In the world of video games there are categories of games such as shooters, adventure, action and role-playing. Then there are the Sims. This game was introduced by Electronic Arts in February 2000 and became a cultural phenomenon. It sold twenty million copies and spawned the development of hundreds of fan sites dedicated to your own personal Sims environment.
Sims was the first game to introduce a significant degree of online socialization through the use of a gaming platform. A Sims player creates their own family, buys or builds their own house, and has numerous encounters with other characters generated by the game’s AI (artificial intelligence). Your Sim character, or “avatar,” goes through life experiencing career changes, family development, many of the real-life experiences that lurk outside our doors in real time. Its unique character, in-game quirks (such as gibberish in which Sims communicate), and infinite changeability made millions addicted.
The game turns the player into the “deus ex machina”: the off-screen God who controls people’s lives. As a player, you can help your Sim build not only a home and family, but also an entire neighborhood. Enough human quirks and neuroses are built into the game’s characters as they are introduced for the game to remain an addictive fascination for its players. As one reviewer said; “Do you want to be honest and see the life of a typical nuclear family? You can do it. But what if you prefer to dress your Sim as a Viking and have him play his guitar to earn money on the subway while living with two women, she’s a slacker and she’s a paranormal, who’s a couple? Go ahead.”
The company followed up its early success with seven expansion packs and in 2004 released an entirely new version, Sims 2. The new version has better graphics and a lot more options for your Sims and their families, who happily still speak Simlish. The video engine is more 3D than the original 2D; Characters in your game have more choices to make and more features that make them interesting, right down to genetic similarities when new family members are born. You can customize the family dog: long or short hair? Blue eyes or crossed eyes? Clever fellow or clumsy fool? Up to you.
By 2005, the audience for The Sims and its various expansions had grown to over 52 million worldwide. The game has been translated into 17 languages and the franchise has been brought to life on platforms ranging from Xbox to mobile phones.
One of the main features of the Sims phenomenon, and what probably made it an exceptionally popular game, is that it has attracted a large number of female players. The Sims has pulled off the clever trick of building a player base evenly divided along gender lines, attracting women without alienating male players. Games publisher Electronic Arts estimates that women could make up as many as 60% of Sims players.
According to Psychology Today, “Most long-term gamers say that designing Sim homes is the main pleasure of the game,” and in fact, the building and interior design aspects of The Sims are just as impressively done as their design. “human” element. Players can easily mirror their real-world homes; one game review called Sims “Ikea’s game”. Most video games have a product popularity curve, just like any other consumer item. The Sims seems to be challenging or redefining this feature for the video game market.
