arena's 20 desktop stations.
Futrell and Milliman will join members of the Age of Empires IV design team live on the video streaming platform Twitch to show off the content and discuss the development process and historical context of the game. During the discussion, members of the Arizona Esports Program will demonstrate the University-created content.