A Survey of Life Simulation Games

Life Simulation Games:A Survey

Games For Health ConferenceGames Beyond Entertainment Week

David Warhol

Realtime Associates, Inc.

Today’s Talk

• Vital Stats

• Gameplay / Game Mechanics

• Goal / End State

• Life Span Represented– Continuous or phased

• Start Conditions

• Statistics Used to Measure Simulated Life

• Actions Possible to Take in Simulated Life

• How Obvious Are Consequences To Actions

Wikipedia on Life Simulation Games

• “Life simulation games (or artificial life games) are simulation games in which the player lives or controls one or more artificial lifeforms. A life simulation game can revolve around individuals and relationships, or it could be a simulation of an ecosystem”

• Usually one of three subgenres:– Biological – playing with genetics, survival, or ecosystems

– Pet-raising simulations – e.g. Tamagotchi, Nintendogs

– Social simulation games – gameplay based on social interaction between the player and game entities

A Brief Aside: Conway’s Game of Life

• 1970

• Played on a grid

• Each grid cell is either ‘live’ or ‘dead’

• Each grid cell interacts with its eight neighbors

– Live cells with fewer than two neighbors dies of under population

– Live cells with more than three neighbors dies of overpopulation

– Live cells with exactly two or three neighbors lives to go on to the next generation

– Dead cells with exactly three live neighbors becomes a live cell

• These rules create amazing patterns

• Martin Gardner, introducing Life, in Scientific American, October 1970:

– “[Conway’s Life] belongs to a growing class of what are called 'simulation games' (games that resemble real life processes)”

LITTLE COMPUTER PEOPLE


• Activision

– Entertainment

• 1985

• C64, Atari ST, Apple II, Amiga

• Single Player

• “Little Computer People Discovery Kit”


• Tamagochi gameplay

– Keep the lil’ guy alive

• Open-ended gameplay – no goal per se

• Static lifespan (character doesn’t age)

• Male character moves into house and goes through his daily routine

– Cooking, watching TV, reading newspaper…


• Measures:

– No statistical exposure to character’s moods

– Entirely observed through behavior

• Actions:

– Give gifts

– Talk / make requests through keyboard (“Please play the piano”; “please feed the dog”

– Play card games


• Action to Consequence: High

• Did fairly well for its time

• Supposedly had a serialized disk which made each person behave differently

• Acknowledged by Will Wright in the making of the Sims

ALTER EGO

ALTER EGO

• Activision

– Entertainment

• 1986

• C64, Apple II, DOS, Mac

• Single Player

• Text-based with a graphic interface

ALTER EGO

ALTER EGO

• Questionnaire game mechanics

• Not specifically goal oriented– Make decisions for an imaginary person through their

life

• Cradle to grave– Phased: Birth & Infancy; Childhood; Adolescence; Young

Adulthood; Adulthood; Middle Adulthood; Old Age

– Different actions available at different times

• Scripted differently for male & female players

• Starts with a series of questions to test the player’s values

ALTER EGO

• Measures:– Familial; Intellectual; Physical; Social; Vocational

– Calmness; Expressiveness; Gentleness; Happiness; Thoughtfulness; Trustworthiness

– Money

• Actions:– Family; Intellectual; Physical; Social; Vocational;

Emotional

– Work; School; Relationships; Risks; Children; Purchase; Marriage

ALTER EGO

• Action to Consequence: Medium

• Non-linear gameplay within each phase

• Usually humorous but some dire consequences depicted

• Was criticized to be somewhat preachy

• CGW: “A delightful, humorous and thought-provoking exercise in decision-making, value exploration and evaluation, and vicarious wish-fulfillment.”

• Would I replay it as another person? Probably not.

