Why Do We Enjoy Playing Games That Are Work Simulators?
 

Think about it - Harvest Moon, The Sims, Paperboy... these are games based off of the fact that they're simulating work. Harvest Moon, you're essentially running a farm by yourself. The Sims, you're an interior Designer, and the head of a household. Paperboy? That one's self explanitory. There's lots of games like this, and my question is not why there are, but why do we love these games so much?

You have Assassin's Creed, Guitar Hero, Metal Gear Solid, Starcraft, Portal, whatever - they take you out of your daily life and allow you to do things that you would never be able to do in real life in a virtual environment. But working in a game? I literally have avoided doing household chores to do chores in a video game.

I played Harvest Moon because it was fun. You get to raise livestock and plants without any of the side effects of getting tired. You know how there's a LOT of people who want to, when they stop working, live in a ranch and have some crops growing and some livestock? I think it's the same thing. Farming without all the side effects is fun, dangit. I liked making houses in The Sims because it was awesome to have all those unbelieveably cool houses.

To be fair, running a farm doesn't usually involve so much adventure. It's usually more about starting work at 6 am, and finishing work well after sunset every day forever.

I thought The Sims was about playing God and making people start fires. Then again, I've never played it.

See the Harvest Moon response. Only without the real life version being quite so crappy. Work is the premise, but that's about it.

Anyway, sim-type games allow you to operate in a "normal life" but without consequences or any sort of moral obligations. Aside from that, you get to take a sort of macroscopic view of things that you'd never do in real life. How many of us have the drive and long-sightedness to actually organize the events of our every day over the course of three years, with a slight respite every month to keep ourselves from getting too stressed so we can maximize our "stats" and win the girl of our dreams? Real life isn't even predictable enough to make that worthwhile.

Anyway, I'd say it's the lack of consequences that make life-sims so seductive. There's also the fact that the "work" doesn't make you physically, mentally, or emotionally tired. I'm sure I'd love working if I could force my body to go until it couldn't go any more.

I played the Sims to see how many people I could kill by starting fires. I started a huge cemetary with the headstones. I got bored of Harvest Moon after about an hour. My feelings about Paperboy are obvious given my review.

BitVyper hits it right on the nose. There's no real commitment, no risk, no responsibilities. If you FUBAR something, you can go back to the last save point. If you get tired of it, you can stop playing.

Finally, Harvest Moon is quite easily an escape for many. I'd love to be able to go out to rural Manitoba and spend time in small communities, raise some animals, and be able to feel tangible results from my hard labour. The reality is, though, it's not an option for me. Therefore? Play the game.

We're masochists. The epitome of this mantra? Animal Crossing.

you want to know why? Have you tried that real life game? The graphics suck, plus you only get one life and no continues. Doesn't even have a difficulty setting or cheat codes. Then you have this annoying mini-game where the police officer asks you questions just because you ran over a few pedestrians after finally finding that stupid red mushroom that grants you bullet-time. Its not my fault the AI is so poor they never jump out of the way in time.

I dunno I think the graphics are pretty spiffy but the system requirements are a little extreme.

I just don't like the community. Bunch of stupid kids yelling obscenities and oldbies complaining about how everything was better twenty updates ago. Single player's fun, though.
Did I just type that?!

Oh, and I didn't think Animal Crossing was a job simulator, unless fishing, shaking trees, and talking to people about why your face is covered in bee stings is a job. 'Cause I'd like to get into that field.

Harvest moon was wierd. See when I think about it seems real boring and monotonous. When I explain it it seems real boring and monotonous.
But I sunk days into that thing.
Strange