How can we get more people to play simulators?

Red October1984 · 09-05-13, 06:31 AM

Some good ideas.

I've tried several times to get a friend interested...but he thinks it's all too technical.

I showed him B-17 Flying Fortress The Mighty Eighth...which now that I think about it, is a terrible "starting out" game.

Valantine · 09-05-13, 02:19 PM

Red October1984 - funny you should say that! My first sim was B17 the mighty 8th and it drew me right in! Sure It took me a LONG time to make the move from just doing the mission planning/ squadron organisation to actually taking a role in missions and learning to fly the thing!

Then I "forgot" about simming until I found "IL2 Complete Edition" in a bargain bin and remembered what fun I had with B17 so picked it up: the rest as they say is history leaving me with a love of flight sims, sub sims and military sims!

As for getting people into sims: I think films are the best: whilst we as simmers cannot influence Hollywood - we can however do our part to promote sims through films made with simulators and posted to youtube; someone going onto youtube to see a Call of Duty video may stumble across a well made, tactical and engaging ARMA video and may well say "I may have to give this tactical thing a go!"

Simming isn't dying: it is just having to compete with consoles and other genres increasingly every year: for every sim that comes out how many call of duty, battlefield or fifa games or clone games come out? Its a niche market, so its never going to draw in those huge numbers that the AAA titles can: what Sims do tend to have that a lot of other games don't have is staying power: and that is a strength that can be played on too.
V

09-05-13, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red October1984

Some good ideas.

I've tried several times to get a friend interested...but he thinks it's all too technical.

I showed him B-17 Flying Fortress The Mighty Eighth...which now that I think about it, is a terrible "starting out" game.

You also showed some screenshots on this board which made me buy it at GOG.com for a few dimes (thanks btw). I am deeply impressed by the details. It is not just the plane, the B-17, it is everything connected to it, like managing a bomber squadron etc...

Regarding the starter sim thing, I think if one is interested in something, he is willing to put the necessary effort into it to learn what there is to learn.

Red October1984 · 09-05-13, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stealhead

I will just level with you....you are a nerd and so is every other subsim member.Every nerd likes simulators.
I am a freaking huge nerd.Of course myself I enjoy some sims and others I have no interest in.

The definition of Subsim. Naval Nerds who like to play games.

But hey...Nerds make the big money nowadays.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nippelspanner

You also showed some screenshots on this board which made me buy it at GOG.com for a few dimes (thanks btw). I am deeply impressed by the details. It is not just the plane, the B-17, it is everything connected to it, like managing a bomber squadron etc...

Regarding the starter sim thing, I think if one is interested in something, he is willing to put the necessary effort into it to learn what there is to learn.

Don't recall posting screenshots.

I've talked about it before...but I think my only screenshots have come from SH4, IL-2, FS2004 and some other games...

But that game has an amazing level of detail. I think it's awesome even though I have no idea how to actually fly the plane. I always end up setting engines on fire.

Stealhead · 09-06-13, 12:17 AM

The interwebs is power.You can find just about anything on the interwebs.Including tons of things about PC games.

I have learned of many games by reading or seeing something of them on the web.I really like the other games screen shots section.It is a great promoter for games and the people that may have an interest it will get sparked by seeing an image or reading of a game.

Another great example of this would be the AARs that get posted.A while back Raptor posted one from an The Operational Art of War III campaign he was playing.

I read it because I had played TOAW 1 back in the day and seeing that thread made me think of the game and I went and purchased TOAWIII from Matrix Games.

I also learned of War in the Pacific:Admirals Edition the same way and Kerbal Space Program spread like wild fire among subsim members because guys talked abut it here and within a month or so several games section regulars where playing it.

I say promote but dont push.

Mr Quatro · 09-25-13, 11:01 AM

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

Ardaeshir · 09-28-13, 05:44 PM

Well, first of all these are not for casual gamers, who are like 70% of the market.

First of all, most people don't have the time, patience or the fascination with the topic itself. A casual gamer will go out and play something like "Devil may cry 5" or "GTA5" etc. Maybe 1 out of 20 will play any historical themed game and maybe 1 out of 20 of those historical players will play a simulator.

And that's just the men. Female gamers will be even less likely to play those.

I'm a strategy (turn based grand operational strategy, no rts "strcraft-y" stuff please) gamer first and foremost. I'm in a way a ww2 pacific buff, so I do enjoy SH4 a lot - don't get me worng. But even I get somewhat tired/annoyed with the long "go back from the east china sea to midway" patrol returns when nothing ever happens.

Let's face it, these can be very time consuming games where nothing is happening for long periods of time befoe you finally get to chase down some target (and even then chances are that its an unarmed merchant that wouldn't satisfy a "challenge-oriented" twich gamer).

