The Sims (video game)

The structure of the game is an artificial life program that is agent-based. The presentation of the game's artificial intelligence is advanced, and the Sims will respond to outside conditions independently, although often the player's intervention is necessary to keep the Sims on the right track. The Sims technically has unlimited replay value, in that there is no way to truly win the game, and the player can play indefinitely. It has been described as more like a toy than a game.{{Cite book |last=Boland |first=Eric |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5fkLAgAAQBAJ |title=The Sims: The Complete Guide |publisher=WTYW7 Books |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-557-84739-6 |location=Vancouver |page=24 |access-date=August 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919004525/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=5fkLAgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=isbn:0557847397&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiAzovE5rbOAhXrAsAKHXAWD6EQ6AEIHjAA |archive-date=September 19, 2016 |url-status=live}}

Sims are influenced by the player to interact with objects or other Sims. Sims may receive guests at their home lot, invited or not, from other playable lots, or from unhoused non-player character (NPC) Sims. If enabled in the game's options, Sims have a certain amount of free will, allowing them to autonomously interact with their world; however, the player can override most of these autonomous actions by canceling them in the action queue at the top of the screen. Unlike the simulated environments in games such as SimCity, SimEarth, or SimLife, Sims are not fully autonomous.{{Cite book |last=Boland |first=Eric |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5fkLAgAAQBAJ |title=The Sims: The Complete Guide |publisher=WTYW7 Books |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-557-84739-6 |location=Vancouver |page=23 |access-date=August 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919004525/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=5fkLAgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=isbn:0557847397&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiAzovE5rbOAhXrAsAKHXAWD6EQ6AEIHjAA |archive-date=September 19, 2016 |url-status=live}} They are unable to take certain actions without specific commands, such as paying bills, finding a job, exercising, and conceiving children. Sims communicate in a fictional language called Simlish, which is mostly composed of blowing raspberries and saying nonsense.

File:SimsSS.jpg

The player can make decisions about time spent in skill development, such as exercise, reading, creativity, and logic by adding activities to Sims' daily agenda. Daily needs such as hygiene and eating can and must also be scheduled. Although Sims can autonomously perform these actions, they may not prioritize them effectively and can suffer consequences for neglecting their own needs. In addition, Sims must maintain balanced budgets and usually supplement an income by obtaining a job. Sims may earn promotions by fulfilling skills and maintaining friendships with others for each level, which lead to new job titles, increased wages, and different work hours. Alternatively, Sims may create and sell various artwork and items at home.

File:Sims NH.JPG

While there is no eventual objective to the game, states of failure do exist in The Sims. One is that Sims may die, either by starvation, drowning, fire, or electrocution (or from natural causes/age in certain versions). When a Sim dies, a tombstone or an urn will appear (in later expansion packs, the Grim Reaper will appear first), and the ghost of the deceased Sim may haunt the building where it died. In addition, Sims can leave the game for good and never return. If two adult Sims with a bad relationship brawl often, it may result in one of them moving out. Children will be sent away to military school if they fail their classes. Lastly, not fulfilling a baby Sim's needs will result in a social care worker permanently taking the baby away from the household.

When the "Live" mode occurs in the game, the player may enter "Build" mode or "Buy" mode to pause time and renovate the house or lot. When the game begins, each family starts off with 20,000 simoleons (regardless of its number of members). These funds can be used to purchase a small house or vacant lot on the neighborhood screen. After purchasing a lot, a user may construct or remodel a house in Build mode or purchase or move furniture in Buy mode. All architectural and customizable features and furnishings in Build and Buy modes follow a square-tile system in which items must be placed on a tile. Walls and fences extend along the edge of a tile and can follow the edge of the tile or cross it diagonally, but furniture items cannot be placed on either side of a crossed tile. The base game contains over 150 items, including furniture and architectural elements.

