Balancing Realism and Fun in Football Video Games

January 25, 2024

Realism is of high ลุ้นรางวัลใหญ่กับ ยูฟ่าไทย importance in the theory and research surrounding digital games but also for practical game development. Interviews with developers reveal that they consider a variety of different forms of realism important and, in their own way, implement or deviate from them. These include: external realism, the simulated system, actions and visuals/sensory aspects.

Many of the interviewees highlighted the importance of external realism, which is a form of realism that is meant to create a connection between the player’s actions and the game system. For example, one designer of Tropico 6 stated that they made reference to real-world issues to ensure comprehensibility for the player. This is achieved by ensuring that the effects of decisions the player makes on the in-game system are reflected in the gameplay, such as through clearer cause-and-effect-relations or through a speeding up of time that gives players more visibility over the consequences of their choices.

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Another example of this is the way that the game PES 5 features organic passing and shooting gameplay, preventing it from falling into predictable patterns like some FIFA editions’ six-yard box pass-and-shoot goals. The fact that passes can sometimes get intercepted, or that the player might not be able to immediately recover the ball after being tackled adds a layer of unpredictability and stops the gameplay from becoming too monotonous and boring. This, the designers believe, enhances the feeling of immersion in their game world. However, this form of realism has limits as, according to the designer of Anno 1800, the goal should be a ‘functioning’ game world that is credible.