JONES IN THE FAST LANE


• Sierra

– Entertainment

• 1990

• MS DOS / PC VGA

• 1 to 4 players

– Plus play against “Jones” the NPC


• Board game mechanics

– Players alternate turns “simultaneous single player” – players don’t interact with one another

– 8 to 10 actions per turn on weekdays

– Weekends are random plus/minus events

• Goal set by players

– A mix of Wealth; Happiness; Education; Career

• Starts from high school graduation

– Plays continuously until end goals are met


• Measures:

– Wealth; Happiness; Education; Career

• Actions:

– Find Job; Go To School; Buy/Sell Things; Eat; Banking Transactions; Upgrade Housing

– Some locations serve as a place to work as well as use of that service


MY LIFE MY LOVE:BOKU NO YUME - WATASHI NO NEGAI


• Banpresto (Japan)

– Entertainment

• 1991

• Nintendo Entertainment System

• 1 or more players

• Expensive for its time

• Translation: (Male) I Dream – (Female) I Wish


• Board Game Mechanics– In video game clothing

• Player who has the most strength, intelligence, or positive emotions wins

• Starts at birth– Player picks a birth date between 1950 and 1980

and plays forward through accurate historical context

– End state is the year 1991


• Measures:– Unknown

• Actions:– Cash; Exclamation; Card; and Blank Spaces

– Establish friendships & romantic relationships with NPCs

– NPC pets you must take care of

– Childhood & adolescence offer the most choices while adulthood is fairly linear

PRINCESS MAKER 2

• Gainax (Anime)

– Entertainment

• 1993

• MS DOS, Windows, Sega Saturn

• Single Player

• Series of PM 1-5

– PM 2 Translated to English but never released

• Set in fantasy medieval Europe (c. 1210 ad)

PRINCESS MAKER 2

• Menu Loop Gameplay

• Grow your adopted daughter to adulthood

– 70+ outcomes

– Span from positive to negative

– Player chooses outcome by playing a certain way

• From age 10 to age 18

– Decisions made monthly & bi-monthly

• Starting conditions set by sign of Zodiac and blood type

PRINCESS MAKER 2

• Measures:– Constitution; Strength; Intelligence; Refinement; Charisma; Morality; Faith;

Sin; Sensitivity; Stress; Combat Skill; Combat Attack; Combat Defense; Magic Skill; Magic Attack; Magic Defense; Fighter Reputation; Magic Reputation; Social Reputation; Housework; Decorum; Art; Conversation; Cooking; Cleaning; Temper; Maternal Instinct; Relationship to Palace; Relationship to Father

• Actions:– Father/Daughter talk; Visit Castle; Adventure; Rest/Vacation

– Study: Poetry; Painting; Dance; Fighting; Fencing; Strategy; Protocol; Decorum; Theology; Magic; Science

– Job: Housework; Babysitter; Inn; Farm; Church; Restaurant; Lumberjack; Salon; Masonry; Hunter; Graveyard; Tutor; Bar; Sleazy Bar; Cabaret

PRINCESS MAKER 2

• Action to Consequence:– High (schooling, jobs)

– Low (behind the scenes modeling)

• End game talks down inappropriate choices– …but game doesn’t prohibit you from making them

• End state determined on the last move of the game– Could qualify as Queen, but if other stats are too high,

will become a Warrior Hero or Skilled Dancer

• Managing Stress is the main factor

THE SIMS

• Electronic Arts– Entertainment

• 2000, 2004, 2009

• PC/Mac Installed Executable– Variations & versions on most consoles & hand

helds

• Single player

• One of the most successful video game series of all time

THE SIMS

• God game mechanics

– Sims run somewhat autonomously

– Instruct Sims what to do

• Open ended goal

– What EVER you want

– Sandbox gameplay

– “Digital Doll House”

THE SIMS

• But your Sims have goals– Grow Up; Romance; Family; Knowledge;

Popularity; Fortune

• Your Sims have wants and fears– Change often, coincide with game actions

• Cradle to grave represented– Discreet phases for Toddler; Child; Teen; Adult;

Elder

• Usually start as adult

THE SIMS

• Measures:– Composite Mood Meter based on needs of:

Hunger; Energy; Bladder; Hygiene; Comfort; Fun; Social; Environment

• Careers

• Skills

• Actions:• The sky is the limit

• Action to Consequence: High, Deep

ANIMAL CROSSING

ANIMAL CROSSING

• Nintendo Co. Ltd.

