Read a novel / short story many years ago (10+ ish) that I cannot remember the name or author of.
The plot starts with a race of aliens that have created a game whereby they create a virtual planet and either player creates a race to control on said planet. They evolve everything about them over millenium and battle each other until one is declared the winner, then the 'planet' is wiped clear.
These games they broadcast around their civilization, and further out into space.
One day they are suddenly attacked and nearly wiped out by another race/group of races that believed the games where actually the aliens really messing with other planets/lifeforms and then dismissing / destroying them when they got bored.
The plot starts with a race of aliens that have created a game whereby they create a virtual planet and either player creates a race to control on said planet. They evolve everything about them over millenium and battle each other until one is declared the winner, then the 'planet' is wiped clear.
These games they broadcast around their civilization, and further out into space.
One day they are suddenly attacked and nearly wiped out by another race/group of races that believed the games where actually the aliens really messing with other planets/lifeforms and then dismissing / destroying them when they got bored.