Simulation video games, often known as sim games are a way for gamers to experience full control over a real or fictional reality. I like to see it as a great way to run behavioral tests or just see how you'd fair as a mayor or warrior king. While some people instantly think of the Sim franchise (SimCity, TheSims, SimSocial) created by EA games and Maxis, the actual fact is that Sim games have been around as early 1947 a solid 38 years prior to the making of Micropolis in 1985 by Will Wright creator of SimCity. Its market share has grown exponentially over the years making it an extremely successful genre in the gaming industry. This article will go over two of the most successful simulation games ever made and what they strive to achieve.
The Sims Franchise: The Sims is one of the most successful video games of all time. Originally released in 2000 it has sold over 150 million copies worldwide as of 2011. Published by Electronic Arts, it has two sequels, The Sims 2 and Sims 3 released in 2005 and 2009 respectively, with The Sims 4 expected to be released in 2014. With the computer versions running on PC and Mac, the game is a single player with" god mechanics"; you control all the actions of your sims in a sandbox gameplay. Although your Sims have goals on their own; to grow up, have their dream career or rampant fame and fortune, your decision as to whether they achieve these goals or not that counts.
So why is this game so successful? First reason is because it has a devoted fan base, research has shown that most of the people who play The Sims 3 played earlier sequels of the game. The second reason is The Sims, unlike other simulation game gives you the ability to fully live out a dream. For women, to create stories your physical childhood doll house could not, and for men it serves as a story making tool but more importantly a tool get creative and build homes; it materializes the sand castles of your youth into three dimensional vibrant displays. The Sims is an all-in-one world where anything you dream of is very possible; vampires? ghost lovers? Half zombie half mermaid babies? It's got it all, you just have to think outside the box.
Harvest Moon Franchise: Developed by Victor Interactive Software, Harvest Moon is a farm simulation role-playing based game. It has been the inspiration for social networking games like FarmVille and has sold over a million copies worlds as of 2011. It runs on several major platforms and has 12 titles.
Harvest Moon usually begins with inheriting an abandoned farm; rocks here and there, tree stumps in random places and sometimes huge boulders blocking passages. You are then given the task of bringing the farm back to its former glory and with that, your journey begins. Though tending your farm is a base purpose of the game, your farm's success is also dependent your interactions with the local residents of your village. For example, befriend the local lumberjack and you may receive blueprints to upgrade your farm, or befriend the local chef to receive energy replenishing meals. The strength of your relationship with each particular character affects various events including as a new local's eagerness to move into the village.
Why is this game so successful? Harvest Moon is a romance and farming simulation bundled into one; once your farm reaches a certain level of growth, and after much wooing, you can pick an eligible bachelorette and with some titles, bachelor to help out on the farm. Additionally it is addictive and has an actual plot, unlike FarmVille, this simulation game has a plot that develops and eventually ends (your game can still continue with some titles). Harvest moon, though a relatively aging franchise, remains undoubtedly a great game with addictive gameplay leaving the gamer with much satisfaction once the story is done.