In addition, the game includes an architecture system. The game was originally designed solely as an architecture simulator, with the Sims there only to evaluate the houses, but during development, it was decided that the Sims were more interesting than originally anticipated, and their once-limited role in the game was developed further.{{Cite news |last=Thompson |first=Bob |date=April 14, 2002 |title=Guys and Digital Dolls |page=W08 |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/magazine/2002/04/14/guys-and-digital-dolls/9437243f-b5a4-4827-929d-9208ece7dd70/ |url-status=live |access-date=February 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160122234217/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/magazine/2002/04/14/guys-and-digital-dolls/9437243f-b5a4-4827-929d-9208ece7dd70/ |archive-date=January 22, 2016}} Players have a broad choice of objects that their respective Sims may purchase. Objects fall into one of eight broad categories: seating, surfaces, decorations, electronics, appliances, plumbing, lighting, and miscellaneous.{{Cite book |last=Chong |first=David |url=https://archive.org/details/simshotdateexpan00chon/page/60 |title=The Sims: Hot Date: Prima's Official Strategy Guide |publisher=Prima Games |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-7615-3729-8 |page=60 |url-access=registration}}

The original inspiration for The Sims was Christopher Alexander's 1977 book on architecture and urban design, A Pattern Language. Game designer Will Wright was inspired by the book's focus on functionality in architecture, as Alexander based his design principles on structural usability rather than aesthetic values. Wright wanted to create a simulation game about enabling human behavior and interaction through design. Scott McCloud's 1993 book Understanding Comics became a big influence on the design of The Sims later on, as it advocates a certain type of "collaboration" between designer and consumer and outlines the value of abstraction for getting readers or players involved with a story.{{Cite book |last=Rouse |first=Richard |title=Game Design Theory & Practice |publisher=Wordware Publishing, Inc. |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-55622-912-1 |edition=2nd |pages=425–427 |author-link=Richard Rouse III}}

Will Wright started working on The Sims after releasing SimAnt in 1991. It was during that same year that he lost his home during the Oakland firestorm of 1991, and he incorporated his experience of rebuilding his life into the game;{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Tracy |date=October 17, 2011 |title=Inspired to make The Sims after losing a home |url=http://www.berkeleyside.com/2011/10/17/will-wright-inspired-to-make-the-sims-after-iosing-a-home/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210701040945/https://www.berkeleyside.org/2011/10/17/will-wright-inspired-to-make-the-sims-after-iosing-a-home |archive-date=July 1, 2021 |access-date=August 15, 2021 |publisher=Berkeleyside}}{{Cite web |last=Bennett |first=Amy |date=December 21, 2004 |title='The Sims,' born from fire |url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/2811638/-the-sims---born-from-fire.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112031729/https://www.computerworld.com/article/2811638/-the-sims---born-from-fire.html |archive-date=November 12, 2020 |access-date=August 15, 2021 |website=Computerworld}} however, the game's concept was very poorly received by a focus group, so Wright had difficulty getting the project off the ground. He managed to convince his company to let him work on the project (codenamed "Project X" at the time) in the background while developing SimCity 2000 and SimCopter. He was lent one programmer for the project, Jamie Doornbos, who went on to become the lead programmer for The Sims. During the first few years of the project, Wright and Doornbos were primarily developing an open-ended system of character behavior. As the project continued, Wright found that the social aspect of the game turned out to be highly engaging, and the team started to focus more on the characters of the game, such as by letting Sims visit one another's houses and by implementing long-term relationships.

Wright has mentioned playing Little Computer People and receiving valuable feedback on The Sims from several people involved with the game including its designer, Rich Gold.{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/chat/transcripts/2000/1/wright/index.html |title=Will Wright: A chat about the [sic] "The Sims" and "SimCity" | publisher=CNN |date=January 20, 2000| accessdate=January 30, 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110403105129/http://edition.cnn.com/chat/transcripts/2000/1/wright/index.html |archivedate=April 3, 2011 |url-status=live}} A demo of the game was presented at the 1999 Electronic Entertainment Expo. During a displaying in front of the press, two female characters at an in-game wedding fell in love and kissed each other. After the event, the relationship mechanics were further modified so the character's sexual orientation was set depending on the player's actions.{{Cite magazine |last=Parkin |first=Simon |date=June 18, 2014 |title=The Kiss That Changed Video Games |url=https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/the-kiss-that-changed-video-games |url-status=live |magazine=The New Yorker |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801094431/https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/the-kiss-that-changed-video-games |archive-date=August 1, 2018}} The Sims uses a combination of 3D and 2D graphics techniques. The Sims themselves are rendered in 3D, whereas the house and all its objects are pre-rendered and displayed diametrically.{{Cite book |last=Boland |first=Eric |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5fkLAgAAQBAJ |title=The Sims: The Complete Guide |publisher=WTYW7 Books |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-557-84739-6 |location=Vancouver |page=25 |access-date=August 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919004525/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=5fkLAgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=isbn:0557847397&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiAzovE5rbOAhXrAsAKHXAWD6EQ6AEIHjAA |archive-date=September 19, 2016 |url-status=live}} For the game's Japanese release, the game was renamed to SimPeople (シムピープル) to match the naming conventions of the other Sim games from Maxis.{{Cite web |last=Kasavin |first=Greg |date=April 26, 2000 |title=SimPeople Take Japan! |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/simpeople-take-japan/1100-2541656/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918020809/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/simpeople-take-japan/1100-2541656/ |archive-date=September 18, 2017 |access-date=June 5, 2017 |website=Gamestop}}

