Next Level: Simulator video games focused on real life are on the rise
Next Level: Simulator video games focused on real life are on the rise
Next Level: Simulator video games focused on real life are on the rise
By Tyler Adkisson
February 20, 2023
Summary
Video games tend to offer escapism by exploring the unimaginable; they allow gamers to tune out for a few hours by getting in the shoes of super-soldiers, the spurred boots of western rustlers or even stray household pets while living out their stories across sci-fi dystopias, vast fantasy worlds or the deep expanses of space.
Understanding their motivation shows something about the evolving appeal of video games and how art imitating life can offer its own form of escapism, even in a virtual 9 to 5.
"This - what is commonly known as casual games - is sort of the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the diversification of what computer games have become."
Recent games like Farming Simulator 22 - which, predictably, allow players to role play as farmers - have been huge smash hits with audiences.
Beyond being able to customize a player's rig and choosing the cargo they want to carry, the games are built to scale based on maps of real trucking routes, meaning drivers have to figure out what roads they'll need to take to get to their destinations and how long those hours-long trips can take all in order to make deliveries on time.
While there is some popular appeal to simulator games for their novelty, players who clock in consistent hours say there's a therapeutic or a zen-like element to completing work in a stress-free environment.
The rise of the popularity of these simulation games can feel niche, as many popular streamers will play the most outrageous sounding simulators for the sake of more eyeballs on their stream.
Reference
Adkisson, T. (2023, February 20). Diversity in gaming – building an equitable future for all gamers. Mobile Marketing Magazine. Retrieved February 27, 2023, from https://scrippsnews.com/stories/simulator-video-games-focused-on-real-life-are-on-the-rise/