Game preservation is a ongoing effort that can have its peaks and valleys, and with the industry heading to an all digital future, licensing can play a huge factor in access to modern games. While efforts are in place to avoid such issues, the process of accessing and tracking down older games to make them readily available faces its own unique hurdles. Such was the case many years forSimRefinery, a game developed byMaxisand nearly lost due to business closures until this year.
When promoting his article on detailing the history of Maxis, Phil Salvador’s work caught the attention of Jason Scott, a Digital Historian at non-profit site Internet Archive. Jason, helped spread the word on Phil’s years long efforts and in doing so managed to get a copy ofSimsrefineryuploaded to the site and made readily available in orderto preserve video game history.
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Hot on the heels of the success ofSim City, Maxis, was approached by several companies in the early 90s to follow suit withsimulation gamesaimed at respective industries. After finalizing an agreement with Chevron Corporation, development began onSimRefinery. The game was “a simulation of their refinery operation, for orienting people in the company as to how a refinery works,” said Will Wright in a 1994 interview.
The aim was to teach those within the company but not directly involved in the day-to-day efforts of its engineers. Though it was completed, copies only remained within the company itself and not made public. Maxis Business Simulations splintered off Maxis and eventually was renamed Thinking Tools Inc, who later createdSimHealthbut eventually closed.
With the closure, most of the assets were destroyed and thought to be long gone. Though screenshots and interviews peeled back some insight on the game and its development over the years, it seemed likely never to be playable. The DNA of Maxis' early work can still be found in their modern games such as the ever popularSims 4,which itself has seen ongoing supportfrom Maxis and Publisher Electronic Arts.
Simulation type games are still prevalent today, but while most are focused on fantasy rather than the simulation itself, VR has played a huge role in its resurgence. Many industries are using VR to train and prepare those in specialized fields. For example, though most of those efforts are still kept within the industries themselves, Microsoft is returning in a big way with anew upcoming release ofMicrosoft Flight Simulator, revealed last year. With the introduction of next gen consoles looming, the future of simulation style games seems brighter than ever.
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