The game music was composed by Jerry Martin,{{Cite web |title=The Sims |url=http://www.jerrymartinmusic.com/the_sims_g1.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713102158/http://www.jerrymartinmusic.com/the_sims_g1.php |archive-date=July 13, 2011 |access-date=March 11, 2011 |website=Jerry Martin Music}} Marc Russo, Kirk R. Casey,{{Cite web |title=Credits |url=http://www.taymusic.net/credits.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724093134/http://www.taymusic.net/credits.php |archive-date=July 24, 2011 |access-date=March 11, 2011 |website=TayMusic.net}} and Dix Bruce, with additional participation from jazz pianist John R. Burr for the songs used in the game's Build Mode.{{Cite web |last=Ross |first=Alex Robert |date=2018-03-09 |title=The Untold Story of 'The Sims,' Your First Favorite Jazz Record |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-untold-story-of-the-sims-your-first-favorite-jazz-record/ |access-date=2023-08-05 |website=Vice |language=en |archive-date=September 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240915142047/https://api.intentiq.com/profiles_engine/ProfilesEngineServlet?at=39&mi=10&dpi=793790479&pt=17&dpn=1&jsver=5.09&iiqidtype=2&iiqpcid=1230eb3b-a95b-40c4-9849-2de91c49e67a&iiqpciddate=1726410047885&iiqcallcount=0&iiqfailcount=0&iiqnodata=false&iiqlocalstorageenabled=true&tsrnd=47_1726410047886&fbp=3488735574&cttl=43200000&rrtt=0&dud=0&abtg=A&iiqppcc=0&ref=www.vice.com |url-status=live }} The game disc contains 37 tracks, of which 15 were published in 2007 as an official soundtrack album.{{Cite web |title=The Sims: The Original Game Soundtrack |url=https://musicbrainz.org/release/17d20cc7-4267-4e48-9257-ea9fcfcf3d9e |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130629091017/http://musicbrainz.org/release/17d20cc7-4267-4e48-9257-ea9fcfcf3d9e |archive-date=June 29, 2013 |access-date=March 11, 2011 |website=Musicbrainz}} Most of the tracks contain no vocals, but some of them feature Simlish lyrics.

In recent years, critics have praised and noted the game's use of new age and jazz music.{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LpVUi9TQ8U | title=How the Sims Made New-Age Jazz Piano the Soundtrack of Our Lives | website=YouTube | date=September 22, 2018 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-untold-story-of-the-sims-your-first-favorite-jazz-record/ | title=The Untold Story of 'The Sims,' Your First Favorite Jazz Record | date=March 9, 2018 }}

