How Sims has grown from the virtual construction game to a cultural phenomenon – Blogging Sole

With the year 2000 entered the new millennium, the boy’s teams and pop stars took control of the music graphics, and the International Space Station welcomed its first crew, while reality TV on Earth was changed forever by a group of Castaways in the CBS programSurvivors– All this when more than 70 % of Americans have no mobile phone and half of the American families had only a computer.

Phil Salvador, director of the library for the History of Video Games, is reflected in the era of rapid technological growth.

“If you are playing in particular computer games at the time, you may be playing on the family computer,” Salvador said.

It was a time when gaming devices were developing, and they were titles like Halo and First Foll Superso in height. But one of the companies to develop games, Maxis, was trying something different: simulation games, designed to repeat real activities.

In The Helm, the legendary game designer Will Wright, who had a personal reason to explore this type.

“Have you already saw his house in Auckland Hills Fire In 1991, he had to start rebuilding his life, and this became an inspiration for his idea of ​​Dollhouse. ”

Initially a virtual construction game, Dollhouse failed to attract a lot of benefit. But when Maxis was obtained by Electronic Arts in 1997, EA realized the strange capabilities of the game.

Salvador pointed out that EA realized that people like to tell stories and interact with people simulating more than the original goal of the game: building homes. It was at this time when EA changed the concept from Dollhouse to SIMS.

Sims spent nearly a decade in development, ultimately creating a digital space where players can control virtual organisms, environments and life options. When the game first appeared in February 2000, it was different from anything previously seen.

“It is a game in which people help to perform household chores around the house and use the toilet and things like that, and it is not the idea of ​​the most persuasive game immediately, but as soon as people begin to see it, I think they realized there Salvador said:” It was a special thing there”.

Despite the competition from PlayStation 2 and Xbox, SIMS soon became a cultural phenomenon. By 2002, the computer game has become the best -selling game in history.

“It is humble to look at all the people we have influenced all the people who were affected,” said Laura Millie, President of ENATAINMENT, Central Technology and Development. “Multiple generations of people originated with Sims.”

The concession redefined what it means to be a player, as women make up about 60 % of the last game players base. With more than 500 million players, SIMS remains the largest brand in simulation games.

Miege is attributed to the successful life of the game as it is an open fabric for creators to express themselves regardless of their age.

Milli said: “A player, whether you are 12 or 82 years old, you can always be connected to the culture you love through Sims.”

SIMS continues to echo with culture makers as well. This year, the Grammy Prize -winning Doja Cat joined the 25 -hour live broadcast, as did Chapell Roan, The Nechned Twherered Best new artist Those who expressed their interest in communicating, aimed at joining the likes of Black Eyed and Glass Animals Dave Bayley, who recorded their songs in Simllish, the imaginary language created for the game.

“Simlish was a great and wonderful concept for The SIMS, I must say,” said Rachel Franklin, Vice President of the group and general manager of Lifestyle Entertainment. “What you do is that it allows the player to be able to say,” they, I think they say this, “and allowing the choice, creativity and meaning directly related to the player.”

Under the supervision of Franklin, SIMS 4 has become the most widely played title in the privilege, providing players unparalleled to allocate SIMS and their environments.

“We get stories all the time about how people, for example, want to be engineers, and thus go and play with the construction in Sims, and this translates into,” hey, I managed to get the job of my dreams and Franklin said, “As an architect because of all that time What I spent playing. “

She said: “There are also many people who try their lives in The SIMS, where some people will build a family, and they find what makes them happy through this issue and influencing these young people.” It is a safe space, and it is an optimistic world. It is a place where everything works in the end. “

While Sims celebrates the twenty -fifth anniversary of its founding, its legacy cannot be denied.

“In terms of importance, it is very close to the top of the list,” said Salvador. “When you are really thinking about the games that really crash about video games that can be, as you know, doom, the game, is one of the first games that was the first person to click on clicking on it. You see something like Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong, Obviously.

For the reason for the game is still relevant, Salvador said: “Everyone brings a little to them to the game. Everyone gets something a little different from it, much more than what the developers were ever intended. How many games can you say that?”