Cities in electronic games: how they present and impact real urban areas?

This study investigates the interactions between virtual cities in electronic (video) games and real urban environments, highlighting a significant gap in the literature regarding the influence of real cities on virtual counterparts and vice versa. Drawing on classical urban theories, it sets two primary objectives: to systematically review how real cities are represented in games and to explore the impacts of virtual cities on real urban areas. Through typological analysis, it identifies two pathways – form and function – through which real cities manifest in games, using specific cases like Cities: Skylines to illustrate these pathways. The principle for virtual city design is also outlined, with an emphasis on the “selection” and “subtraction” of real urban elements in designing processes. Additionally, it discusses how virtual cities impact urban tourism, fostering phenomena like anime pilgrimages, and urban planning, and enhancing public engagement in planning processes. Finally, this research contributes to some newly emerging theories such as Digital Twins by elucidating the interactive relationship between physical and virtual urban spaces. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group on behalf of the Architectural Institute of Japan, Architectural Institute of Korea and Architectural Society of China.