Typically when one thinks about simulation games, certain types come to mind. You have your driving simulators such as Euro Truck Simulator 2, or tycoon games such as Game Dev Tycoon. You also have some less notable games that can bring a bad name to the genre. Games like Airport Simulator and Skyscraper Simulator – both leave much to be desired and aren’t normally liked by gamers other than hardcore simulation fans.
There is some good news out of Australia, however, from a newly formed gaming company known as Wingman Games. They are in the process of making what they call “the ultimate police simulation”. This is a part of the simulator genre that hasn’t really been touched, aside from the Police Quest series from the 80s and 90s, and the Enforcer: Police Crime Action game. The latter of which well, let’s say, could have been a bit better.
Police 1013 hit Steam Greenlight back in April of 2014, moving to the number one spot and being offically greenlit in just a month’s time. Since then, the team has been hard at work making sure they can make their game. In a little over a year, they have gone from a small team with a limited budget spread all across the globe, to a team that now has their own studio in Australia with a budget around $12 million, raised through investors without any crowdfunding campaigns, and well on their way to a 50 person staff.
Now a little about the game itself. I won’t go into all the details because they have plenty planned for this game. The game is going to put you into the shoes of a new police officer, sheriff’s deputy, or highway patrol. The tutorial portion of the game is going to take place at the police academy as they teach you the basics of law enforcement and of the game itself. Once you’re done, you’re free to patrol the 100 square mile map – responding to calls, pulling over vehicles, and arresting suspects. All of these and more go towards getting promotions and being able to transfer to other divisions such as investigations, SWAT, and more.
