The Sims
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
If one day you happen to find one of your friends uncharacteristically noting that "the yellow wallpaper is MUCH nicer than the blue", hold off on that phone call to the asylum for just a moment - they may have just contracted The Sims.
Released in 2000, The Sims is a refreshingly unique computer game from Maxis that brought interior decorating to the masses. During the course of the game, the player takes control of the lives one or more virtual people (Sims) and has to guide them through a slice of their virtual lives.
The basic idea of the game is to advance your Sim's career (or education, in the case of children), buy neat stuff for your house, renovate and redecorate your dwelling, and develop relationships with the other Sims in the neighbourhood. Your Sim(s) start of with a measly twenty thousand Simoleons (the amusingly titled currency) and must use this to build and furnish a place to live. They must find jobs to earn money, and satisfy the conditions for promotion.
The main status of each Sim is displayed through eight bars titled Hunger, Energy, Comfort, Fun, Hygiene, Social, Bladder and Room. These correspond to the needs that each Sim has. With the exception of Room, the bars increase when the appropriate action is performed (eat food for the Hunger bar, take a bath for Hygiene etc.), and decrease both over time, and when detrimental actions are taken (using the toilet decreases Hygiene, for example). Room is where the real fun lies - it responds to the architecture and decorations of the room that the Sim is in.
So far, this must be sounding like a fairly mundane exercise - after all, why play someone else's life when you've got your own to worry about? The fact is, though, countless people have been hooked by The Sims' original gameplay.
The Sims also allows for the importation of new player skins and furniture objects, which should extend the lifespan of the game. However, they fail to overcome The Sims' biggest criticism: that when the novelty value wears off, you are left with a fairly mundane experience. Many people have been disappointed with The Sims after reaching this stage.
It is still an excellent concept, however, and with many fans calling for an online multiplayer version, who knows what will eventuate?
Released in 2000, The Sims is a refreshingly unique computer game from Maxis that brought interior decorating to the masses. During the course of the game, the player takes control of the lives one or more virtual people (Sims) and has to guide them through a slice of their virtual lives.
The basic idea of the game is to advance your Sim's career (or education, in the case of children), buy neat stuff for your house, renovate and redecorate your dwelling, and develop relationships with the other Sims in the neighbourhood. Your Sim(s) start of with a measly twenty thousand Simoleons (the amusingly titled currency) and must use this to build and furnish a place to live. They must find jobs to earn money, and satisfy the conditions for promotion.
The main status of each Sim is displayed through eight bars titled Hunger, Energy, Comfort, Fun, Hygiene, Social, Bladder and Room. These correspond to the needs that each Sim has. With the exception of Room, the bars increase when the appropriate action is performed (eat food for the Hunger bar, take a bath for Hygiene etc.), and decrease both over time, and when detrimental actions are taken (using the toilet decreases Hygiene, for example). Room is where the real fun lies - it responds to the architecture and decorations of the room that the Sim is in.
So far, this must be sounding like a fairly mundane exercise - after all, why play someone else's life when you've got your own to worry about? The fact is, though, countless people have been hooked by The Sims' original gameplay.
The Sims also allows for the importation of new player skins and furniture objects, which should extend the lifespan of the game. However, they fail to overcome The Sims' biggest criticism: that when the novelty value wears off, you are left with a fairly mundane experience. Many people have been disappointed with The Sims after reaching this stage.
It is still an excellent concept, however, and with many fans calling for an online multiplayer version, who knows what will eventuate?
