User:Datumizer/Sandbox/Space simulator

From an old revision of Space simulator.

The Collapse of the Space-sim Genre

FreeSpace 2 was the last major space sim produced. Its poor sales combined with the commercial failure of other high-profile titles such as Starlancer and Independence War 2: Edge of Chaos, led to the cancellation of several high-profile titles and plunged the genre into a deep recession from which it has yet to recover. It could be said that the genre did not totally die, but was rather influenced and modified by other, newer genres, such as 'real-time' strategy. This influence birthed games such as Homeworld, Homeworld Cataclysm, Homeworld 2, O.R.B. and Nexus: The Jupiter Incident. Additionally, the genre seems to be alive and well in its original form within Russia and other non-English speaking communities. Homeplanet and Homeplanet: Playing With Fire, Parkan and Parkan 2 are prime examples of this. Also, there is a huge X series of Elite-like games by Egosoft (X: Beyond the Frontier, X-Tensions, X2: The Threat and X3: Reunion and X3: Terran Conflict). Nevertheless, the original space-sim genre is experiencing very little popularity in the North American market.

Why did the space sim genre fall out of favor? This question has remained a topic of hot contention among genre enthusiasts.

The first, and most obvious reason, is the rise of the First-Person Shooter and Real-time strategy genres, which led to a boom in the popularity of PC gaming. Previous attempts by PC game developers to compete in console-style games had failed, but with the success of the FPS and RTS, computer game developers finally had homegrown hits on their hands. Casual gamers flocked in droves to games like Quake and StarCraft, ignoring other traditional PC genres such as space sims, adventure games, flight simulators and wargames. It is worth noting that all four genres collapsed at roughly the same time, the late 1990s / early 2000s.

First-person shooters were also an ideal technological showcase for the quantum leaps in computer graphics and processing power at the turn of the century. 3D graphics accelerators and multi-gigahertz processing speeds meant that, for the first time, terrestrial environments could be realistically rendered. In first-person shooters, detail was lavished on lush green scenery and elaborate architecture which advanced in each incarnation. In contrast, space offered little eye candy other than the stars. The vast emptiness of space, a boon in the early days of gaming when graphics power came at a premium, had finally become a liability.

At the same time id Software and Blizzard Entertainment were busy revamping the state of PC gaming, the internet was booming. This new technology would itself change gaming, ushering in the “multiplayer revolution”. This began with LAN multiplayer, but took on a life of its own when the Internet opened up an entire world to prospective gamers. FPS and RTS developers were quick to take advantage of this new technology; in contrast, space sims would not offer internet play until X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter in 1997, by which time it was too late.

Another issue is that space sims tend to have very complex controls. It takes some time and dedication to master a space sim, in which a very experienced player may use up to half his keyboard during combat situations. As PC gaming slowly became more mainstream, the steep learning curve tended to drive away the casual gamers who were slowly taking over the market.

Finally, there exists the issue of joysticks. Joysticks were far less prevalent among the gaming community at the end of the 1990s than they were at the beginning of the decade, the genre’s heyday, and many believe that this has been a major factor in the genre’s decline. Digital Anvil’s Freelancer was an attempt to rectify this issue by substituting an entirely mouse-based system for combat; this was not entirely successful except in antagonizing hardcore space simmers.

The future of the genre

With the demise of many of the major players in the genre, the future of the mission-oriented space simulator is murky. Reportedly LucasArts and Electronic Arts are interested in future titles in their respective X-Wing and Wing Commander series, but so far neither have unveiled any serious proposals to do so. In the meantime, the only serious contenders are independent titles such as Starshatter, EvoChron: Alliance and the Battlecruiser 3000AD series, which are complex, feature-heavy titles on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Elite-type games have done somewhat better; Freelancer enjoyed moderate success, and the X series is in its third incarnation. However, neither have brought about the space sim renaissance enthusiasts have hoped for. With the announcement of Wing Commander Arena for the Xbox 360, however, one of space simming's premier franchises may be on the verge of a comeback.

In early 2006, the Official Xbox Magazine had a short note about a possible X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter related game from LucasArts that would return gamers to the series "sooner than you may think", but at the time this rumor appeared, little else was known, and no official statement had been made by LucasArts.

There has been one interesting trend, coming ironically from the first-person shooter genre. Recent titles, such as Unreal Tournament 2004 and Star Wars: Battlefront II, include space combat levels as an outgrowth of the player-controllable vehicles that have been a staple of the genre has used for some time. These levels are easily playable with the mouse and have reintroduced space combat to casual gamers. It is entirely possible that the future of the space simulator may spring from here.