It's kind of like Minecraft, except you drive a bus in Germany...

February 22, 2011 4:11 PM

Do you like video games? Have you ever wanted to comprehensively reenact the daily life of a double-decker bus driver in 1985 West Berlin? Your prayers have finally been answered. Aerosoft's impressive Omnibus Driving Simulator allows you to take command of the venerable 1980s-vintage MAN SD200 and SD202 double-decker buses (in 20 authentic 1980s advertising liveries) along West Berlin's Omnibus Route 92, complete with an accurate simulation of all four production-runs of the SD200's transmission, drivetrain, climate control, and passenger information systems. If the SD202 doesn't cut it for you, or you want to escape the clutches of West Berlin, there's a comprehensive map editor and scripting engine at your disposal. (via)

Also included: This Awesome Soundtrack.

posted by schmod (46 comments total)

Do you like video games? Have you ever wanted to comprehensively reenact the daily life of a double-decker bus driver in 1985 West Berlin?

Someone needs to make a Venn diagram of people's answers to these two questions. Also, your post title is genius.
posted by infinitywaltz at 4:17 PM on February 22, 2011 [6 favorites]

Kraftwerk could base a whole album on this.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 4:20 PM on February 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

There's a whole world of fascinating industrial simulators, most seemingly developed by German companies. Ship Simulators, Farming Simulators, Bulldozer and Backhoe Simulators, etc, etc. Also a very detailed Warthog simulator.

These things exist outside of traditional PC gaming but apparently have enough of a market to be worth developing. I wonder if there's crossover to training?
posted by Nelson at 4:26 PM on February 22, 2011 [3 favorites]

Also a very detailed Warthog simulator.

This was not what I expected it to be.
posted by greatgefilte at 4:30 PM on February 22, 2011 [5 favorites]

There's another bus simulator that goes to the extent of simulating passenger boarding and has sound effects for fare boxes.
posted by GuyZero at 4:34 PM on February 22, 2011

Nelson: There's a whole world of fascinating industrial simulators, most seemingly developed by German companies. Ship Simulators, Farming Simulators, Bulldozer and Backhoe Simulators, etc, etc. Also a very detailed Warthog simulator.

Warthog sim, I understand - it's a historic jet aircraft. But Bulldozer and Backhoe Simulators?

Before you can start shovelling the cash, you really need to become proficient with your tools as you explore a uniquely modelled ground system complete with different layers of soil, earth and embedded materials. All of your digging is supported by fully realistic physics, including the effects of dredging, pushing and compacting the ground beneath your equipment.

Compare your success with your friends using the high score table or just enjoy yourself in the free play mode. Whatever your choice, scrape below the surface of Digger Simulator 2011 and discover an unparalleled depth of challenges!

Wow, that's a level of dedication I didn't think was necessary, and a class of competitive gamer I didn't think existed. And the puns... oh good gods, the puns. Either there is a very bored PR person, trudging away on a keyboard, trying to sell this product; or there's a very happy dad, letting the puns roll off his fingers, a gleam in his eye the whole time. "Just wait 'til I email this to my kids! They'll really get a kick out of this!"
posted by filthy light thief at 4:41 PM on February 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

There's a review of Digger Simulator 2011 on Rock Paper Shotgun that is a pretty entertaining read. And a review of Woodcutter Sim compared to memories of Husqvarna Sunrise.

The few of these industrial sims I've seen referenced seem to be produced in Europe. Are they industrial and manufacturing training materials repackaged for edu-tainment?
posted by Prince_of_Cups at 4:43 PM on February 22, 2011

Also a very detailed Warthog simulator.

With matching HOTAS, only $700!
posted by adamdschneider at 4:50 PM on February 22, 2011

Well sure, the graphics are stunning, but what about the gameplay? Are the passenger NPC dialog trees sophisticated at all or is it just color for delivering fetch quests? How long do you have to grind on low level passengers before you start moving the main cold-war plotline
posted by danny the boy at 4:53 PM on February 22, 2011 [6 favorites]

Does this have multiplayer capabilities? Being a passenger would be awesome.
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 4:57 PM on February 22, 2011

this is unbelievable
posted by museumway at 4:58 PM on February 22, 2011

I really enjoy how rattletrap the bus sounds. Really, really unpleasant, but satisfying at the same time.

