The Sims

The Sims is a life simulation video game series, developed by EA Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. It is one of the best-selling video games series of all time. As of September 2013, the franchise has sold more than 175 million copies worldwide.

The series was created by Maxis, before the series moved to The Sims Studio between 2006 and 2008. The Sims Studio then reintegrated into the new EA Maxis label in 2012.

The games in The Sims series are largely sandbox games, in that they lack any defined goals (except for some later expansion packs and console versions which introduced this gameplay style). The player creates virtual people called "Sims" and places them in houses and helps direct their moods and satisfy their desires. Players can either place their Sims in pre-constructed homes or build them themselves. Each successive expansion pack and game in the series augmented what the player could do with their Sims.

Development

Game designer Will Wright was inspired to create a "virtual doll house" after losing his home during the Oakland firestorm of 1991 and subsequently rebuilding his life. Replacing his home and his other possessions made him think about adapting that life experience into a game. When he initially took his ideas to the Maxis board of the directors, they were skeptical and gave little support or financing for the game. The directors at Electronic Arts, which bought Maxis in 1997, were more receptive — SimCity had been a great success for them, and they foresaw the possibility of building a strong Sim franchise.

The Sims 3

The Sims 3 is the third major title in the life simulation video game developed by The Sims Studio (Maxis) and published by Electronic Arts. It is the sequel to the best-selling computer game, The Sims 2. It was first released on June 2, 2009 simultaneously for OS X and Microsoft Windows – both versions on the same disc. The Sims 3 was released to game consoles and smartphones on October 26, 2010, for PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, Android, iOS, and Nintendo DS. The Windows Phone version was made available on the Windows Phone Store on October 15, 2010. A Nintendo 3DS version, released on March 27, 2011, was one of its launch titles. It has also been released for mobile phone platforms, and a simpler version for mobiles with Java.

The Sims 3 was a commercial success, selling 1.4 million copies in its first week. Critics issued mostly positive reviews. The Sims 3 gained an 86/100 score from aggregator Metacritic. The game has sold over ten million copies worldwide since its 2009 release, making it one of the best-selling PC games of all time.

The Sims 2

The Sims 2 is a 2004 strategic life simulation video game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. It is the sequel to the best-selling computer game The Sims.

The game has the same concept as its predecessor: players control their Sims in various activities and form relationships in a manner similar to real life. The Sims 2, like its predecessor, does not have a defined final goal; gameplay is open-ended. Sims have life goals, wants and fears, the fulfillment of which can produce both positive or negative outcomes. All Sims age, and can live to 90 sim days depending on the degree to which their aspirations are fulfilled. The Sims 2 builds on its predecessor by allowing Sims to age through six stages of life and incorporating a 3D graphics engine. Although gameplay is not linear, storylines exist in the game's pre-built neighborhoods. Pleasantview is based 25 years after the town in the original The Sims. Strangetown's storyline is based on the supernatural, and is loosely connected with Pleasantview. Veronaville's characters are based on Shakespearean characters.