Talk:Simulation video game

Total makeover
This page was a complete mess. It seems as several editors had been confused whether the article was about table-top or computer simulations. As a result, the content was disorganised, the discussion incoherent, the initial definition, the bullets and lists were a mixture of computer and table top items. I restructured the article in its entirety, divided things more clearly into table-top and computer sections, added material about vehicular simulations, and synchronised the computer genres discussion with the current state of wikipedia computer games genres classification. Also corrected the categories for the article. I also pruned the lists of titles, which can be found --better updated!-- in at least two more articles (will add link to those), and a totally incoherent list apparently orphaned from an earlier context but that now only appeared misplaced. The article is still far from good and needs more work, but now at least is is coherent and somewhat structured. Mikademus 11:13, 26 February 2006 (UTC)

Re-reading the other articles and discussions about (computer) game genres, I think this page is problematic. First of all it is named according to thte scheme used for computer game genres, but it is also about non-computer games. Secondly, the non-computer games are treaded only marginally and sort of seems like an appendix that cannot be removed out of guilt. Thirdly, simulation games, or simulators, are predominantly understood to be vehicular simulations and it is highly problematic to include strategy games etc here. In fact, any game remotely based on reality becomes a simulation, based on the criteria set up by this article. This is a problem inherent in the word "simulator" itself, but that is unfortunately too late to do anything about now. So since the genre lists has "strategy" and "simulation" as separate top-genres. And this article, as it is, only adds confusion. Unless someone objects or beats me to it I will in the time ahed redo and prune it for consistency with the other articles. Mikademus 14:06, 26 February 2006 (UTC)

It has gone a three months since I wrote the text above. Since there has been no objections I will shortly redo this article fundamentally: Unless someone beats me to it, if course... Mikademus 13:42, 7 May 2006 (UTC)
 * 1) I will change the simulation game (this) article to a disambiguation page linking to "simulation game (table-top)" and "simulation game (computer)".
 * 2) I will extract all computer-related contents from the table-top article, but otherwise leave it intact since I feel that there are other, more qualified, editors to work on that page
 * 3) I will change the contents of the computer article to discuss the confusion inherent the "simulation" term, and then briefly outline what "simulation" means as a computer games super-genre and provide links to the major simulation sub-genres (f.i. flight simulators, racing games, etc).

I totally agree. The page is disappointingly random, and I got confused, as they didn't clearly refer either to "table-top" or "computer". I am all for your makeover.

Jak474 (talk) 22:31, 14 August 2016 (UTC)

More work
Hello! I think this is a valuable article that could use some more work: -- Sitearm | Talk 09:44, 2005 August 7 (UTC)
 * Add links to example games to other Wikipedia articles (e.g., Caesar)
 * Discuss role of sim games in education

Added material
I have added material which I have previously released under the GPL Version 2 and which I am now also releasing under the GFDL. My additions are now dual-licensed and can be reused under either license. I also added some links. Eterry 19:08, 5 September 2005 (UTC)

What about vehicle simulations?
Is it me, or does this article leave out a lot about flight simulations, tank simulations and the like? It seems especially odd to me considering that a lot of the games in this article are considered real-time strategy more than anything. Take the Age of Empires series, for example. -Escapeartist 17:08, 23 October 2005 (UTC)
 * There's also a lot of genres listed that I wouldn't consider related to simulation games. Role-playing games and RTSs, for instance. -SharkD 05:22, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

I noticed that, too. They only talked about basic flight simulators, but didn't mention anything about boat, tank, bus, train, or rocket sims. I find this amertureinstic.Jak474 (talk) 22:33, 14 August 2016 (UTC)

WikiPrpject Role-playing games
There has just ben started a new Wikiproject regarding Role playing Games. If you would like to join, please go to WikiProject Role-playing games and ad your self. Angelbo 12:58, 19 January 2006 (UTC)

Adding external link to ODP?
Can someone add as an external link. Sahbbg 04:30, 7 March 2007 (UTC)

Is RTS Simulation game?
In Korea, many journals and magazines refer to RTS game as Real-time Simulation game. In addition, a lot of people think Starcraft is such a great Simulation game. |실시간 전략 시뮬레이션 (Real-time Strategy Simulation Game) in Korean Wikipedia, 위키백과
 * In Japan, tactical role-playing games are known as 'simulation role-playing games'. SharkD 16:09, 26 October 2007 (UTC)
 * I guess, this is just a bad command of English by people from these countries. Japan in particular is notorious for its weird use of English words. Netrat_msk (talk) 13:10, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

Tighten up the definition
Reading through this article, and even looking at the talking point above, I think this article really needs to be tightened up. Taken in its broadest sense (as this article seems to do), every type of game is meant to simulate something. Some of the definitions include things like First Person Shooters (Soldier combat simulation), strategy games, etc. If there's no significant objection, I'm thinking that I'll tighten this up into a more focused article, and remove a lot of the material that's already covered in other genres. That pretty much leaves us with simulations in racing/flying/etc., economic, and perhaps a few others. But strategy games simulating large scale combat is not a simulation genre game, it is a strategy game. Thoughts? Antemeridian 17:06, 12 July 2007 (UTC)


