Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by lutan1 on April 11, 2009 at 8:13pm

Check out this link to some of the more top end serious games for emergency responders and managers

http://www.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/serious-games-as-an-e...

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sune Schønnemann on April 18, 2009 at 7:07pm

- Emergency 4
- Wildfire (some years old, and focussed on... well.. wildfires)
- Fire chief 1 and 2 (think this is the same as Emergency Fire Response and Firefighter Command Raging Inferno)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by cody brown on August 31, 2011 at 9:09pm

I think if enough people email companies like take2 (who made gta and red dead redemption) or ubisoft (who made america army:true soldiers) that maybe they will toss the idea around and maybe even accept the idea but i dont think that they do it for just a couple thousand people. So it would take a few

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by lutan1 on August 31, 2011 at 9:21pm

Keep in mind that the average budget to develop a game is between $5m and $15m.

 

There needs to be a seriously good business case (ROI in other words) for a developer to take this on, especially a mob like Rockstar, Ubisoft, etc.

 

Even if every FF worldwide purchased a copy (which I doubt would EVER happen), they probably still would never see the ROI...

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Shawn on September 1, 2011 at 3:04pm

You know, until now I didn't even notice the lack of firefighting games until you mentioned it here.

 

We all know that there are loads of action and strategy video games based on law enforcement and military (especially since 9/11), yet very few inregards to firefighting.

 

It should be noted that any firefighter game made for the general population is not going to be overly realistic. There may be elements of realism mixed in but there will likely be more of an emphasis on action than on procedure and SOP, etc. A game too heavy on procedure will come across as dry and boring which will lead to poor reviews and many people choosing not to play it.

 

Any law enforcement or military official will tell you that the games based on their occupations are not overly realistic to the everyday duties that they do either.

 

The main goal of such a game would be to strike a balance between realism and game play (action).

 

Besides, if someone is looking for a realistic, interactive and engaging way to learn about firefighting and/or keep skills sharp, that's what simulators are for. While simulators and video games are closely related, they serve different purposes. Simulators, of course, are more professional and serious whereas video games are largely a form of entertainment and escapism.

 

Nonetheless, it would truly be interesting to see more firefighting games available to the general public.

 

Even more, these games do more than just entertain people, they may also serve as a potential recruitment tool for the firefighters of tomorrow - children, teens and young adult males whom are the largest consumers of video games. This is a little secret that the U.S. military has known for years and it has paid dividends for them in terms of recruitment.

 

Of course, firefighting (just like military service) is not a game. However, from a recruitment standpoint, the purpose of such games would be to pique their curiosity and light that spark that could potentially lead to something more.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Andrew on September 2, 2011 at 10:02am

There really are no great firefighting video games.

 

I picked up one for the Wii about 6 months to a year ago. It's called "Heroes", or something along those lines. Anyway, the game is somewhat fun, but it's totally unrealistic and the graphics are sub par (but what can be expected on the Nintendo Wii anyway?).

 

At Dave and Busters there was a firefighting arcade game where you hold an artificial hoseline with a fog nozzle on it. Despite the great idea (a buddy from the FD and I played it), the game calibration was off so bad that it was unplayable.

 

I have seen a few PC games, but they look more like RTS games than anything.

 

People seem to like shooting and killing, sadly. I think a good firefighting game, or at least emergency services game, would not only be educational, but it could push people towards volunteering their time if they enjoy it.

 

It's really hard to get a good (and fun) feel for firefighting through analog sticks. I think that maybe the X-Box Kinect or the Playstation Move could craft a good game that has good value, as well as more realistic graphics. It's definitely doable, but I don't think the demand is there.

 

But let us wait and see. I figure that a game were to come out like that, it'd be fun to gather with a bunch of friends online (like 4-8) and be a specific company in online scenarios. Maybe, to switch up game play, a team can choose the engine or the truck, and the host could be the Chief or something. Make achievments and whatnot. Make an intense storyline - no more sub par storylines that couldn't grasp a handful of grass in a meadow.

• ▶ Reply

▶ Reply to Discussion

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page