Sports Games
7. Accurate Simulation
There was a time when games like NBA Jam and Arch Rivals dominated the sports game genre. But gamers are a diverse group who fall into other demographics. Soon companies learned that legions of sports fans could also be attracted to games and the closer the games were to the real thing the better. So, its disheartening to come to the conclusion that the term simulation has been the most abused buzz word in the entire gaming industry (if you think The Sims is just like real life, you need to see a doctor). Just about every installment of Madden NFL has boasted that it was a true simulation since the early 90s, this has never been the case as no rendition of the game has ever managed to include enough aspects of the actual NFL experience in one game. Features come and go, with the only common trend being graphical improvement. Sure improved graphics give the game a more realistic look, but who cares when the game itself is nothing like what we know about the NFL? Shouldnt there be a threshold for when true simulation is achieved? Have we crossed it yet? If not, what the hell are you bragging about? Oh, youre telling us its a true simulation so that well buy the game. Then once youve got our money (because the moment I break the plastic seal the game loses its value faster than a new car being driven off the lot) you promise to deliver next year, or the next year, or the year after that.
Shock Value: Boasting is still lying more often than not. The shock value of this lie is intrinsically tied to the next example. Suffice to say, whats wrong with saying that your game is a fun representation of our favorite sport, complete with real players and teams? Especially when things like driving and flight simulators have already existed to such a degree that they are used to train real pilots and drivers.