– Entertainment

• 2001

• N64 (Japan), Gamecube (US)

• Single Player

– Players can “visit” other players

• Nintendo considered it a “communication game”

ANIMAL CROSSING

• Collection game mechanics– Collect insects, creatures, fossils, fish…– Increases experience to catch higher level things

• Open Ended Goal – no end state– Collect stuff, make your house better

• Static Lifespan (characters don’t age)– Runs on real world clock/calendar– Recognizes seasons, holidays

• Player moves into village, lives there indefinitely

ANIMAL CROSSING

• Measures:

– “Stuff” - Not in statistic form but in graphic form

– Your character is always happy

• Actions:

– Catch/Collect; Chores; Shopping; Feng Shui; Monthly Raffle; Design Clothes; Play Retro NES Videogames

– Some effect gameplay, some are idle/fun activities

ANIMAL CROSSING


• Could visit other characters by saving your character out to a memory card, then running that memory card on another system with another character

• A great example of virtual life simulator integrated into an entertainment experience

Ayiti: The Cost Of Life

• Global Kids, Gamelab, Unicef

AYITI: THE COST OF LIFE

• Global Kids, Gamelab, Unicef

– Beyond Entertainment

• 2006

• Web browser game

• Single Player

• “What is it like to live in poverty, struggling every day to stay healthy, keep out of debt, and get educated?”


• Social / economic sim game mechanics

• Choose a goal / end condition between: Health; Happiness; Education; Money

• 4-year slice of life divided into 4 3-month seasons– Make decisions for all five family members for

that season then watch the season unfold

• Starts with father, mother, three children, and hardly any money


• Measures:

– Health; Happiness; Education

– For each family member

• Actions:

– School, Family Farm, Work, Hospital, Store

• Each with cost and income consequences

– Some mid-quarter decisions come up (pay for hospital, continue working…)


• Action to Consequence: High • Take-aways:

– WOW is it a rough life in third world poverty!

• Definitely conveys the message of its creators– With humor and levity

• There IS a path to win it– Jayisgames.com: “I’m not sure which was more

compelling, the later feelings of success as I worked the dominant strategy, or the early feelings of anguished sympathy as these people helplessly struggled with no way out.”

KUDOS 2

KUDOS 2

• Positech Games (Indy)

– Entertainment

• 2008

• PC Installed Downloadable Executable

• Single Player

KUDOS 2

• Manage a character’s life

– Do one thing each weekday, two things each weekend day

• No set goals

– Non-judgemental open ended outcome

• From age 20 to age 30, continuous

• Start with no money and skills for an entry level job

KUDOS 2

• Measures:

– Energy; Loneliness; Happiness; Confidence; Kudos; Excitement; Relaxation; Sobriety; Cleanliness; Weight; Optimism; Extravert; Honesty; Charisma; Health; Culture; IQ; Fitness; Persuasion; Muscles

• Actions:

– Evening Classes; Relax With Self; Activity With Friends; Look For Job

KUDOS 2


– Lots of information available to help you make the right choices

• Much of the game is keeping up relationships

• Can’t socialize without money

• Friends characteristics rub off on you

REAL LIVES 2010

• Educational Simulations, Inc.– Entertainment & Beyond Entertainment

• 2009 (with earlier versions dating to 2002)• PC Installed Downloadable Executable• Single Player• Live one of billions of lives in any country in the

world– “Through statistically accurate events, Real Lives brings

to life different cultures, human geography, political systems, economic opportunities, personal decisions, health issues, family issues, schooling, jobs, religions, geography, war, peace, and more!”

