My Life with the Sims

By: Jonathon Hardcastle
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:09:30
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My favorite computer game of all-time is "The Sims" and I was not surprised at all when I read the news announcing that the game was voted as one of the most popular and best-selling games of all time, based on an online survey of PC gamers.

According to the game’s distributors, Electronic Arts, the virtual-life Sims game has sold over 7 million copies worldwide as of 2002, dislodging Myst as the top-selling computer game of all time. First created by Will Wright and Maxis, “The Sims” has spawned a number of expansion versions which, if taken into account, would reflect total worldwide sales of The Sims series at over 13 million.

Since the game was first issued to the public on February 4, 2000, there have been seven expansion packs that followed as well as a sequel, The Sims 2.

What makes the game so appealing is its unique gameplay. Instead of meeting a set of objectives like the great majority of computer games, The Sims allows players to engage in a fully interactive environment and the Sims characters can make their own choices about everyday living. The challenge to the player is how to best spend the Sims’ time in a "virtual day." And like real life, the only real objective is how to organize the Sims’ time and activities to give him maximum happiness and to help him attain his personal goals.

One unique quality of the Sims is that, like real people, they also possess a certain amount of free will. This allows them to ignore a player's commands if they wish and instead embark on something that they consider to be more pressing and important, just like real people. For instance, a player may order a Sim to go to the supermarket or visit a friend, but if the Sim is tired and fatigued, it may simply fall asleep instead to restore its energy.

Players also have control over how their Sim character relates with other characters. For instance, they can make the Sim a real jerk who insults, slaps or even attacks other Sims, which, just like in real life, often means that they get insulted, slapped around and attacked in return.

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