GMRFM Evan: One of the most common themes addressed by the more cerebral games forums and writers is the concept of immersion. Some people think the insanely complex mechanics of sim-games make for an immersive experience while others think amazing graphics, sound design and production values make things all that more convincing.
Both sides have valid points. The tremor in the voice of Isaac Clarke at the beginning of Chapter 10 of Dead Space 2 being the most recent example of feeling like I’m in the characters shoes I can think of due to high end production values. Frantically trying to get your Mech (in Mechwarrior) into a lake to stop it from overheating speaks to the immersive quality of a sim.
But in all of the examples you can think of similar to the ones above: you are still holding a controller or interacting with a keyboard and mouse when neither accurately represents how what you are controlling works, there is still the disconnect, you are still conscious of the game.
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William Worrall writes: "The latest entry in our history of the indipendant games market. This week we take a look at the pioneers of the early 2000s."
