New Blood boss Dave Oshry says 'immersive sim' is a bad way to sell immersive sims

New Blood CEO Dave Oshry doesn't want to sell his immersive sims as immersive sims. Speaking to PC Gamer, the head of the publisher behind Gloomwood and Fallen Aces said plainly that the term isn't pulling its weight.

"It's not a good marketing term. And I don't think it helps," Oshry told PC Gamer.

That's a bit of a twist, since the genre's fans love the phrase. PC Gamer describes them as people who like to roll the words around "as often as possible," thinking fondly of Deus Ex, Dishonored and Gloomwood.

Oshry's argument leans on history. As Rock Paper Shotgun highlighted, he pointed back to the genre's classics: "System Shock and Deus Ex, they were RPGs. People called them RPGs."

Rock Paper Shotgun's take is that it's probably best not to even refer to an immersive sim as one when you're trying to sell it, if you go by Oshry, even though Gloomwood clearly is one. The outlet also admitted it wasn't about to try defining the genre itself.

If you've ever tried to explain to a friend why a game where you rifle through drawers and sneak around guards is worth their time, you might see his point. The label means a lot to people who already know it.

Oshry hasn't said what New Blood will call these games instead, or whether it changes how upcoming releases are pitched.