A SCOTTISH attraction has been “reinvented” as part of a new gaming initiative.
St Giles' Cathedral has collaborated with the University of Glasgow’s Games and Gaming Lab and Education Evolved Ltd. to create a historical video game.
The interactive animation translates the central Edinburgh site into AI format in celebration of its 900th anniversary.
Project HeritAIge, as it is known, carries visitors through St Giles’ architectural evolution through animations, text boxes and interactive Q&As.
The new video game is now available to history enthusiasts online, as well as the site’s 1.4 million annual visitors.
Founded in 1124 by King David I, St Giles’ cathedral has stood through nine centuries of political and religious activity.
During the Scottish Reformation, it acted as the parish church of incendiary Protestant theologian John Knox.
Today, few glimpses of its original twelfth-century Romanesque style remain. First erected in 1495, its 161 ft Gothic crown spire is a mainstay of the Edinburgh skyline.
St Giles’ still functions as a working church, responsible for major services like the Kirking of Parliament and the Most Ancient and Noble Order of the Thistle.
This year alone one million visitors have walked through its doors.
Project HeritAIge’s digital, interactive experience moves away from traditional text displays to a more visual language.
It works alongside St Giles’ pre-existing audio guide to open up the 900-year-old site’s architectural history to the public, pointing out key features and their stylistic traditions.
The project was partly funded by the Scottish Funding Council Innovation Voucher and University of Glasgow Knowledge Exchange Funding schemes.
It was hosted by the University of Glasgow’s Advanced Research Centre.
Matthew Leeper, managing director and spokesperson for Education Evolved, said:
“Being a part of this project, and bringing the cathedral to life in a new and innovative way, designed to engage and educate people who visit St Giles’ and visit their website around the world, has been a great initiative to be a part of.”
The Project HeritAIge video game is available on the Education Evolved website.