I somehow accidentally (really) watched a few videos of another bus simulator on YouTube the other day. Odd synchronicity, that.
posted by uncleozzy at 5:00 PM on February 22, 2011

Needs Herobrine as a passenger.
posted by unliteral at 5:14 PM on February 22, 2011

I was in Japan when Densha de Go! was brand new and all the rage. The genre certainly isn't my cup of tea, but if this is the sort of game that some people enjoy, more power to them.
posted by Faint of Butt at 5:15 PM on February 22, 2011

If we're talking about transportation sim games, does anyone know what Railworks is like? It seems like every time I check Steam, there's been another type of (not cheap) train DLC posted. There is obviously a market out there for this stuff and I'm wondering how closely it approximates an actual model railway set. (Why yes, I did envy my brother his Märklin trains when we were young.)
posted by longdaysjourney at 5:18 PM on February 22, 2011

Can I ramp the bus off the Brandenburg Gate while it's on fire? (Either the bus or the gate is acceptable.)
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 5:20 PM on February 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

NOT!
posted by quazichimp at 5:20 PM on February 22, 2011

Serious question: what happens when you plow down pedestrians - or crash full-speed into the Berlin Wall?
posted by item at 5:26 PM on February 22, 2011

longdaysjourney: "If we're talking about transportation sim games, does anyone know what Railworks is like? It seems like every time I check Steam, there's been another type of (not cheap) train DLC posted."

My roommate and I laughed for about half an hour when they had their recent Steam sale that had every bit of DLC for $200, an amazing $850 savings over the normal total price of over a thousand dollars.

For train simulator maps and extra trains.

Basic game not included.
posted by Copronymus at 5:48 PM on February 22, 2011

Well, if you bought all the songs from the Rock Band store, that would set you back several thousand dollars. Obviously Railworks is a bit more of a niche market, but that actually drives prices up.
posted by kmz at 6:01 PM on February 22, 2011

Geil!

what happens when you plow down pedestrians - or crash full-speed into the Berlin Wall?

I'm sure the thought has never even occurred to the people who made this simulator.
They'd be like, 'But, why would you want to do these things?'
posted by Flashman at 6:05 PM on February 22, 2011 [7 favorites]

My roommate and I laughed for about half an hour when they had their recent Steam sale that had every bit of DLC for $200

I have to admit a little part of me was tempted (I really like trains). But there's no demo of the game available. I should have bought the core game when it was on sale for $20 at New Year's. Oh well, nice thing about Steam is that games almost always get cheaper.
posted by longdaysjourney at 6:11 PM on February 22, 2011

A more appropriate omnibus soundtrack...
posted by markkraft at 6:19 PM on February 22, 2011

Let's Play Euro Truck Simulator!

NSFW for language, but gets funnier and funnier once he starts driving around 2:00.
posted by Awakened at 6:24 PM on February 22, 2011 [4 favorites]

It sounds more fun than Desert Bus but not as fun as stealing buses in GTA.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 6:25 PM on February 22, 2011

I'm not interested unless I have to keep the bus moving over 50mph (80kph).
posted by narwhal bacon at 7:31 PM on February 22, 2011

Klanggenuss auf der Rückbank!
posted by quoquo at 7:39 PM on February 22, 2011 [2 favorites]

Also a very detailed Warthog simulator.

This was not what I expected it to be.

Yeah, for a while there in the 90s, Maxis just stopped trying.
posted by MrBadExample at 8:03 PM on February 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

I spent a summer in Berlin in the early 90s and rode the buses a lot. Seeing those double-deckers really takes me back. I'm gonna download this to see if my suburban neighborhood is represented--if I it I think I'll cream my pants. sorry.
posted by zardoz at 8:09 PM on February 22, 2011

I knew a bus nerd once. He actually bought a bus
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 8:10 PM on February 22, 2011

Yes, my baggage-handler-who-dreams-of-being-a-pilot friend recently took a break from his usual flight sim to spend hours pretending to be a truck driver in Euro Truck Simulator. I'll never understand it. Perhaps eventually our industrial needs will be entirely met by enthusiastic 15-year-old otakus at their computer consoles.
posted by brightghost at 8:14 PM on February 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

I keep seeing Railworks (that's the name IIRC) on Steam, and always wonder if it's worth playing and/or what the gameplay is like. It's hard for me to understand how engaging running a train could be.

Also, you can play as the Bagger 288 in one of these sims.
posted by mccarty.tim at 8:38 PM on February 22, 2011

There's an amazing Let's Play by LesBeardly of the advanced bus simulator, Crazy Bus.
http://blip.tv/file/4584803
posted by kzin602 at 10:12 PM on February 22, 2011

I've got the sound off, but the bus really makes me feel a bit ill with that vertical bouncing. I'm very glad I'm not hungover right now, and it makes me a bit scared that there's a bus simulator that can induce a post-alcoholic nausea I'm not even experiencing.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 10:18 PM on February 22, 2011

They should do an update of Penn and Teller's Desert Bus.
posted by charlie don't surf at 10:56 PM on February 22, 2011

Heh. Let's see how well you snake through he two 90 degree barriers at Checkpoint Charlie. :) Amateurs.
posted by pjern at 10:57 PM on February 22, 2011

I was in Japan when Densha de Go! was brand new and all the rage.

What, the arcade game, the computer game, or the playing card game?