 * I think the genres section should be trimmed of genres that better fit elsewhere. I know that all video games fit within a continuum ranging between Abstract and Simulation (see Strategy game), but as a genre this is more limited. Some note to this effect should be added to the article. SharkD 16:00, 26 October 2007 (UTC)

What happened to all the sim game genres that were taken away?
Hi, I appriciate the re-fit of this page, but I'm just wondering what happened to all the old genres which were taken away. (about 1st Jan 2008) Did they belong somewhere else? Also, should browser-based sim games be here or somewhere else? thanks Pippa93 (talk) 15:03, 13 February 2008 (UTC) pippa93
 * I'm pretty happy with the current list of sub-genres. Listing wargames and role-playing games, etc., was excessive, IMO. Not sure about browser-based sims. Can you provide an example? One that's notable? SharkD (talk) 01:41, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

Civilization? RollerCoaster Tycoon?
Games like Civilization or RollerCoaster Tycoon are hardly simulation games. They may be trying to simulate management activity as close to real life as possible, but they are still strategy games. I guess it's safe to call Civilization a god-sim, but Tycoons are all economy strategies. If we call these games "simulation games", why don't we add C&C and Age of Empires to the list, as they try to simulate manager's activities as well? Netrat_msk (talk) 13:06, 14 March 2008 (UTC)
 * i agree. i removed the examples, and instead left in the game genres described as simulations. 99.231.78.109 (talk) 05:30, 21 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Thank you. However, I also meant that "Construction and management simulations" link would be more suitable few lines lower, in "Other games described as simulations" section. Management games are mote strategy than simulation, don't you agree? Netrat_msk (talk) 22:52, 21 March 2008 (UTC)

Old talk page
Talk archives for this page. This results from a hard page move from "Simulation videogame." If some admin wants to merge talks that would be super. -Thibbs (talk) 07:21, 13 February 2009 (UTC)
 * I'm not an admin, but I merged the old talk in. I figured this would make it easier for editors to see how the article's developed. Greg Tyler (t &bull; c) 13:13, 4 May 2009 (UTC)

"Professional simulations"
This might be an apt term to describe some of the more obscure simulations listed here, such as Medical simulation and Photo simulation. I'm not going to bother with editing the article though. SharkD  Talk  07:39, 27 November 2009 (UTC)

Video?
Hi, why is simulation game sending me here? I know lots of simulation games that aren't video games. --Dolberty (talk) 12:31, 21 June 2017 (UTC)


 * Good point! See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation#Simulation_games_2 Skinduptruk (talk) 11:18, 17 August 2017 (UTC)

Requested move 27 December 2020

 * The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion. 

The result of the move request was: not moved. (closed by non-admin page mover) Megan B....   It’s all coming to me till the end of time  23:14, 3 January 2021 (UTC)

Simulation video game → Simulation game – Per WP:COMMONNAME and WP:CONCISE. Simulation game already redirects here, so we don't seem to be concerned about disambiguating from other sorts of simulation games (if they even exist at all). This also brings the article in line with other video game genre articles such as racing game, platform game, shooter game, fighting game, action game, adventure game, etc. Popcornfud (talk) 21:06, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Oppose This one really doesn't make sense because there are non-video game simulation games, like Military exercise and Conway's Game of Life. We probably need to turn Simulation game into a WP:BROADCONCEPT article instead.ZXCVBNM (TALK) 21:34, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Hmm! I did look around for a while, but couldn't find anything on the encyclopaedia about simulation games that aren't video games (I'd never heard of any), so thanks for finding those examples.
 * However, are we sure those discount simulation game as the WP:COMMONNAME for video games? They seem a bit fringe - I'm certainly aware of military exercises, for example, and I'd heard of their colloquial name "war games", but I don't think they are really thought of as "games" for the most part (though I see serious games exist too). Popcornfud (talk) 21:40, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Oppose WP:COMMONNAME name as stands is much more common. In ictu oculi (talk) 21:23, 28 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Oppose WP:COMMONNAME name as stands is much more common. In ictu oculi (talk) 21:23, 28 December 2020 (UTC)


 * The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Walking and talking simulators
Not yet mentioned in the article are walking simulators. There are also talking simulators,  (although Wikipedia seems to be unaware of this; the closest we get are narrative adventure games) that are also not yet mentioned in the article.

--2001:1C06:19CA:D600:4109:C287:1DF5:186B (talk) 09:30, 9 September 2023 (UTC)


 * Personally disagree. It's important to not be confused by semantics - walking simulators are not closely conceptually related to most simulation games; the former is closer to an adventure game and seeks to immerse players in environmental spaces by eschewing traditional gameplay mechanics, the latter seeks to recreate real-world systems in a gamified way. ＶＲＸＣＥＳ (talk) 07:25, 29 December 2023 (UTC)