The Sims is credited with opening up modding to a new demographic, making it easy enough for "casual modders" to modify the game.{{Cite book |last=Laukkanen |first=Tero |url=https://tampub.uta.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/65431/951-44-6448-6.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |title=Modding scenes – Introduction to user-created content in computer gaming |publisher=University of Tampere |year=2005 |isbn=978-951-44-6448-5 |page=4 |format=PDF |issn=1458-9974 |access-date=November 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181128211333/https://tampub.uta.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/65431/951-44-6448-6.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |archive-date=November 28, 2018 |url-status=live}} The Sims was designed in a way that it would be easy to add user-created content (also known as custom content or "CC") to the game,{{Cite book |last=Laukkanen |first=Tero |url=https://tampub.uta.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/65431/951-44-6448-6.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |title=Modding scenes – Introduction to user-created content in computer gaming |publisher=University of Tampere |year=2005 |isbn=978-951-44-6448-5 |page=68 |format=PDF |issn=1458-9974 |access-date=November 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181128211333/https://tampub.uta.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/65431/951-44-6448-6.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |archive-date=November 28, 2018 |url-status=live}} with Will Wright stating in an interview that he wanted to put the player in the design role.{{Cite journal |last=Pearce |first=Celia |year=2002 |title=Sims, BattleBots, Cellular Automata, God and Go. |url=http://gamestudies.org/0102/pearce/ |url-status=live |journal=Game Studies |volume=2 |issue=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180421094445/http://www.gamestudies.org/0102/pearce/ |archive-date=April 21, 2018 |access-date=November 28, 2018}} Websites for downloading CCs and mods include The Sims Resource and Mod The Sims. Maxis released modding tools for The Sims before the game itself, resulting in a suite of fan-created mods being available at launch.

The Sims had a total of seven expansion packs released in its lifecycle. Each expansion generally adds new items, neighborhoods, characters, skins, and features.

{{Video game reviews

|MC = (PC) 92%{{cite web |title=The Sims |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-sims/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |website=Metacritic |access-date=24 July 2023 |language=en |archive-date=January 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240117120824/https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-sims/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |url-status=live }}

|GR = (PC) 90%{{Cite web |title=The Sims (PC) |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/193984-the-sims/index.html |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627080439/http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/193984-the-sims/index.html |archive-date=June 27, 2015 |access-date=August 28, 2015 |website=GameRankings}}
(PS2) 81%{{Cite web |title=The Sims (PlayStation 2) |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/ps2/561482-the-sims/index.html |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626104052/http://www.gamerankings.com/ps2/561482-the-sims/index.html |archive-date=June 26, 2015 |access-date=August 28, 2015 |website=GameRankings}}
(Xbox) 82%{{Cite web |title=The Sims (Xbox) |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox/589543-the-sims/index.html |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626113742/http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox/589543-the-sims/index.html |archive-date=June 26, 2015 |access-date=August 28, 2015 |website=GameRankings}}
(GCN) 86%{{Cite web |title=The Sims (GameCube) |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/gamecube/589451-the-sims/index.html |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626114636/http://www.gamerankings.com/gamecube/589451-the-sims/index.html |archive-date=June 26, 2015 |access-date=August 28, 2015 |website=GameRankings}}

| Allgame = {{Rating|5|5}} (Windows){{Cite web |last=Shif |first=Gill |title=The Sims - Review |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=20918&tab=review |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114115411/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=20918&tab=review |archive-date=November 14, 2014 |access-date=June 6, 2013 |website=AllGame}}
{{Rating|5|5}} (Macintosh){{cite web|last= Savignano |first=Lisa Karen |title=The Sims (Macintosh)– Review |publisher=Allgame |access-date=March 20, 2024|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=26604&tab=review |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114234715/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=26604&tab=review |archive-date=November 14, 2014 }}

| GamePro = {{Rating|5|5}}{{Cite magazine |last=Samuel |first=Jason |date=April 23, 2014 |title=The Sims |url=http://www.gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/4614.shtml |url-status=dead |magazine=GamePro |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050209085154/http://www.gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/4614.shtml |archive-date=February 9, 2005 |access-date=August 27, 2015}}

| GSpot = 9.1/10

| IGN = 9.5/10{{cite web |title=The Sims |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/02/05/the-sims-6 |website=IGN |access-date=24 July 2023 |language=en |date=5 February 2000 |archive-date=September 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240915141952/https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/02/05/the-sims-6 |url-status=live }}

| NGen = {{rating|4|5}}{{Cite magazine |last=Lundrigan |first=Jeff |date=April 2000 |title=Finals |magazine=Next Generation |publisher=Imagine Media |volume=3 |issue=4 |pages=92–93}}

