Simulators or I should say people that play simulators are not couch potato's.
Most of them are single people or people that don't need to be close to their wife all the time, except in bed or shopping on payday
Most of them play on a PC with great graphics and memory modules (just guessing of course), also most of us don't play console games that much.
Simulators on console games suck big time if you like realism you play PC.
I have spent hours stalking merchant ships in SH, hours that a wife or family would demand of me. I do love racing simulators however and the Xbox 360 controller is my favorite controller, but now I have it on USB on my PC and even have used it for FSX when I am in a hurry.
Speaking of being in a hurry ... I find a real time saver and a heart stopping game to play in a hurry is C&C Kane's Wrath on brutal. I last maybe 8 minutes if I am lucky
As for how to get people interested ... youtube tutorial's would help, people at work, more game challenges like SH/DC would be a real boom for naval warfare, but money is on games like FPS and Grand Theft Auto which made a lot of money, but cost a lot of money to produce too.
Lets face it we are special people that like simulators, especially submarine sim's. Look how many international people are in these forums vs other forums ...
Here's one I am looking forward to in November:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...&pf_rd_i=typ01
Forza Motorsport 5 Day One Edition