LONDON, 27th November, 2014: The past has always held a special place in the British imagination, with history being used as a lesson for our present, inspiration for books, movies, games and plays. Our past has helped to forge our national identity. To celebrate the launch of Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove, Sacred Grove on iPhone, iPad, PC, and Mac, Big Fish conducted a survey with Censuswide to explore the UK’s views on the past — where we’re descended from and what we enjoy most about imagining the past!
Over 78% of the UK has thought about what it would be like to go back in time, with 12% thinking about it all the time. The younger generation has the most active imagination, with over 30% frequently imagining what it would be like to go back in time. Those aged over 55 are the least imaginative with only 11% thinking about it regularly. Although the majority of us have thought about what it would be like to go back in time, a far smaller percentage are actually interested in uncovering our ancestry. Only 44% of those in the UK care about knowing who and where they are descended from. More than one quarter of us cited lack of time or monetary resources as the main reason for not caring about our ancestry.
The new 10th installment of Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove, Sacred Grove drops the player into British history – mysterious Celtic Britain. Mystery Case Files is Big Fish’s most successful hidden object adventure game franchise, with more than 53 million downloads across all platforms. This newest installment is an exciting world full of Celtic druids, magic and mystery. Though a large percentage of people were interested in finding out where they are descended from, remarkably only 26% of Brits believe they have descended from the Celts, one of the largest people in central and northern iron-age Europe. This figure was higher in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, where historical roots are central to national identity. Interestingly, a major genetic study of the population of Britain carried out by Oxford University in 2006; found that around 64% of people in England are descended from the Celts, with 73% of Scots, and 83% of the Welsh also being descended from Celts.
When asked what they would like to experience being for a day, 38% of those aged between 16-24 said they would prefer to experience being a Celtic warrior or Druid priest/priestess for the day, rather than being a lord or lady! Games offer a fantastic way to use your imagination to have fun when thinking about the past. With one quarter of respondents seeking enjoyment from playing digital games set in the past, where they can explore a different world and time, it’s no wonder that playing games set in the past has such a massive draw. This is especially true for those aged between 16- 34, with 63% of respondents in this age category playing them.
Dire Grove has been plunged into a record-defying cold, and wild animals threaten at every turn! You’ve been called in to uncover the source of the town’s troubles. But you quickly find yourself in the middle of a feud between the local hunters and the mysterious Mistwalkers who live in the woods. Prevent an all-out war in this in this 10th installment in the successful Mystery Case Files series!