Where are all the simulation games?

by aleen634

So we're a good way into this generation and if there's one disturbing trend it's the lack of constructive simulation (Sim City, Civilization, Aerobiz, etc.) games. Both on PS3 and Xbox 360 I don't see any upcoming releases for any full fledged simulation games. Heck, the best releases I found were on XBLA with Catan and Kingdom for Keflings. On PS3 there aren't any the closest thing to a sim game I've played is Pixeljunk Monsters and that isn't a sim game at all. The only bright spot is the Nintendo Wii which has been getting a ton of sim games. Rune Factory Frontier is probably the best sim game I've played this generation (sorry Civilazation Revolution) and that's still part action game.

Now I understand gamers are a fickle bunch and if there's one thing that this generation will be known for its the ton of fps games that have been released. But where are the Unreal powered simulation games? Ok that's probably a pipe dream but this generation is sorely lacking simulation games. There was a game (wasn't a great game) last generation called Metropolis Mania.

As you can see it wasn't the best looking or best playing game but it showed what a simulation game could look like on the PlayStation 2. It simulated all the inhabitants of your city moving from home to work (or school) and showed the flow of traffic in your streets etc. It was advanced for its time and I haven't played a simulation game like it since. My point is that if you could simulate a small city on the PS2, imagine with the power of today's consoles the size and impressiveness of today's simulation games could be!

So come on game developers, I enjoy a shooter like every other person but there's a severe lack of sim games that need filling and the puny arcade releases aren't going to cut it anymore.

P.S. Koei release Aerobiz or Aerobiz Supersonic on the Virtual Console and I'll be eternally greatful (although if you make an Aerobiz HD for PSN/XBLA I'll force all my friends to buy them).