>Ultima Underworld is dead
>System Shock is dead
>Thief is dead
>Deus Ex is dead
>Vampire the Masquerade is dead
>Bioshock is dead
>Dishonored is dead
>Prey is dead
>all of the studios developing aforementioned games went out of business shortly after
>indies refuse to touch immersive sims because it's a death sentence
The genre includes some of the most beloved vidya in history, but also always resulted in complete failure. Why is that, and is there a future for immersive sims?
Maybe because "franchises" have a finite lifespan before they turn into shit? Not everything has to get 100 sequels and the games that do, mostly were never that great to begin with. Old stuff should make way for new stuff. The only reason we have franchises with 17 iterations is because the industry is controlled by coke snorting yuppies who like brand recognition and hate taking risks. In a perfect world a good franchise would get maybe 2 sequels and then something new, different, and equally as good would be made next.
It's not even about the sequels, it's about financials. Prey 2017 was a new IP (for all intents and purposes) and it flopped, turning Arkane into a soulless multiplayer game dev. Bioshock Infinite (which might as well be the second game in the series, Bioshock 2 was a glorified expansion pack) didn't flop, but Irrational still somehow managed to go out of business after its release.
It's like shit's actually cursed. These games always collect massive accolades among players and critics, and always flop.
Like I said, it's the soulless coke snorting yuppies who control the industry who are to blame. They chase trends and are terrified of risk. Worst of all they make "projections" based on nothing but their own opinions of the market for a title, and then consider the game a failure if it doesn't meet those projections even if it turned a profit.
bioshock wasn't an immersive sim anyway
Infinite wasn't, but the original was, even if it was pretty lobotomized compared to System Shock 2.
They just aren't good
>Oh hey dude, what's up? dang, I lost my freaking pda with all the codes to unlock all the doors in it? what the heck? what if someone comes around and finds it, they would have access to our base dude! do you know how bad that would be? man, I think I left it in the bathroom that's like three hallways away. I haven't checked yet though I might just stay here and loop my dialogue or something. Oh hey dude, what's up?
It's pseudshit
I would argue that KCD is an immersive sim, and a good one.
Its realist oblivion
because they are you can do anything simulators that by their nature reach too high
>indies refuse to touch immersive sims because it's a death sentence
There's like a shit ton of indie immersive sims in development.
>There's like a shit ton of indie immersive sims in development.
Call me when any of them come out.
>Call me when any of them come out.
I think there's 2 that are fully out (Brigade Oaxaca I think it was and Cruelty Squad if you consider that)
Some are also available in early access so you can technically play them already, but I understand why you might have questions with that.
Do people actually like Brigand? It looks and plays like shit from what I've seen.
Cruelty Squad
Its just cyberpunk hitman gay
immersive sims are impossible to make now because they have to meet normie AAA standards. that's why hr and md didn't let you go anywhere.
it's a niche style that doesn't appeal to many
anyone play this? it had horrible unbalanced combat but it was very fun and had lots of cool ideas
Yeah, Arx Fatalis is Underworld III as far as I'm concerned albeit the worst game in the trilogy
played it and uninstalled within 5 minutes
The gay inventing the term should be dead
I'm pretty sure Warren Spector himself coined the term when he was developing the original Deus Ex.
Nope it was an arkhane homosexual defining prey 2017
wrong. go on outing yourself as a fake fan though
How curious i just started reading and hearing that name since 2020 instead of 2000s thx to a hipster guy
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/postmortem-ion-storm-s-i-deus-ex-i-
>Conceptually, Deus Ex is a genre-busting game (which really endeared us to the marketing guys) -- part immersive simulation, part role-playing game, part first-person shooter, part adventure game.
>December 06, 2000
Fricking moron
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-designers-of-dishonored-bioshock-2-and-deus-ex-swap-stories-about-making-pcs-most-complex-games/
>PC Gamer: I was actually going to ask, I don't know if it's common knowledge where the term came from. Was it a Kieron Gillen(opens in new tab)-coined term, or if it predated his writing on the genre.
>Warren: I think Doug Church was the one who came up with that, isn't he? He's the first person I ever heard use it.
>Harvey: I don't know, I remember a conversation with Rob Fermier, I think on Twitter, where we were trying to figure out where that term had come from. I think Rob's conclusion was that he first heard it from Doug, as well.
>Warren: Yeah, and we all hated it! It fell out of favor for awhile and recently it seems like it's come back. It's really odd.
>PC Gamer: Has anyone come up with a description they like better?
>Warren: No.
Although I prefer how they describe the genre as "digital LARPing". That fits it better.
>>Deus Ex is dead
Hasn't been killed hard enough yet, just wait for the next one by Embracer-Eidos. It's probably gonna suck balls.
Didn't they want to bring back Taff too?
>>all of the studios developing aforementioned games went out of business shortly after
What's worse is that iirc LGS only went bankrupt because of some unrelated bullshit contract issue, not poor sales. Truly cursed.
>PCgays don’t buy games
>seem surprised when studios that make PC games die after beloved game
They dont lend well to having a million sequels and a Marvel crossover DLC plus long development times so its hard to find investors.
There are like 5 indie imsims in development. This type of games just isn't suitable for big budgets rat race.