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Space simulation

In its broadest definition, a space simulation is any software that simulates space and/or space flight. See also Space flight simulator. This could include realistic or fanciful simulations. Realistic simulations could include astronomy programs. Typically though, the term "space simulation" is spoken in the abbreviated form of "space sim" and refers to a genre of computer games more...

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The Birth of the Space-sim Genre

Some of the most influential releases in the early years of the space simulator genre were

Elite; Wing Commander; Traveller; Black Mantis; X-Wing;

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 further development seems to be planned). 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.