What is the barometer for a quality simulation? Ideally, it must be an accurate representation of the real thing, technology permitting. But the problem with this definition is that "accurate" is entirely subjective. Perhaps a better gauge, then, is what can be learned about the actual phenomenon from analyzing the simulation. Or, to put it another way, the simulation must serve as a teaching aid at some level.
Nearly every simulation fits the bill to some extent. For example, Maxis' Sim City franchise can help players understand the importance of properly zoning land and providing adequate roads and public transit to spark commerce. The limitation of a simulation such as this, however, is that many factors have been omitted for the sake of simplicity and playability. For example, the is no due process for sims who build houses only to later have them bulldozed to make way for a highway. As a result, an aspiring city architect probably wouldn't use Sim City as a training tool. It simply wouldn't meet his or her threshold for accuracy.
Similarly, while The Sims series is widely popular, no one would consider the franchise a realistic simulation of human behavior or social interaction. There are simply too many moving parts and uncontrolled factors to for it to be used as a forecasting tool of any kind. Human psychologists would not use The Sims to learn about human behavior.
Only three genres of commercially available simulations have met professionals' accuracy thresholds to the extent that they could actually derive some knowledge from the experience. The first--infamous after the attacks of 9/11--are flight simulators. It was Microsoft's Flight Simulator that was suspected to have contributed to the training of the terrorists involved in the attack. Flight Simulator and other associated titles, with their photorealistic landscapes and accuracy of airplane specifications and flight controls, have aided even experienced pilots in adjusting to a new aircraft or choosing navigational landmarks.
Next we have car racing simulations. NASCAR pro Dale Earnhardt Jr. had this to say in a GameZone interview back in 2002: "NASCAR Thunder helped me win the EA Sports 500 in Talladega this year and my first season on the circuit I would prepare for the upcoming event by racing my EA game over and over."
Whether or not that was a marketing ploy by EA Sports, Earnhardt isn't the only professional racer claiming to use racing simulations to give him an edge. According to a recent story in The Japan Times, "Formula 1 racing drivers such as Toyota's Jarno Trulli and BMW's Kazuki Nakajima have been seen practicing in front of a console. Whenever a new track comes onto the racing calendar, like Fuji Speedway did last October after a 30-year absence, and drivers cannot get there to practice for real, many fire up Gran Turismo. They say it's the only way to memorize the track layout and braking markers--the points where you must start killing the speed to take an upcoming corner."
EA's Madden and NCAA Football franchises may be the latest to join this elite company of simulation games. A few days before the BCS title game, an article by the Associated Press reported that the LSU Tigers and Tennessee Volunteers were the only teams that began using a football simulator to help their quarterbacks prepare for upcoming opponents. The simulator, which was developed by XOS Technologies in tandem with EA Sports, plays very similarly to Madden.
"What they've done is they put our plays into the video game and then they put in our opponents' defenses," said Gary Crowton, the Tigers' first-year offensive coordinator. "The thing is pretty realistic. It's in position right now where we can really take off with it through the winter, going into spring ball and for next year."
Perhaps football is a sport that naturally lends itself to this type of use. There are a multitude of nuances that a quarterback is expected to recognize in a defense even prior to the snap of the ball.
"The video game is an excellent resource we have," said Ryan Perrilloux, LSU's backup quarterback. "Whenever we hit a play, that play would automatically match up with the defense that we would see or blitz we would see."
"It definitely helps you make the right reads and get to the right spot," added Matt Flynn, LSU's fifth-year senior starter.
LSU's national championship win over Ohio State in the BCS title game on Monday certainly helps the case that such simulations are not only realistic, but also very effective. Flynn finished the game 19 of 27 for 174 yards, four touchdown passes, and one interception--this against the nation's top-ranked defense. Flynn was also selected as the game's most outstanding offensive player.
For now, the simulation, dubbed the "PlayAction Simulator," is geared solely toward quarterbacks, but it probably won't be long before similar tools become available for players at every position. Other sports simulations, with the possible exception of Tiger Woods PGA Tour (which does provide realistic courses), need to start stepping up their game.