| rev1 = ActionTrip

| rev1Score = 9.0/10{{Cite web |last=Jojic |first=Uros |date=June 1, 2000 |title=The Sims Review |url=http://www.actiontrip.com/reviews/the-sims.phtml |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626151837/http://www.actiontrip.com/reviews/the-sims.phtml |archive-date=June 26, 2015 |access-date=December 1, 2015 |website=ActionTrip |publisher=CraveOnline}}

|award1Pub = Interactive Achievement Awards

|award1 = Game of the Year
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
Outstanding Achievement in Game Play Engineering

|award2Pub = GameSpot

|award2 = Game of the Year{{Cite web |date=January 4, 2001 |title=Best and Worst of 2000 – Game of the Year 2000 |url=http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/pc/bestof_2000/p5_02.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010607085022/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/pc/bestof_2000/p5_02.html |archive-date=June 7, 2001 |access-date=August 30, 2015 |website=GameSpot |publisher=ZDNet}}

|award3Pub = Game Developers Choice Awards

|award3 = Game of the Year{{Cite web |date=March 24, 2001 |title=1st Annual Game Developers Choice Awards |url=http://www.gamechoiceawards.com/archive/gdca_1st.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150813043409/http://www.gamechoiceawards.com/archive/gdca_1st.html |archive-date=August 13, 2015 |access-date=August 28, 2015 |website=Game Developers Choice Awards}}

|award4Pub = IGN

|award4 = Best Simulation{{Cite news |date=January 26, 2001 |title=Best of 2000 Awards – Simulation of 2000 |work=IGN PC |publisher=IGN Entertainment, Inc |url=http://pc.ign.com/news/30572.html |url-status=dead |access-date=August 28, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010606004813/http://pc.ign.com/news/30572.html |archive-date=June 6, 2001}}

}}

The Sims received "universal acclaim" according to review aggregator Metacritic, which assigned the game a score of 92%. The game received praise for its open-ended gameplay allowing players to choose their own goals and objectives, as well as its sound design, "crisp" graphics, and humor. Reviewers positively compared The Sims to Maxis' 1999 title SimCity 3000. GameSpot assigned a review of 9.1/10, describing it as "highly detailed".{{Cite web |date=February 11, 2000 |title=The Sims Review |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-sims-review/1900-2533406/ |access-date=2023-07-24 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US |archive-date=September 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240915141953/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-sims-review/1900-2533406/ |url-status=live }} IGN gave the game a score of 9.4/10, and praised its easy-to-use user interface. Jeff Lundrigan reviewed the PC version of the game for Next Generation, rating it four stars out of five and saying: "Do not miss. Run do not walk. And set aside lots of time."

Will Wright, the game's designer, said the game has been a success in many ways—attracting casual gamers and female gamers (the latter making up almost 60% of players).{{Cite web |last=Huguenin |first=Patrick |date=April 16, 2008 |title=Women really click with The Sims |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2008/04/16/2008-04-16_women_really_click_with_the_sims.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922042019/http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2008/04/16/2008-04-16_women_really_click_with_the_sims.html |archive-date=September 22, 2008 |access-date=December 30, 2010 |website=Daily News |quote=But unlike other popular video and computer games, almost 60% of the people playing The Sims are female |location=New York}} In 2012, the game was one of 14 video games selected by the Museum of Modern Art as the basis for an intended collection of 40 games.{{Cite web |last=Antonelli |first=Paola |date=November 29, 2012 |title=Video Games: 14 in the Collection, for Starters |url=http://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2012/11/29/video-games-14-in-the-collection-for-starters |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121130082752/http://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2012/11/29/video-games-14-in-the-collection-for-starters/ |archive-date=November 30, 2012 |access-date=November 30, 2012 |website=MoMA}} The PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube ports received scores ranging from 81.05% to 85.80% on GameRankings.

