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Dating sim
Dating sims, also known as dating simulation games, are a video game subgenre of simulation games with romantic elements. While resembling the visual novel genre in presentation, dating sims utilize an additional statistical and time management layer in their gameplay. The player is given a specific amount of time on an in-game calendar, while scheduling dates, correctly answering questions, and performing various activities will increase a certain character's attraction to the player until the player gains their love. The additional subgenre[vague][original research?] of erotic dating sims are a form of eroge, and include sexually graphic cutscenes. The idea that love can only be earned through time and attention has prompted concern that it oversimplifies romance and depicts a "nice guy" view that may lead to unrealistic expectations from women.[relevant?]
Dating sims, typically in the form of bishōjo games with a male protagonist and female supporting characters, are extremely popular in Japan, taking up a large fraction of the software market, but far less prominent elsewhere. In Western gaming media, the "dating sim" label is often given to any game with romanceable characters, regardless of their gameplay.[citation needed] Parodic dating sims are a more recent[when?] phenomenon, poking fun at the genre by allowing the player to date unusual characters, such as realistic but sentient birds in Hatoful Boyfriend.
The dating simulator genre was preceded by the raising simulation genre best codified by the Princess Maker series by Gainax, which focused on child raising rather than dating. Other games such as Sega's Girl's Garden (1985) and JAST's Tenshitachi no Gogo (1985) include elements of dating sims, though they have more adventure/arcade gameplay.
One of the first games exclusively centered on dating was Nakayama Miho no Tokimeki High School (1987) released for the Famicom Disk System, about a boy trying to date a girl at his high school who looks like pop idol Miho Nakayama. Unlike more modern dating sims, the game's plot is progressed through text choices, and as such plays more like graphical text adventures of the time (similar to games such as Famicom Detective Club.)
The first game which set the standard for the dating sim genre was Dōkyūsei (1992), which relied more on timed events than dialogue choices. Tokimeki Memorial (1994) truly popularized dating sims in Japan, in which the player, a high school student has the ability to date a dozen different girls. The goal of the developers was to hearken back to high school days. Konami director Akihiko Nagata said "the person who created the game wanted to have experiences like this back in his high school days". The game was a strong hit in Japan, with 1.1 million copies by 1996.
In general, simulation games (such as Tokimeki Memorial) or the train sim like Densha de Go! were more popular in Japan than in America which preferred more action oriented video games.
Games such as Sakura Wars and Persona (both series started in 1996, the latter would add dating sim elements in 2006) are RPGs with dating sim elements.
In a typical dating sim, the player controls a male avatar surrounded by female characters. The gameplay involves conversing with a selection of girls, attempting to increase their internal "love meter" through correct choices of dialogue. The game lasts for a fixed period of game time, such as one month or three years. When the game ends, the player either loses the game if he failed to properly win over any of the girls, or "finishes" one of the girls, often by having sex with her, marrying her (as in Magical Date), and/or achieving eternal love. This gives the games more replay value, since the player can focus on a different girl each time, trying to get a different ending.
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Dating sim AI simulator
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Dating sim
Dating sims, also known as dating simulation games, are a video game subgenre of simulation games with romantic elements. While resembling the visual novel genre in presentation, dating sims utilize an additional statistical and time management layer in their gameplay. The player is given a specific amount of time on an in-game calendar, while scheduling dates, correctly answering questions, and performing various activities will increase a certain character's attraction to the player until the player gains their love. The additional subgenre[vague][original research?] of erotic dating sims are a form of eroge, and include sexually graphic cutscenes. The idea that love can only be earned through time and attention has prompted concern that it oversimplifies romance and depicts a "nice guy" view that may lead to unrealistic expectations from women.[relevant?]
Dating sims, typically in the form of bishōjo games with a male protagonist and female supporting characters, are extremely popular in Japan, taking up a large fraction of the software market, but far less prominent elsewhere. In Western gaming media, the "dating sim" label is often given to any game with romanceable characters, regardless of their gameplay.[citation needed] Parodic dating sims are a more recent[when?] phenomenon, poking fun at the genre by allowing the player to date unusual characters, such as realistic but sentient birds in Hatoful Boyfriend.
The dating simulator genre was preceded by the raising simulation genre best codified by the Princess Maker series by Gainax, which focused on child raising rather than dating. Other games such as Sega's Girl's Garden (1985) and JAST's Tenshitachi no Gogo (1985) include elements of dating sims, though they have more adventure/arcade gameplay.
One of the first games exclusively centered on dating was Nakayama Miho no Tokimeki High School (1987) released for the Famicom Disk System, about a boy trying to date a girl at his high school who looks like pop idol Miho Nakayama. Unlike more modern dating sims, the game's plot is progressed through text choices, and as such plays more like graphical text adventures of the time (similar to games such as Famicom Detective Club.)
The first game which set the standard for the dating sim genre was Dōkyūsei (1992), which relied more on timed events than dialogue choices. Tokimeki Memorial (1994) truly popularized dating sims in Japan, in which the player, a high school student has the ability to date a dozen different girls. The goal of the developers was to hearken back to high school days. Konami director Akihiko Nagata said "the person who created the game wanted to have experiences like this back in his high school days". The game was a strong hit in Japan, with 1.1 million copies by 1996.
In general, simulation games (such as Tokimeki Memorial) or the train sim like Densha de Go! were more popular in Japan than in America which preferred more action oriented video games.
Games such as Sakura Wars and Persona (both series started in 1996, the latter would add dating sim elements in 2006) are RPGs with dating sim elements.
In a typical dating sim, the player controls a male avatar surrounded by female characters. The gameplay involves conversing with a selection of girls, attempting to increase their internal "love meter" through correct choices of dialogue. The game lasts for a fixed period of game time, such as one month or three years. When the game ends, the player either loses the game if he failed to properly win over any of the girls, or "finishes" one of the girls, often by having sex with her, marrying her (as in Magical Date), and/or achieving eternal love. This gives the games more replay value, since the player can focus on a different girl each time, trying to get a different ending.