Simulator Success

Walking simulators come in many shapes and sizes. Whether it's a story of mystery and heartbreak, a tale of horrors and suspicion or a leisurely stroll through a mesmerising scene. Though they have limited action and haven't exactly been considered the apex of gaming history you'll still be surprised by their success within these modern times.

 

Likewise, according to the Wire’s article, The Joy of Walking in games. "People turned to video games in droves during the pandemic, and game companies recorded record profits. The philosopher and theologian Saint Augustine coined the Latin phrase “Solvitur ambulando,” meaning “It is solved by walking,” and walking—albeit virtually, is where I turned to steady my mind " (Briscoe, 2021).

 

So then here's the question of the week: ⭐How would I take my project and make it into a marketable and successful product in the wider media environment?

 

Well to get to the bottom of this I'll have to address the throbbing question.

 

What is my project? Or more accurately what is my team and mine’s project?

 

To be honest we only just started so there's still a few loose ends but the run down is that we aim to make a walking simulator where the audience plays as a lonely child left at home to clean their room. As you advance through, picking up each object you're sent back down memory lane to the times with you and your parents. However, you're not as close as you remember. The story explores the theme of disconnection and the fragility of a child's mind.

 

Back to the question at hand. How can I make this marketable and successful?

 

There are numerous reasons for the success of simulators but the undoubtedly largest reason is storytelling. Everyone loves a good story. But you know what’s better than just watching or reading a story? Being in one. Simulator's give people the opportunity to explore rich narratives while feeling involved as they participate in the progression of the story. Likewise, many simulators “heavily focus on their stories, often with mystery or horror elements, in which players walk around. Most of these titles are short and can be beaten in just a couple of hours”(MORRIS, 2022). For instance, popular simulators like what remains of Edith Finch or The Stanley Parable.

 

Besides just storytelling, visuals also play a big part in a simulator's success such as games like Journey or Abzu where you're able to immerse yourself in their alluring environments. Even though, game mechanics are usually simple and minute. They still play a huge role in enhancing the audience's experience. For example, Abzu uses swimming to reveal the deep blue sea, The unfinished Swan makes you wander around throwing paint to explore its hidden world and Journey allows you to connect with strangers on a spiritual… well Journey.

 

This leads me back to my own work.

 

As you are aware, simulators are most commonly mystery stories. At first glance, our story doesn't seem to have any mystery elements. But, it does. Just not the deathly kind. Our story is more down to earth and explores the mysteries of human emotion and connection by giving insight into the mind of a neglected child. Similarly, for our visual storytelling we plan to create eye-catching scenes while combining 2D and 3D aesthetics with 2D for the child's mind and 3D for real life. Even though we're not game students and the scope of our work can only be so big we aim to add a bit more mechanics than just walking such as picking things up and interacting with objects in order to move the story forward.

 

All said done. We still have a long way to go before the end of our project but it's good to know what to look out for to make our project a success.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Briscoe, A. (2021, August 27). 

The joy of walking in games. WIRED. 

https://www.wired.com/story/the-joy-of-walking-in-games/

Campo Santo, The Fullbright Company, & Giant Sparrow. (n.d.). 

[collage of walking simulators: Gone home, Firewatch, What remains of Edith Finch]. nintendolife. 

https://images.nintendolife.com/d271e469ef440/best-switch-walking-sims.large.jpg

LoProto, M. (2021, March 2). 

15 best walking simulator games to relax with. Cultured Vultures. 

https://culturedvultures.com/best-walking-simulator-games/

MORRIS, K. (2022, July 24). 

15 best walking simulators. Game Rant. 

https://gamerant.com/best-walking-simulators/#the-beginner-39-s-guide