RPG or Immersive Sim: Why Gloomwood's Publisher Rejects the Label
Defining the immersive sim genre might be a task that no one survives. The concept is so contentious that any attempt at a definitive boundary is bound to be met with disagreement. For Dave Oshry, the head of publisher New Blood, the debate isn't just academic—it's a marketing problem. He believes that trying to sell a game using the term 'immersive sim' is a losing battle.
Marketing vs. Terminology
In a recent interview with PC Gamer, Oshry was blunt about the utility of the genre's name. "Is it a good marketing term? No. It sucks. It's awful," he stated. Interestingly, Oshry only encountered the term through his work with New Blood titles like Gloomwood and Fallen Aces. According to him, it was developer Dillon Rogers who introduced the concept, leaving the publisher initially confused by the jargon.
The Legacy of System Shock and Deus Ex
While Oshry is well-acquainted with the genre's pillars, he views them through a different lens. He argues that classics like System Shock and Deus Ex should simply be called RPGs. His logic is straightforward: if you are immersed in a world and building a character, you are playing a role-playing game. "People called them RPGs. That's the funny thing about an immersive sim," he noted, suggesting that the term 'RPG' carries much more weight and clarity for potential players.
This stance may ruffle the feathers of genre purists. One could argue that an immersive sim is essentially an RPG stripped of traditional stats, focusing instead on systemic interaction. However, given New Blood's track record with cult hits like ULTRAKILL, Oshry's preference for more recognizable labels seems to be a pragmatic approach to navigating the indie market.
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