One of the biggest names when it comes to immersive sims believes they are easier to sell under a different name, but that one day they will 'invade every genre'

Raphael Colantonio is a veteran of immersive simulations, having created Arx Fatalis in 2002. He's not sure how to describe them effectively to people. In a recent PC Gamer interview, he explained how difficult it is to market the genre and why some brilliant titles have suffered as a result.

"If you don’t get on the market, no matter how good your games are," he says. "Prey was a good example, as it was sold to consumers as an immersive simulation. It's an immersion sim in all the ways one can imagine. But because of this, there were many marketing points that were used to try to explain to people what an immersive sim was."

Prey, despite being one of the most immersive games around, didn't meet Bethesda sales expectations. This led Bethesda to demand a change in Arkane’s direction. This is how Redfall came about, and why Colantonio left Arkane at the end of 2017.

The most immersive sims are often disguised as a different genre. Baldur's Gate 3 has an RPG feel, while Dishonored's stealth gameplay is similar. These are known quantities and therefore easier to market.

Colantonio claims that "nobody is confused about what an RPG really is." "We could debate whether Bethesda's RPGs are immersive sims or not, but what does it matter?" The market understands what a RPG is. Baldur's gate is the same. You'll have a small percentage of people who are excited when you say "This is an immersive simulation." They know what you mean. Then there are the others who will ask, "What is an immersive simulation?" And when you try to explain it to them, they will say, "Well, that sounds just like most games." Every game tries to be cohesive. Every game has potential. What are you saying?' It's as if to say, "Nah, man. If you don't understand, you don’t understand."

Colantonio believes that immersive sims will no longer be a genre. Not because it is a dead-end, but because all genres will have a sim-like quality.

"I wouldn't surprise me if, at some point, the immersive simness in games invades every genre. It won't be a word any more. People will simply say "It's a great game", or "It has some depth", or "I like how the systems are interconnected". Because immersive sim has a strange label that I think has focused some developers too much on trying to belong to this special school rather than just making good games."

I would be very happy if the future came true.