Staff Roundtable: The Future of Simulations Part 3 – PC’s versus Consoles Page 5

By SimHQ on July 16, 2007 in _commentary, hide

Cat: Doug is right about the gameplay thing. This is why Falcon 4.0 has survived so long. It’s why I still have Total Air War installed. TAW is the only sim — the ONLY — that’s been installed on every single computer I’ve owned since 1997. Nothing I’ve ever played is as well-rounded.

guod: Maybe I’d better jump in here and put minds to ease. We’re not going to start covering any console titles based on the current offerings. But it’s a good time to think ahead on our gameplan should console sims become a reality. Chunx’ example of MSFS 2007 is a scenario to consider. No worries, SimHQ won’t be covering the latest Mario.

Occasionally in the daily news there will be — or has been — a reference to a game that looks really good on console like Gran Turismo 4 or something that comes out on console first and is also slated for PC, but that’s all for now.

Uther: I think Dart put the console situation well. Also, I think it needs to be said that consoles never took the market from PC titles, they have always had the lion’s share of it. I don’t think PC titles ever were above consoles. Whatever our direction I feel these discussions are much needed if we are to remain flexible and open minded.

Wouldn’t Battlefield II be considered a Human Simulation? No I’m not kidding. Like the ground component of World War II online? I wouldn’t give up anything we have forum-wise. Unless it’s because of lack of use. Pruning what we allow in the future is a better strategy than removing.

guod: That it? Everyone has said their peace? Naaa, don’t believe it. Keep it going folks.

Here’s a question for you. Are sports games sims?

20mm: I guess first it depends on whether you consider a sport a game.

Baseball is often called “the game of baseball”, and people will refer to the “love of the game” when talking fondly about players of eras gone by. Other people get very concise, and some get angry, to have sports lumped into the games category.

Take checkers. Hence, the whole debate about whether checkers should be an Olympic event. It’s not athletic, at least not the way everyone but me plays it, therefore it’s a game. Baseball is athletic, so it’s a sport. And so the argument goes.

Could something that is a sport or a game or a sports game be simulated into a computer game? Like by EA Sports for example “get in the game!” ? If it was, and they have, would they be game or sim? Maybe something else, a hybrid.

Is there a third category, a gamesim? How about a simgame?

Uther: One thing is for sure, Sports game fans are hardcore.

Dang near batty as sim heads.

20mm: Batty. I use baseball as an example, and Uther says we’re all batty. I love you guys, good talking with you all.

Look for the next roundtable discussion coming soon with sim industry developers and producers.

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