People buy this stuff \o/

[koopatroopa90]

Type the word "simulator" into amazon, there are hundreds!

Genuinely intrigued by this one...

[averybluemonkey]

Type the word "simulator" into amazon, there are hundreds!

Genuinely intrigued by this one...

I've spent some time with this for a review for the site, though it's still a long way off completion. At the moment it seems a bit shallow, you can tweak lots of options but the level of detail into each field is somewhat limited. And diplomacy interactions in particular are often very repetitive with little in the way of interaction beyond achieveing an easy trade deal. Resolutions to strikes and so on are similarly black and white. I'm hoping with more playtime new aspects of depth will appear but not holding out too much hope right now.

[Golgo]

^ "6 out of 10. Nice graphics tho!"

[Super Grover]

You can lock the thread now, I have the winning entry ...

[EvilBoris]

I think it's kinda charming that a developer can make these kinds of things and survive. There must be plenty of little kids who play them or maybe just other enthusiasts.

[Super Grover]

But this ^ is for 'nerds', where as this is for?

[Flabio]

But this ^ is for 'nerds', where as this is for?

Masochists. That game is stupidly hard.

[NW2013]

I know what to ask Santa for at Christmas time now.

[JazzFunk]

I'm happy these games exist, I don't own any (bar the above surgery 'sim' and its prequels/sequels) but it feels somehow nice to know that some guy, someplace, is getting his gaming orgasms from an agriculture simulator rather than a game that's all about the dismemberment factor, plus it's pretty quirky to know these games have a market(!)

I mean, I do like surgery simulators (I wouldn't class the Trauma Center games as those, btw, they're more twitch-gaming when you get down to the nitty gritty, but they're the closest I have). It'd be nice to have one whereby you could do an operation not that well (say a brain op) and you'd get to see the result of your bad surgery, you've made a vegetable out of a perfectly healthy man, you'd maybe even get to witness the guy all slurping and brainmashed, attempting to eat potatoes, a terrible shadow of his former self. The way you operate DOES have consequences (or, you do it for the fun factor). You can get good and bad outcomes based on your decisions, yet the core of the game is rooted in you doing it the GOOD way, you fail otherwise. F*cking about will not make you win the game, but is a fun (and realistic) aside.

What these 'mundanity sims' seem to lack is a sense of edgy consequence or risk. If I could play a bus-driving game and have the all too realistic possibility of driving over little Tommy as he larks about in the road in front of my Number 59 double decker post-school, it'd make it hecka more fun (and more realistic).

[Matt]

Was in Game on Tuesday or Wednesday. Kid picked this up, went to the til and actually paid ?20 for it:



Anyone else seen any shocking purchases?

Bloody hell! This looks like it's running on the Frostbite engine!

Brilliant, just brilliant. Who ever knew street cleaning could warrant such dramatic music!

I'm going to get shot down, but I thought this thread was going to about those craptastic Special Editions of big games that come with tat and cost ?10 plus. Instead my eyes have been opened to the future of gaming. Street cleaning.

[charlesr]

So who's going to be the first to put some wonga down for one of these and then actually slate it based on real play time?

The first person to start a First Play thread for one of these based on a real purchase (it must have a photo with "ntsc-uk roxxors your boxxors" on a bit of paper next to the gamebox) wins a site-wide banner which will be crafted lovingly by one of our artists (slapped together by me).

[Nocturne]

^ Oh God, I hope somebody does.

I seem to get weird looks when buying any game in person

[stevie vip 99]

So who's going to be the first to put some wonga down for one of these and then actually slate it based on real play time?The first person to start a First Play thread for one of these based on a real purchase (it must have a photo with "ntsc-uk roxxors your boxxors" on a bit of paper next to the gamebox) wins a site-wide banner which will be crafted lovingly by one of our artists (slapped together by me).

Does this include jap train driving simulators? A very good friend of mine and long time forum member plays these now and again. You know who you are ha ha

[Matt]

So who's going to be the first to put some wonga down for one of these and then actually slate it based on real play time?

The first person to start a First Play thread for one of these based on a real purchase (it must have a photo with "ntsc-uk roxxors your boxxors" on a bit of paper next to the gamebox) wins a site-wide banner which will be crafted lovingly by one of our artists (slapped together by me).

Bet at least one person here plays it already!

One of my first reactions on seeing the box wasn't "People buy this?" but the related, "This is profitable?" And I guess there must be a business model that supports these releases. They're not huge mega sellers or we'd of seen them in the charts. Other than Train Simulators, I had no idea these titles exist - maybe they're huge in Germany or somewhere where violent games are frowned upon.

Then I watched the video, and could not believe me eyes - this isn't some ****ty graphics title, there's a lot of detail in it. Good assets.

So now I'm questionning the industry and the "Games cost too much to produce so we have to charge ?50 for them!" A mega niche title like this exists and presumably sells enough to make a profit (I eagerly away the sequel), and looks pretty bloody good graphically. Something somewhere isn't adding up.

[QualityChimp]

What's better for drifting in? The forklift or the sweeper?