The Sims has won numerous awards, including GameSpot{{'}}s "Game of the Year Award" for 2000. During the 3rd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards (since 2013 known as the D.I.C.E. Awards), The Sims won "Game of the Year", "Outstanding Achievement in Game Design", and "Outstanding Achievement in Game Play Engineering" (along with nominations for "Computer Family Entertainment Title of the Year" and "Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction").{{cite web |title=Third Interactive Achievement Awards - Game of the Year |url=http://www.interactive.org/iaa/finalists_titleofyear.html |website=Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences |access-date=27 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001011211428/http://www.interactive.org/iaa/finalists_titleofyear.html |archive-date=October 11, 2000}}{{cite web |title=Third Interactive Achievement Awards - Craft Award |url=http://www.interactive.org/iaa/finalists_craft.html |website=Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences |access-date=11 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001011155820/http://www.interactive.org/iaa/finalists_craft.html |archive-date=October 11, 2000}}{{cite web |title=Third Interactive Achievement Awards - Personal Computer |url=http://www.interactive.org/iaa/finalists_pc.html |website=Interactive.org |publisher=Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences |access-date=28 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001011204415/http://www.interactive.org/iaa/finalists_pc.html |archive-date=October 11, 2000}} Game Informer ranked it the 80th best game ever made in its 100th issue in 2001.{{Cite magazine |last=Cork |first=Jeff |date=November 16, 2009 |title=Game Informer's Top 100 Games Of All Time (Circa Issue 100) |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2009/11/16/game-informer-s-top-100-games-of-all-time-circa-issue-100.aspx |url-status=live |magazine=Game Informer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100408113757/http://gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2009/11/16/game-informer-s-top-100-games-of-all-time-circa-issue-100.aspx |archive-date=April 8, 2010 |access-date=December 2, 2013}} In 2005, The Sims was inducted into GameSpot{{'}}s list of the greatest games of all time.{{Cite news |title=The Greatest Games of All Time: The Sims |work=GameSpot |url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/6140577/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701114625/http://www.gamespot.com/features/6140577/index.html |archive-date=July 1, 2007}} In 2016, The Strong National Museum of Play inducted The Sims to its World Video Game Hall of Fame.{{Cite web |title=The Sims |url=https://www.museumofplay.org/games/the-sims/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506142440/https://www.museumofplay.org/games/the-sims/ |archive-date=May 6, 2022 |access-date=May 6, 2022 |website=The Strong National Museum of Play |publisher=The Strong}} In August 2016, The Sims placed 31st on Time{{'}}s "50 Best Video Games of All Time" list.{{Cite magazine |date=August 23, 2016 |title=The 50 Best Video Games of All Time |magazine=Time |url=https://time.com/4458554/best-video-games-all-time/ |url-status=live |access-date=September 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826010703/http://time.com/4458554/best-video-games-all-time/ |archive-date=August 26, 2016}} In 2019, it was ranked 17th on The Guardian{{'}}s "50 Best Video Games of the 21st Century" list.{{Cite web |date=September 19, 2019 |title=The 50 best video games of the 21st century |url=https://www.theguardian.com/games/2019/sep/19/50-best-video-games-of-the-21st-century |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190922192039/https://www.theguardian.com/games/2019/sep/19/50-best-video-games-of-the-21st-century |archive-date=September 22, 2019 |access-date=September 23, 2019 |website=The Guardian}}

The Sims was released on February 4, 2000,{{moby game|id=/sims|name=The Sims}} and became a best-seller shortly after launch. In the United States, it was the best-selling computer game of 2000, with domestic sales of 1.77 million units and revenues of $72.9 million.{{Cite journal |date=April 2001 |title=Eyewitness; It's All in the Numbers |journal=PC Gamer US |volume=8 |issue=4 |pages=40, 41}} It remained the country's No. 1 computer title in 2001,{{Cite web |last=Walker |first=Trey |date=February 7, 2002 |title=2001 game sales break records |url=http://www.gamespot.com:80/news/2002/02/07/news_2846252.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041019101827/http://www.gamespot.com:80/news/2002/02/07/news_2846252.html |archive-date=October 19, 2004 |website=GameSpot}} when it sold an additional 1.48 million units and earned another $60.4 million in revenue.{{Cite web |last=Bradshaw |first=Lucy |author-link=Lucy Bradshaw (game developer) |date=January 31, 2002 |title=Markle Forum on Children and Media |url=https://cat.nyu.edu/current/news/media/marklesimcity.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040619191112/https://cat.nyu.edu/current/news/media/marklesimcity.pdf |archive-date=June 19, 2004 |publisher=New York University}} In 2002, The Sims became the top-selling PC game in history at the time, displacing Myst by selling more than 6.3 million copies worldwide.{{Cite web |last=Walker |first=Trey |date=March 22, 2002 |title=The Sims overtakes Myst |url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/simslivinlarge/news_2857556.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100119043947/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/simslivinlarge/news_2857556.html |archive-date=January 19, 2010 |access-date=January 13, 2019 |website=GameSpot |publisher=CNET Networks}}

