Is the Space Sim Dead?

[OccamsRazor3]

Ever since Chris Roberts showed off his pitch for Star Citizen(which if you haven't checked out yet, you definitely should), I've been incredibly excited, and somewhat nervous. Excited because I love space sims, with Freelancer(another of Roberts' creations) being one of the games that I can attribute sparking my love of games. I love the exploration, the combat, the customization, and I honestly think there is nothing like space sims for making you feel like you're part of a larger world.

But I'm nervous about it too, because I worry that if Star Citizen fails, its the last nail in the coffin for the genre as a whole. I'm wondering if there is enough critical mass for a space sim MMO to succeed, with games like EVE being relegated somewhat to the 'niche appeal' area.

So I guess I want to see what people think. Is the space sim dead? Or does Star Citizen have a chance to bring it back?

 

[teh_gunslinger]

Well, while it's been awfully quiet lately there's X: Rebirth coming up at some point.

Modders just released a Freespace 2 mod with a new Wing Commander campaign that is very good and another team did a Battlestar Galactica one, though I can't remember the status on that one.

Then there's the Evochron series. I've not played it so I can't comment on it much, but it looks great.

Then there's Infinity, but again, I'm not sure about its status at the moment. It looked ace though.

Also this list. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_space_flight_simulator_games#Space_flight_simulator_games_under_development]

 

[Aeshi]

I think there's also a couple of indie Space Sims hanging around on Kickstarter and Greenlight if that counts (Kinetic Void & Blockade Runner, to name two)

 

[OccamsRazor3]

I definitely agree that Space Sims are not dead in the literal sense. The indie market is outstanding for being able to take risks on genres that the larger publishers wont, so I have faith that I won't be lacking for options to satisfy my space sim fix.

I guess what I'm really curious about is whether there will be enough interest to support an MMO to the scale that Roberts is proposing. The detail in his proof-of-concept is astounding, and his plans are incredibly ambitious. But if this doesn't work, even less mid-to-large publishers will support space sims as a genre, which I would hate to see. That being said, the crowdfunding for Star Citizen is off to a great start, so there may be hope yet.

Also, gunslinger, thanks for those games! There were a number that I've never heard of, may ned to check them out.

 

[lRookiel]

Nope, FTL: faster than light was awesome. Oh and not to mention valve are teasing at a new IP which I think is a space sim as well. so I predict it's going to make a comeback within the next few years.

 

[Cid Silverwing]

You want Space Sim?

EVE Online is your choice :3

 

[Evil Smurf]

Sid Meier's Alpha Centuri is a fantastic game. All the people should play it