Overview
Public transportation, is used in urban centres as a means of transit for the general public. This is accomplished by different modes of transportation including but not limited to
buses, light rail trains, heavy rail trains, and
streetcars. It usually involves fixed routes set out by the organization that runs the transit systems and a set schedule. The goal is to move the most people to major destinations as efficiently as possible.
Use in Video Games
Public transportation in video games usually serve as a backdrop or location of a game. An example of this is a level that takes place in a
subway tunnel. Recently, public transportation has taken a more central role in games. Some games have players in the role of transit planners and give the objective of managing an effective transit system. This can be the main goal of a game (
Cities in Motion) or as tool to accomplish a bigger task (
Sim City 4).
The appearance of public transportation in video games can also serve a more obvious purpose, to transport the player to another location. This is most notable in games such as
Grand Theft Auto IV in which players explore an open urban environment. Usually it is an alternative mode of transportation in these games however some games require the use of public transit to proceed with the story.
Finally, other niche games (usually simulations) have players operate
vehicles in a transit system. This normally involves real-world transit systems as well as the realistic depiction of real-life transit vehicles.
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