By September 2004, the game and its expansions had sold 41 million copies worldwide. By July 2006, the console versions of The Sims series had sold a combined 3.5 million units in the United States.{{Cite web |last1=Campbell |first1=Colin |last2=Keiser |first2=Joe |date=July 29, 2006 |title=The Top 100 Games of the 21st Century |url=http://www.next-gen.biz/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3537&Itemid=2&pop=1&page=1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071028115051/http://www.next-gen.biz/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3537&Itemid=2&pop=1&page=1 |archive-date=October 28, 2007 |website=Next Generation}} Next Generation ranked The Sims as the 45th highest-selling game launched for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, or GameCube between January 2000 and July 2006 in the United States. To date, the Sims had sold more than 70 million copies worldwide making it one of the best selling video games of all time.

{{Main|The Sims}}

The Sims was followed by the sequels The Sims 2 (2004), The Sims 3 (2009), and The Sims 4 (2014). The console versions of The Sims were each followed by a sequel, The Sims Bustin' Out (2003), and a spin-off game, The Urbz: Sims in the City (2004). These versions incorporate some features of later PC expansion packs, and Bustin' Out adds a multiplayer mode supporting two simultaneous players.{{Cite web |title=The Sims Bustin' Out |url=https://www.gamefaqs.com/gba/917846-the-sims-bustin-out |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219004503/https://www.gamefaqs.com/gba/917846-the-sims-bustin-out |archive-date=February 19, 2017 |access-date=February 18, 2017 |website=GameFAQs}} When completing the game, Will Wright dedicated The Sims to the late Danielle Bunten Berry, an influential trans game designer known for her innovation and contributions to multiplayer gaming.{{Cite web |last=Koon |first=David |date=2012-02-08 |title=Dani Bunten changed video games forever |url=https://arktimes.com/news/cover-stories/2012/02/08/dani-bunten-changed-video-games-forever |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=Arkansas Times |language=en-US |archive-date=November 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107172616/https://arktimes.com/news/cover-stories/2012/02/08/dani-bunten-changed-video-games-forever |url-status=live }}

{{Portal|Video games}}

• Simulated reality
• Simulation

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book|last=Barry|first=Atkins|year=2003|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dxMLnayXwTQC|title=More than a Game: The Computer Game as Fictional Form|edition=paperback|location=Manchester|publisher=Manchester University Press|isbn=978-07-1906-365-7|access-date=February 27, 2024|via=Google Books}}
• {{cite journal |last1=Nakamura |first1=Rika |last2=Wirman |first2= Hanna |date=October 2005 |title=Girlish Counter-Playing Tactics |url=http://www.gamestudies.org/0501/nakamura_wirman |journal=Game Studies |volume=5 |issue=1|access-date=February 27, 2024}}
• {{cite journal |last=Paulk |first=Charles |date=December 2006 |title=Signifying Play: The Sims and the Sociology of Interior Design |url=http://gamestudies.org/0601/articles/paulk |journal=Game Studies |volume=6 |issue=1|access-date=February 27, 2024}}
• {{cite journal |last=Pearce |first=Celia |date=July 2002 |title=Sims, BattleBots, Cellular Automata God and Go |url=http://www.gamestudies.org/0102/pearce |journal=Game Studies |volume=2 |issue=1|access-date=February 27, 2024}}
• {{cite book |last=Sihvonen |first=Tanja |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5C09RiJl0ZUC |title=Players Unleashed!: Modding The Sims and the Culture of Gaming |date=2011 |edition=paperback|location=Amsterdam|publisher=Amsterdam University Press |doi=10.1515/9789048511983-003 |jstor=j.ctt46mt37.5 |isbn=978-90-8964-201-1 |access-date=February 27, 2024 |via=Google Books}}

{{Sister project links

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• [http://www.mobygames.com/game/sims The Sims] at MobyGames

{{Sim series|all=yes}}

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