The Sims (video game)

This article is about the video game. For the series, see The Sims.

The Sims
Microsoft Windows cover art
Developer(s)
Maxis
Publisher(s)
Producer(s)Kana Ryan
Designer(s)Will Wright
Programmer(s)Jeffrey Charvat
Jim Mackraz
Artist(s)Charles London
Writer(s)Sean Baity
Composer(s)Jerry Martin
Marc Russo
SeriesThe Sims
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Mac OS X, PlayStation 2, Linux, GameCube, Xbox[b]
ReleaseMicrosoft Windows
Mac OS
PlayStation 2
Linux
GameCube, Xbox
Genre(s)Social simulation
Mode(s)Single-player Multi-player

The Sims is a social simulation video game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts in 2000. The game allows players to create and control virtual people, called "Sims", and manage their daily lives in a suburban setting. The game features an open-ended gameplay, where players can choose their own goals and objectives, and customize their Sims' appearance, personality, skills, relationships, and environment. A series of expansion packs were also released that add new content and features to the game, such as new careers, items, locations, and scenarios.

The game's development was led by Will Wright, and the game was a follow-up to Wright's earlier SimCity series. Wright was inspired to create the game by Christopher Alexander's 1977 book A Pattern Language, and Scott McCloud's 1993 book Understanding Comics later played a role in the game's design. Seven expansion packs were released from 2000 to 2003, each of which added new items, characters, skins, and features.

Upon release, The Sims garnered widespread critical acclaim and was described by Wright as being successful in attracting casual male and female gamers. The game is regarded as one of the most influential and greatest games of all time. It won several awards and placed 31st on Time's The 50 Best Video Games of All Time list. The game has also been commercially successful, being one of the best-selling PC games of all time with 11.5 million copies sold. Several sequels in The Sims series have been released —The Sims 2 in 2004, The Sims 3 in 2009, and The Sims 4 in 2014.

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  6. ^ "The Sims on Linux - On Its Own - Available Today". TransGaming. March 12, 2003. Archived from the original on April 4, 2003. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  7. ^ "What's New?". Eurogamer.net. April 4, 2003. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  8. ^ "The Sims Ships - XboxAddict News". xboxaddict.com. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  9. ^ "The Sims For Mac". GameSpot. Archived from the original on September 15, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.


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