The Sims: WHY?

[The Hitman]

So when the thought popped into my mind of "Yeh, someone told me that was a pretty popular game once", I did a bit of research (yes, on Wikipedia of course) on the Sims franchise.

So, with over 13 (my count) expansions, sequels and spinoffs and the ever increasing 100 million copies of these various games in circulation, I can't help but wonder what the appeal is, anyone who can help me figure out if I have been missing out would be greatly appreciated.

P.S Apparently "The Sims" have bought film rights off 20th Century Fox with the aim of making a LIVE ACTION DRAMA film! Will this franchise ever come to an end?!

 

[Legion]

They were fun? Personally I only liked the first Sims with the first 3 expansions, after that I got tired of how they just kept bringing out more and more pointless crap and charging £20 (about $40 at the time) for them. Sims 2 seemed to cartoony and they had even more pointless expansions.

I can't really explain why I enjoyed them so much.

 

[Baby Tea]

Sims 2 was my favourite. And that's Sims 2 vanilla, no expansions. The expansions are just pointless, I think. But the core game is pretty solid. I liked it!

Though I'm not sure what think of this 'movie' business. Seems a bit overboard.
I mean, if they want to make a pile of expansions and have suckers pay for them all, then fine. But a movie? Bit much, methinks.

 

[quack35]

It's ok.

I haven't played Sims 2, but I have very fond memories of removing the ladders in a swimming pool and drowning people.

 

[Doug]

You may as well ask why Neighbours, Cornation Street, and other soaps are popular. That said, I do enjoy the occasional few hours on the Sims, can't really understand why, but its the way of things.

EDIT: Oh, and I didn't buy the 'expansion' packs (imagine air quotes around expansion)

 

[Dahemo]

So when the thought popped into my mind of "Yeh, someone told me that was a pretty popular game once", I did a bit of research (yes, on Wikipedia of course) on the Sims franchise.

So, with over 13 (my count) expansions, sequels and spinoffs and the ever increasing 100 million copies of these various games in circulation, I can't help but wonder what the appeal is, anyone who can help me figure out if I have been missing out would be greatly appreciated.

P.S Apparently "The Sims" have bought film rights off 20th Century Fox with the aim of making a LIVE ACTION DRAMA film! Will this franchise ever come to an end?!

Sorry for prying but I checked your age before I posted, you're around 16, so you were a bit young for the original Sims, and indeed the precursor to it, SimCity (and all of its sequels and spin-offs).

The Sims was once among my favourite games too, the acute sense of humour and total control you wield is quite compelling, plus the game had a surprising amount of depth. Yes, you could play the evil puppetmaster or cheat to get ton of cash and build a dreamhouse, but played the way the designers intended, it was a clever and often revealing effort to help a sympathetic character make their way in the Sim-world.

Immersion was also a cinch since sub-plots essentially wrote themselves. You create a house with you and your friends living a bachelor pad party lifestyle, but when your friends left and only you were playing the game, maybe a neighbour would become a romantic intrest, and some of them need to get jobs to support the others. Tending to the needs of your Sims and guiding them through life was a very different experience to everything else I was playing at the time (Unreal Tournament and Age of Empires 2 mostly if memory serves).

You can't just discredit games on the basis that they got flogged to death, it happens to most successful things these days. You should try the original game actually, it's quite good, and probably holds up relatively well graphically as a stylised isometric game. If you hate management games you'll hate this, but if not...

 

[The Hitman]

So when the thought popped into my mind of "Yeh, someone told me that was a pretty popular game once", I did a bit of research (yes, on Wikipedia of course) on the Sims franchise.

So, with over 13 (my count) expansions, sequels and spinoffs and the ever increasing 100 million copies of these various games in circulation, I can't help but wonder what the appeal is, anyone who can help me figure out if I have been missing out would be greatly appreciated.

P.S Apparently "The Sims" have bought film rights off 20th Century Fox with the aim of making a LIVE ACTION DRAMA film! Will this franchise ever come to an end?!

Sorry for prying but I checked your age before I posted, you're around 16, so you were a bit young for the original Sims, and indeed the precursor to it, SimCity (and all of its sequels and spin-offs).

The Sims was once among my favourite games too, the acute sense of humour and total control you wield is quite compelling, plus the game had a surprising amount of depth. Yes, you could play the evil puppetmaster or cheat to get ton of cash and build a dreamhouse, but played the way the designers intended, it was a clever and often revealing effort to help a sympathetic character make their way in the Sim-world.

Immersion was also a synch since sub-plots essentially wrote themselves. You create a house with you and your friends living a bachelor pad party lifestyle, but when your friends left and only you were playing the game, maybe a neighbour would become a romantic intrest, and some of them need to get jobs to support the others. Tending to the needs of your Sims and guiding them through life was a very different experience to everything else I was playing at the time (Unreal Tournament and Age of Empires 2 mostly if memory serves).

You can't just discredit games on the basis that they got flogged to death, it happens to most successful things these days. You should try the original game actually, it's quite good, and probably holds up relatively well graphically as a stylised isometric game. If you hate management games you'll hate this, but if not...

