Are you a closet creationist?

Since the early days of PC gaming the sim genre has proven to be one of the most successful in the world

Feature by Dave Cook | 12 Mar 2007
It's no great secret that over the course of gaming history developers looking to create an air of controversy around their games have often used reams of violence and graphic images. Perhaps most memorable was the 1992 release of Mortal Kombat, which created an uproar through its use of gore while still managed to top the charts despite being rated for over-18s only.

Violent games give players escapism from reality - such as committing crimes and getting away with them, a la Grand Theft Auto - but tend to alienate female and younger games fans. Although violence causes controversy and usually helps games increase sales it also tends to put concerned parents off from buying consoles for their children. The Xbox 360's top titles all bear the more mature age restrictions, and while the PS2 has variety - you must be extra careful to dodge all the shite (Crazy Frog, we're looking at you!). With the Wii still in its infancy, what can game developers do that's new?

The 'sim' genre has always been accessible for all gamers regardless of what floats their boat. Pioneered by iconic gaming figures such as Sid Meier and Peter Molyneux - creators of Civilisation and Populous respectively - these groundbreaking titles allowed the player to assume the role of god, controlling and coercing their people to victory through diplomacy, culture or even war. It is the aspect of control, though, that made these games great to play, and as a consequence simulation games have sold in their millions and opened up the game market to female and younger gamers.

These games move beyond the standards of game design and have real depth - with the emphasis on creating worlds rather than destroying them through violence. They have always been around on PCs but lately the more market-savvy console developers have caught on to the trend and have started producing some intriguing 'sim' titles.

The best known simulator game, The Sims, was the highest selling PC game of all time (although it was recently piped to the post by World of Warcraft) and EA's decision to develop it for the consoles turned out to be a great move as they sold by the bucket-load. Even the violence-riddled Xbox 360 battlefield was invaded by the charming Viva Pinata, making the console more appealing to a wider audience.

The future of the 'sim' genre will always be more at home on PCs because they simply work better with a mouse and keyboard, but there are many new console titles on the horizon such as the brilliant Spore on Xbox 360. Spore is interesting because it takes world creation to another level. The game starts off with a single-cell organism and from that, the entire game world grows and develops depending on your actions. You can completely screw with evolution if you want or play it safe and run everything by the book - but where's the fun in that? A massively ambitious title, a game with no clear goals, but one that allows the player total freedom.

MMORPG's like World of Warcraft offer similar levels of freedom, and so appeal to a wide audience: male, female, young or old, there are huge worlds on offer for the player to discover. These games create friendships and rivalries just like real life and are extremely engrossing. However, Marvel Universe Online is one of many new games looking to challenge WoW's reign at the top. Coming this year, players will take control of one of hundreds of legendary characters from the company's last 60 years and battle tons of famous super-villains. This one is going to be huge!
The range of recent games in the genre has been broad (and overall, quite successful) with titles like The Movies, Animal Crossing, Thrillville and Viva Pinata offering some stupidly addictive experiences. The desire to create and maintain a character or a world has become a driving force behind innovation, and one that is increasing the numbers of gamers with every new release - a trend that bodes very well for the future of the industry.