Why New Blood's Dave Oshry Won't Call His Games Immersive Sims—Even When They Are
Key takeaways
- New Blood's Oshry calls 'immersive sim' bad marketing; prefers labeling such games as RPGs instead.
- He views System Shock and Deus Ex as role-playing games, not a distinct genre category.
- Oshry believes RPG branding will sell Gloomwood and Fallen Aces better to mainstream audiences.
New Blood Interactive's Dave Oshry has a blunt take on immersive sims: stop calling them that. In a recent interview with PC Gamer, the publisher behind ULTRAKILL, Gloomwood, and Fallen Aces called the genre label "awful" marketing. Oshry didn't even know the term existed until working with Gloomwood lead developer Dillon Rogers.
His argument is straightforward: System Shock and Deus Ex were always RPGs, not some separate category. "You're immersed in this world. You're building your character. That's called an RPG, brother," Oshry said. He believes marketing games as role-playing experiences will resonate better with audiences than the vague, insider-friendly "immersive sim" designation that most players don't recognize or understand.
The bigger picture
Oshry's stance reflects a real tension in indie publishing. Genre clarity drives discovery and sales—"RPG" is universally understood, while "immersive sim" confuses even informed gamers. However, marketing Gloomwood as a straight RPG risks setting false expectations around progression systems and stat mechanics that traditional immersive sims deliberately avoid. Rivals like Arkane Studios leaned into the immersive sim brand itself, but they had AAA marketing budgets. For New Blood's niche appeal, simplifying the category might actually work.
We're covering this because it cuts to a bigger question about how indie games get discovered and sold. Oshry's frustration is honest—genre confusion costs sales. But we also think there's something valuable about having words for specific design philosophies, even if they don't test well with focus groups.
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