No problem for prying, i wouldn't slap my age up here if I cared. But as it happens I did manage to catch the end of the original Sims era and I have a copy of the game right here in front of me, I also have the "Sims Livin' it up" and "Sims 2", however, these 3 games were all bought by my older sister as she and her friends were very into the series, which brings another thought to mind, is Sims one of the first ultra selling games aimed at a unisex/girl audience?

 

[Marshmallow]

It's ok.

I haven't played Sims 2, but I have very fond memories of removing the ladders in a swimming pool and drowning people.

No wonder all those people think video games lead to violence. Before you know it you'll be out robbing, drowing, and murdering people on the streets. Sheesh.

 

[NewGeekPhilosopher]

It's ok.

I haven't played Sims 2, but I have very fond memories of removing the ladders in a swimming pool and drowning people.

No wonder all those people think video games lead to violence. Before you know it you'll be out robbing, drowing, and murdering people on the streets. Sheesh.

It's a hyper-realistic MURDER simulator!

 

[squid5580]

My fiance is a Sims addict. I have sked here many many times what the appeal is. Well one day she simply responded with "why do you like your games?" I said cuz they are fun. She said "exactly!" I shut my pie hole.

 

[ExaltedK9]

So when the thought popped into my mind of "Yeh, someone told me that was a pretty popular game once", I did a bit of research (yes, on Wikipedia of course) on the Sims franchise.

So, with over 13 (my count) expansions, sequels and spinoffs and the ever increasing 100 million copies of these various games in circulation, I can't help but wonder what the appeal is, anyone who can help me figure out if I have been missing out would be greatly appreciated.

P.S Apparently "The Sims" have bought film rights off 20th Century Fox with the aim of making a LIVE ACTION DRAMA film! Will this franchise ever come to an end?!

Sorry for prying but I checked your age before I posted, you're around 16, so you were a bit young for the original Sims, and indeed the precursor to it, SimCity (and all of its sequels and spin-offs).

The Sims was once among my favourite games too, the acute sense of humour and total control you wield is quite compelling, plus the game had a surprising amount of depth. Yes, you could play the evil puppetmaster or cheat to get ton of cash and build a dreamhouse, but played the way the designers intended, it was a clever and often revealing effort to help a sympathetic character make their way in the Sim-world.

Immersion was also a cinch since sub-plots essentially wrote themselves. You create a house with you and your friends living a bachelor pad party lifestyle, but when your friends left and only you were playing the game, maybe a neighbour would become a romantic intrest, and some of them need to get jobs to support the others. Tending to the needs of your Sims and guiding them through life was a very different experience to everything else I was playing at the time (Unreal Tournament and Age of Empires 2 mostly if memory serves).

You can't just discredit games on the basis that they got flogged to death, it happens to most successful things these days. You should try the original game actually, it's quite good, and probably holds up relatively well graphically as a stylised isometric game. If you hate management games you'll hate this, but if not...

I'm 14 and I was around for the original Sims (if the one you are referring to, is the one simply titled "The Sims") and I thought it was one of the best games of its time. It was an extremely deep game with alot of options, and different play syles.

One of the thing that I found interesting about the second one (without expansions) was being able to make a perfectly normal Sim that was under my control, into a ridiculous success, or failure. I also loved playing games with their feeble Sim minds. Isolating one from the rest of the Sim-pack. Like having a bunch of cockroaches in a clear plastic container.

I turned one of my Sims into a raging, wife-beating, alchoholic. Another into a serial killer (with his own secret lair hidden behind a bookcase on the second floor), and...well I would always have my main Sim from the start, creatively named Bob, and when he passed on I would live through his offspring's lives, and continue the bloodline.

Oh the stories I could tell....erm I didn't mean to rant, but thats what I always liked about the franchise, but the movie still seems a little overboard.

 

[GreigKM]

I liked the Sims because it was like Chief Architect except I could not get a job for knowing how to use it!

 

[Amarok]

I love the sims, and am eagerly awaiting the Sims 3. Admittedly I don't buy every single expansion, but some of 'em are too damn cool not to pass up (like Open for Business, hell yeah).

I know that the games are way too expensive if you tally up the damn EPs, but like I says, I don't buy 'em all, so it's all good.

 

[Stevanchez]

It gives you the thrill of playing God.

 

[MiserableOldGit]

What could be better than coming home from your mediocre job and relaxing with a nice session of directing someone else through their mediocre day, maybe finding time to clean up their house, and not your own, before buying his girlfriend a present while your real one is leaving you. I defy anyone to think of a more unique, varied and thrilling experience that could be enjoyed on a -oooh look, a cup and ball!...

 

[DrDeath3191]

5 People, no toilets, doors, showers, or fridges. Fun times. I look forward to Sims 3.

 

[AndyFromMonday]

I played and...I just can't get into it. It's just so...boring. I mean 30 minutes passed since I started playing and I just found it so...dull I suppose.

 

[gigastrike]

People like to play it because they can create and control their peers and, optionally, Batman.