If you did much commuting by train and subway, you might have noticed railway nerds who stand up near the front where the drivers sit. I saw one guy on the subway standing right behind a big window into the cockpit, he was mimicking the drivers as they pointed to each safety light and made a little confirmation gestures. And he pulled his imaginary levers the exact moment the driver pulled his. He must ride that line every day and this is his way to pass the time, pretending he's the driver. It must absolutely beat Densha de Go.

I was miserable at Densha de Go, I kept trying to get a speed record for one lap around the Yamanote-sen. The hell with passengers, I'm not stopping for anything. I'm blazing through the station at top speed, keep back from the edge. But no, after blowing through 2 or 3 stops, they pull the plug on your rogue densha.
posted by charlie don't surf at 11:13 PM on February 22, 2011 [2 favorites]

Call me narrow-minded but I'm really only interested in this if the bus driver gets to wear a ghillie suit as I'm driving around. And then passengers would get on and say, "oh there's no driver! no one there! oh well i'll sit down anyway". And then I'd say "next stop Harrowgate!" and then I'd go click click phut! and snipe them all. But I'd pay attention to the timetable so people would say "well it's a very dangerous bus but it's very punctual".

They could call it Call of Duty: Modern Bus.
posted by Sutekh at 2:46 AM on February 23, 2011 [5 favorites]

mccarty.tim and longdaysjourney, AFAIK Railworks is a bit idiosyncratic, but quite playable. Liking trains is probably a prerequisite, but any OCD approach to detail could be useful ; )

There are many ways to play the game: scenarios where you have a task to perform (e.g. deliver passengers or freight in a given time frame) and route building and modeling (which splits into track laying, detailing (filling in the terrain details), object building (using 3D software to build new static objects like buildings), asset building (some people build trains which they sell to the community)).

There are some projects that bring together lots of people with different specialisations to build very large routes. Some of the community forums also run challenges that involve route building or object building in a limited time frame with prize incentives.

The game is set to become multiplayer, so that players can compete with one another to complete scenarios, for example. The simulator does not model train crashes though, if you want to smash things up there's the demolition simulator.

(I don't Railworks, but I know a man who does)
posted by asok at 3:34 AM on February 23, 2011

For epic nerdery, I would like to see a D&D Simulator, which accurately recreates the sensation of sitting at a table covered in books and dice and graph paper, waiting for the players to turn up. The phone rings. "Hello? What's that, Freddy, your mum's gone into labour and you can't come over? But you're the only...awww, forget it." And then you go back into your bedroom and put your plastic Conan helmet on, and power up Ultima Underworld. Your parents return home. "Oh, Jimmy, how was your little game with your little friends?" "NOBODY CAME! I HATE YOU!" Also you're 16.
posted by tumid dahlia at 5:14 AM on February 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

I was in Japan when Densha de Go! was brand new and all the rage.

What, the arcade game, the computer game, or the playing card game?

Arcade. '97. I also remember a fire-fighting game that seemed to run on a modified FPS engine, but at least that made a little more sense.
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:17 AM on February 23, 2011

Call of Duty: Modern Bus.

Modern Bus Fare has a better ring to it...
posted by schmod at 6:37 AM on February 23, 2011 [3 favorites]

I have to preface this with saying that I play hours of video games every week, so I'm not mocking (which my incredulous questions and expressions probably felt like to my friend), but I know a guy who apparently pilots for a virtual airline. He hasn't gotten enough hours in to fly transcontinental yet, but he really enjoys flying from Scranton to Philly, or Charlotte to Hershey. From what I understand, the game is essentially a 1:1 simulator for what actual airline pilots do, no time compression or short cuts. He plans out flight routes, submits them to the air traffic control (who is apparently another person who's taken a shift controlling a certain virtual airspace for a period of time), then flies the route at his keyboard. From what I understand, it's a completely detailed sim of life as a pilot, down to the autopilot, different plane types, different avionics, weather conditions, promotions and jockeying for position within the virtual company. And there are apparently any number of companies out there.

It completely blew my mind. How have I never heard of this subculture of gaming? Why would an accountant who spends all day doing...accountant-y stuff want to spend his free time virtually piloting a plane to and from Charlotte?

Then I realized how many hours I've played World of Warcraft or League of Legends or Mass Effect, and think about all the people I know from work who don't even own a computer at home because they're tired of sitting behind one at work. Everybody's got their hobbies, and some are more opaque to outsiders than others.

also I totally wasn't sure if this was some kind of Desert Bus reference or not
posted by This Guy at 9:20 AM on February 23, 2011

Modern Bus Fare has a better ring to it...

Ah nuts! Where we you when I needed you??
posted by Sutekh at 2:12 PM on February 23, 2011

This'd also be good to do with Ken Kesey's bus, Furthur.
posted by Flashman at 3:03 PM on February 23, 2011

Previously

That one is for "City Bus Simulator"

You get to operate the wheelchair lift!
posted by jcruelty at 11:11 PM on February 23, 2011