TThere’s a concept that argues video games are primarily for escapism: where else can you pretend to be a US Marine scout (Call of Duty), a heroic eco-warrior thwarting a shady corporation from depleting the planet’s spiritual energy (Final Fantasy), or a football manager (Football Manager) all while lounging on your couch?
But at the opposite end of the spectrum from these thrilling experiences are the so-called anti-escapism games: hugely successful games like Farming Simulator, PowerWash Simulator, and Euro Truck Simulator that challenge the idea that interactive entertainment can be exciting. And then there are games that, initially, appear to be the most mundane.
Lawn Mowing Simulator.
Recreating the experience of weed removal is not a new concept.
Advanced Lawn Mower Simulator for the ZX Spectrum was distributed for free as a cover tape in Your Sinclair magazine in 1988. Created by writer Duncan MacDonald as an April Fool’s prank, the game mocked budget game maker Codemasters’ simulators. Despite its satirical roots, Advanced Lawn Mower Simulator inspired imitations and fans, including a contest to create the worst ZX Spectrum game.
Lawn Mowing Simulator, developed by Liverpool-based studio Skyhook Games, is not a joke. It strives for realism and has garnered its own following. But why engage in a virtual activity easily performed in reality? As a journalist, I had to find out, so I consulted an expert.
Lesson 1 – The joy of repetition
“It’s peculiar that this genre not only exists but is popular,” explains Krist Duro, editor-in-chief of the Albania-based video game review website Duuro Plays and the first person I found who had played and enjoyed Lawn Mowing Simulator to some degree. “But you need to have a special connection with it. I enjoy repetitive tasks because they allow you to enter a Zen-like state, but the simulation aspect has to be on point.”
Source: www.theguardian.com
