Who's the target audience for bad simulator games?

[cerealnmuffin]

I am perplexed why really boring simulators are made. There are games like 'Street sweeper simulator', 'garbage truck simulator', some farm machine simulator, and a whole host of seemingly dull jobs made into video games. Who funds these games? Who buys these games? Why do they exist? Are they merely for training or are they intended to be fun?

Also if you have played such a game, what were your impressions and what made you want to give it a try?

 

[distortedreality]

I'd play garbage truck simulator only if it allowed me to go on a murder and/or adultery spree. I would also play postman simulator for the same reasons.

OT - I really have no idea, not really something i'd get into.

People get enjoyment out of different things though - maybe there's some billionaire out there who secretly wants to be a street sweeper, and plays a simulator to live out his/her fantasies.

 

[Indecipherable]

I don't know but I'd love to hear the answer.

Who funds it? Who decides - yep, that'll turn a wicked profit, let's go all in!

 

[lRookiel]

Weirdos that's who.

I played a fishing simulator once, it was terrible!

 

[More Fun To Compute]

German people buy them unless it's a hunting simulation then people from the USA buy them. In Germany learning a skill or trade is seen as good aspirational thing like as in the USA getting drunk and shooting wild animals is.

 

[Esotera]

Joke gifts, mainly. It can't cost that much to make a load of different simulator games, and if you sell them for around £15 each, you'll probably make a profit.

I used to play Deer Hunter a bit, which is basically a hunting simulator. It was just fun to play, even though most of the time you were just walking round some woods.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

I'd imagine it's the same sort of people who bought Microsoft Flight Simulator before it went free to play and, ostensibly, casual. That series used to be a hard core, real time simulator of laying in flight plans and flying commercial airplanes from one city to another. And people not only bought it, but spend hundreds or thousands on complicated joystick, rudder, and throttle setups for it.

 

[Scow2]

I'm thinking it's for the same reason people used to write idealistic poems about shepards: It's easy to idealize hard lives you don't have to live.

Living on a farm IRL, I HATE the "Harvest Moon" series.

 

[EvilMaggot]

They're made so that birgirpal can make these videos.

Spoiler

love his video's... they are so random

 

[DEAD34345]

Germans. Simulations are big there, and I don't really know why. It has lead to them making some really great simulation-type games though, like the Patrician series.

Oh, and OneFJef. I believe he is the only non-German person who ever bought "Euro Truck Simulator", and judging by his video of it the boredom drove him insane. Or... more insane than usual.

 

[The Thinker]

I'd play garbage truck simulator only if it allowed me to go on a murder and/or adultery spree. I would also play postman simulator for the same reasons.

OT - I really have no idea, not really something i'd get into.

People get enjoyment out of different things though - maybe there's some billionaire out there who secretly wants to be a street sweeper, and plays a simulator to live out his/her fantasies.

I'm sure this is already a thing. It's probably called "Go Postal", or something.

 

[Yopaz]

Joke gifts, mainly. It can't cost that much to make a load of different simulator games, and if you sell them for around £15 each, you'll probably make a profit.

I used to play Deer Hunter a bit, which is basically a hunting simulator. It was just fun to play, even though most of the time you were just walking round some woods.

Deer Hunter is actually a very good simulator. I can enjoy playing that from time to time.

I'd imagine it's the same sort of people who bought Microsoft Flight Simulator before it went free to play and, ostensibly, casual. That series used to be a hard core, real time simulator of laying in flight plans and flying commercial airplanes from one city to another. And people not only bought it, but spend hundreds or thousands on complicated joystick, rudder, and throttle setups for it.

Well, flight simulators actually give people a chance to try out a profession that is interesting and challenging. Garbage Truck simulator gives people a chance to test out one of the least popular jobs you can find.

 

[OrpheusTelos]

I remember really liking Roller Coaster Tycoon and Zoo Tycoon as a kid. Or are you talking about different games?

 

[slippereend]

I work at the Gamemania (in Holland) and usually it's younger, nerdy boys (8-13) or simple minded men who buy these games...

 

[OldDirtyCrusty]

My guess would be parents wanting to buy something "usefull" for their kids, instead of those killing simulators and uninformed people who are interested in the theme.

People, don`t confuse management games with things like street cleaning simulator.
Management games are(?)/were popular in germany but i really don`t know who would buy shitty job simulators (ehrm, the simulator not the job...i like clean streets).

 

[OldDirtyCrusty]

Sorry somehow my comp got a big hicup.

 

[OldDirtyCrusty]

hicup the second. Is there an option to delete posts? If not and a mod sees this feel free to do it. Sorry again