Design Criteria for Pervasive Games in Historical Sites

Video games can be considered a strong asset in the tourism industry. It is a form of media that allows for interactive experiences. It also allows the virtual reconstruction of historical sites and cities that are difficult or impossible to reconstruct physically, thus, introducing historical sites to a new generation. Pervasive gaming (playing on site) can help augment the tourist's experience by using 21st-century technologies, such as augmented reality, to reconstruct the site virtually and to let the player experience the history of the sites in a more engaging way. This paper aims to provide stakeholders (decision makers, preservation professionals, and game designers) with a guide on how to start the development process of a pervasive game in historical sites for the purpose of promoting the Egyptian architectural heritage to the next generation according to their understanding capacity and expectations. This paper presents pervasive gaming as a platform for the virtual restoration of historical monuments as well as the revival of the intangible aspects of these sites, particularly the historical stories associated with them.