The Immersive Sim tag needs to be fixed

[Levyathyn]

I'm really, really into the genre and while there is definitely an argument to be made that the name 'immersive sim' isn't the best, that argument does not belong here. When I search for an immersive sim by name, or click the existing tag that can be applied to such games (and sometimes is) I expect to see the kind of games I'm looking for--things like Prey, Deus Ex, System Shock, and relative newcomers Deep State and Fallen Aces.

What I get at the moment is overwhelmingly... something else. Everything from 'simulations' like games about running shops or doing yardwork, to pure sports games that feature racing and football, or other games that are nothing resembling the genre at all, like horror games, pure FPS shooters, and even just The Sims titles... because it has 'sim' in the name.

I know it's not a massive genre full of titles, but it is very beloved, and coincidentally happens to be a type of game that can be extremely difficult to track down if the tag itself can't be used.

[Nx Machina]

Tags are user generated so you will get those who tag game X as an immersion sim when in fact it is a sports game.

[William Shakesman]

Same problem with opening any tag system up to the laiety, now Street Fighter is a beat-em-up and Doom is a shoot-em-up

[rawWwRrr]

Don't confuse tags with categories. A game tagged as immersive sim doesn't mean it is an immersive sim game. Tags are meant to describe certain aspects within the game. Take Racing for instance. I see a ton of non-racing games tagged as Racing because at some point during the game you are tasked with a racing event. Maybe it's as simple as a foot chase during a visual novel. Racing.

[AmsterdamHeavy]

Originally posted by Levyathyn:

Prey, Deus Ex, System Shock, and relative newcomers Deep State and Fallen Aces.

None of those are "immersive sims" imo. People are kooky with the way they view/tag things like simple FPS games.

[William Shakesman]

Originally posted by AmsterdamHeavy:

Originally posted by Levyathyn:

Prey, Deus Ex, System Shock, and relative newcomers Deep State and Fallen Aces.

None of those are "immersive sims" imo. People are kooky with the way they view/tag things like simple FPS games.

Immersive sim is certainly an inelegant term but that subgenre NEEDS a name. If you do not understand what subgenre is being referenced here, you should just leave the genre tags to people like me and OP and you don't need to worry yourself about it.

Besides, as a character action game player, I can hardly complain about dopey subgenre names.