REAL LIVES 2010

• Menu-driven decision making gameplay

• Goal: Live a life– No financial, happiness goals inherent in the

game

• Cradle to grave– Not segregated into discreet phases but more

options become available over time

• Starts in a random location, situation, economic class based on statistics– Has a character designer to override

REAL LIVES 2010

• Measures:

– Personal: Health; Resistance; Happiness; Intelligence; Artistic; Musical; Athletic; Strength; Endurance; Conscience; Wisdom; Religion; Language

– Family: Diet; Home; Safe Water; Public Sanitation; Medical Care; Televisions; Radios; Telephones; Cars

REAL LIVES 2010

• Actions:– Education: Quit School; Enroll in College; Vocational

School; Graduate School– Career: Get a Job; Quit Job; Work Overtime; Ask For

Raise; Start a Business– Finance: Monthly Expenses; Borrow or Invest– Love & Relationship: Seek a New Romance; End

Romance; Propose Marriage; Leave Marriage; Try For a Child; Adopt a Child

– Residence: Move Out; Change City; Change Dwelling; Emigrate

– Leisure Activities: Change Leisure Activities

REAL LIVES 2010

• Action to Consequence: Low

• Measures income vs nation & income vs world

• Incredible in comparing Western to Non-Western cultures

– Character goes from disease to disease

– Can’t stay in school

• Powerful teaching tool

THE GAME OF LIFE

• Milton Bradley (now Hasbro)

– Entertainment

• Originally 1860; Current form 1960; updated periodically

• Board Game

• Two or more players (ages 9 and up)

THE GAME OF LIFE

• Risk & Reward Gameplay, with randomization

– Some gameplay critics argue randomization plays too strong a role in gameplay; I say, exactly!

• Goal: “The player with the highest total value wins!” (Money, money, money!)

• Spans from high school graduation to retirement

• Starts with the decision to get into the work force right away vs. going to college

THE GAME OF LIFE

• Measures:

– Money

– Collect “Life Experiences” which are money

• Actions:

– Earn money

– Follow instructions

– “Lucky Spin” gambling

– Share the Wealth cards

THE GAME OF LIFE

• Action to Consequence: Some Low, Some High

• Periodically updated to keep with the times– 9 “LAWSUIT: Sue Another Player for $100,000” squares

– Rewards for “Win on TV Game Show”; “TV Dance Show Winner”; “Host Entertainment Awards Party”; and “Spring Break in Florida. Pay $5,000”

• You Must Get Married

– Though kids are random, but ultimately are a source of money as shower gifts

Take-Aways

• Goal / End State– Set by game; set by player; not set at all

• Life Span Represented– Cradle to grave; subset span; static– Continuous vs. broken into discreet phases

• Measures & Actions– How obvious are the measures presented

• Diverse pool of products from which to draw ideas– Lots of interesting mechanics

• Can be effective for both entertainment & games beyond entertainment

Take-AwaysAlter Ego Jones Ayati Kudos 2 Real Lives

Common Expressions of Measurement

Happiness Happiness Happiness Happiness HappinessMoney Wealth Money Money MoneyIntellect Education Education IQ Intelligence Vocational Career (yes) (yes) (yes)Physical Health Health HealthTrustworthiness Honesty Conscience Family Family

Muscles StrengthFitness Athletic

Social ExtravertCalmness Relaxation

Unique Expressions of Measurement

Expressiveness Energy WisdomGentleness Loneliness ResistanceThoughtfulness Confidence Artistic

Excitement MusicalSobriety EnduranceCleanliness ReligionWeightOptimismCharismaCulturePersuasion

Comments…?

Questions…?

Conversation…?

Life Simulation Games:A Survey

Thank You!

Games For Health ConferenceGames Beyond Entertainment Week

David Warhol, PresidentRealtime Associates, Inc.

2101 Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 6250El Segundo, CA 90245

310-414-8555 [email protected]

www.RTAssoc.com

mailto:[email protected]



A Survey of Life Simulation Games

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