New Blood CEO: 'Immersive Sim' is the Worst Way to Sell Games

For fans of Deus Ex, Dishonored, and Thief, the term 'immersive sim' conjures images of intricate worlds, player freedom, and morally gray choices. It’s a label many wear with pride, a shorthand for a specific kind of deep, systems-driven gameplay. However, according to Dave Oshry, CEO of New Blood Interactive, it’s also one of the worst possible ways to actually sell these games.

New Blood Interactive, a company that cut its teeth on the retro-inspired boomer shooter revival with titles like Dusk and Ultrakill, has invested heavily in bringing two ambitious immersive sims, Gloomwood and Fallen Aces, to early access. Oshry humorously states he's "dumping all the money into immersive sims so we can go broke like the great studios that came before us, like Looking Glass," but his frank assessment of the marketability of the genre is no joke.

The Marketing Minefield

Oshry admits he wasn't even familiar with the term 'immersive sim' until Dillon Rogers, the lead developer on Gloomwood, began working on the game. "He's like, 'That's what these are called'. I'm like, 'I have never heard that before in my life. What the fuck are you talking about?'" he recalls. Despite growing up with genre titans like Deus Ex and Thief, Oshry categorized them differently at the time. "Thief was a stealth game. I called it a stealth game. Deus Ex I called an FPS-RPG because it was an FPS, but it was an RPG. You had points that you put in stuff," he explained, likening the RPG elements to those found in Diablo.

This perspective highlights a key issue: the genre's defining characteristics, such as deep player progression and choice, have become more commonplace across various game types over the years. What once felt distinctly like an 'immersive sim' might now be seen as simply a well-designed RPG or a complex shooter.

What This Means for Players

For the dedicated community that does understand and appreciate the nuances of immersive sims, this marketing hurdle presents a challenge. It means that potentially groundbreaking titles like Gloomwood and Fallen Aces, which offer the kind of emergent gameplay and player agency that fans crave, might struggle to find their audience if confined to a niche label. The success of these games, and by extension New Blood Interactive's continued investment in the genre, hinges on finding a way to communicate their appeal beyond the established lexicon of hardcore fans. It’s a signal that innovation in how games are presented to the market is just as crucial as innovation within the games themselves.

What's Next

New Blood Interactive continues to develop both Gloomwood and Fallen Aces in early access, with ongoing updates and refinements based on player feedback. Specific release windows for full versions have not yet been announced.