Hans Witteman · 09-28-13, 10:24 PM

Hi Cybermat,

Excellent topic and for ATWAR we are planning a totally new approach to the genre but we still can't mention what it will be until later on when the website will be online.

I have play a lot of different type of games over my life and i think i know exactly how to revive the genre without discarding the Sim essential mechanics.

When people will try ATWAR for the first time they will quickly see how addictive a Sim can be with the right mix of elements from very different game genre like RPG.

No game to my knowledge was ever done like what we plan for ATWAR but have no worry it is not about flying saucer or laser cannon!

Regards Hans

09-05-13, 06:31 AM	#1
Red October1984 Airplane Nerd Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 6,243 Downloads: 115 Uploads: 0	Some good ideas. I've tried several times to get a friend interested...but he thinks it's all too technical. I showed him B-17 Flying Fortress The Mighty Eighth...which now that I think about it, is a terrible "starting out" game. __________________

09-05-13, 02:19 PM	#2
Valantine Planesman Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 193 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 0	Red October1984 - funny you should say that! My first sim was B17 the mighty 8th and it drew me right in! Sure It took me a LONG time to make the move from just doing the mission planning/ squadron organisation to actually taking a role in missions and learning to fly the thing! Then I "forgot" about simming until I found "IL2 Complete Edition" in a bargain bin and remembered what fun I had with B17 so picked it up: the rest as they say is history leaving me with a love of flight sims, sub sims and military sims! As for getting people into sims: I think films are the best: whilst we as simmers cannot influence Hollywood - we can however do our part to promote sims through films made with simulators and posted to youtube; someone going onto youtube to see a Call of Duty video may stumble across a well made, tactical and engaging ARMA video and may well say "I may have to give this tactical thing a go!" Simming isn't dying: it is just having to compete with consoles and other genres increasingly every year: for every sim that comes out how many call of duty, battlefield or fifa games or clone games come out? Its a niche market, so its never going to draw in those huge numbers that the AAA titles can: what Sims do tend to have that a lot of other games don't have is staying power: and that is a strength that can be played on too. V __________________ ARMA 3 Co-Op Battalion Recruiting Worldwide http://www.iijg53.com

09-28-13, 10:24 PM	#8
Hans Witteman Kaleun of U-3 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: somewhere in 1939 Posts: 1,816 Downloads: 123 Uploads: 0	Hi Cybermat, Excellent topic and for ATWAR we are planning a totally new approach to the genre but we still can't mention what it will be until later on when the website will be online. I have play a lot of different type of games over my life and i think i know exactly how to revive the genre without discarding the Sim essential mechanics. When people will try ATWAR for the first time they will quickly see how addictive a Sim can be with the right mix of elements from very different game genre like RPG. No game to my knowledge was ever done like what we plan for ATWAR but have no worry it is not about flying saucer or laser cannon! Regards Hans __________________

09-06-13, 12:17 AM	#5
Stealhead Navy Seal Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kentucky Posts: 5,421 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	The interwebs is power.You can find just about anything on the interwebs.Including tons of things about PC games. I have learned of many games by reading or seeing something of them on the web.I really like the other games screen shots section.It is a great promoter for games and the people that may have an interest it will get sparked by seeing an image or reading of a game. Another great example of this would be the AARs that get posted.A while back Raptor posted one from an The Operational Art of War III campaign he was playing. I read it because I had played TOAW 1 back in the day and seeing that thread made me think of the game and I went and purchased TOAWIII from Matrix Games. I also learned of War in the Pacific:Admirals Edition the same way and Kerbal Space Program spread like wild fire among subsim members because guys talked abut it here and within a month or so several games section regulars where playing it. I say promote but dont push.

09-25-13, 11:01 AM	#6
Mr Quatro Navy Seal Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 6,772 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	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

09-28-13, 05:44 PM	#7
Ardaeshir Watch Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 19 Downloads: 6 Uploads: 0	Well, first of all these are not for casual gamers, who are like 70% of the market. First of all, most people don't have the time, patience or the fascination with the topic itself. A casual gamer will go out and play something like "Devil may cry 5" or "GTA5" etc. Maybe 1 out of 20 will play any historical themed game and maybe 1 out of 20 of those historical players will play a simulator. And that's just the men. Female gamers will be even less likely to play those. I'm a strategy (turn based grand operational strategy, no rts "strcraft-y" stuff please) gamer first and foremost. I'm in a way a ww2 pacific buff, so I do enjoy SH4 a lot - don't get me worng. But even I get somewhat tired/annoyed with the long "go back from the east china sea to midway" patrol returns when nothing ever happens. Let's face it, these can be very time consuming games where nothing is happening for long periods of time befoe you finally get to chase down some target (and even then chances are that its an unarmed merchant that wouldn't satisfy a "challenge-oriented" twich gamer).