Back in , California-based developer Maxis released a game entirely focused on the micromanagement of someone's life, letting players pull their strings to make them do chores, go to work, and make friends. The Sims filled a niche that no one knew existed, becoming both a video game and cultural phenomenon. With the release of The Sims 4 on Xbox One and PS4, as well as the new Pets expansion pack, we thought we'd relive the history of one of the biggest PC franchises of all time.
This gallery starts at the very beginning, looking at the game that sparked the idea for The Sims, how creator Will Wright explored his burgeoning ideas further, and--eventually--the creation of The Sims. As with any long-running video game series, The Sims has had its ups and downs, as has Will Wright, developer Maxis, and publisher EA, and these highs and lows are also thoroughly covered.
For those that would rather see a video, we have a minute look back at The History of The Sims , which covers the same touch points and delves much deeper into the history. While not an actual 'Sims' title, it was while designing Raid On Bungeling Bay that Will Wright realised he was having more fun creating the worlds than actually blowing them up, which was the core of the game.
He wondered what it would be like to breathe life into this world, instead of destroying it, and after the release of Bungeling Bay, he continued to tinker with the game's level editor. Wright would tweak variables and add elements like traffic, an ecosystem, and people, and watch as the simulated city grew and changed over time in response.
He would read up on urban planning, and put the new theories he studied into practice by coding them straight into his simulator. This side project would eventually become SimCity. SimCity was a city-building simulation game, and at the time, a unique one.
It could neither be won nor lost in the traditional sense; there were no cinematics, and it didn't build to a climactic, blockbuster ending. Game publishers were confused, asking Wright, "How are you going to make this a game? After struggling to get SimCity published, Wright co-founded a company called Maxis with Jeff Braun, an entrepreneur looking to break into the video game industry.
In , Maxis published SimCity. It had a slow start, but the game's popularity began to grow and by it had sold a million copies. SimCity was lauded by critics and fans alike, and it won countless awards. It was even used in urban planning and political science classes. But none of the games Maxis was releasing were hitting the critical or sales success of the first SimCity. After experimenting with different genres, including publishing 's 3D Pinball for Windows , and suffering a string of commercial failures, it was considering acquisition offers.
It was only when the studio was acquired by EA in that Maxis gained a new lease on life. The Wright family lost their home to a fire in the early' 90s. As they began the process of replacing their belongings, Wright wondered why people bought things.
To combat this, EA developed 11 purchasable expansion packs for the game, which include fresh content and new maps. Despite adding exciting new content as recently as the summer of , this does not hide the fact that The Sims 4 is now seven years old, with much of its gameplay having been experienced by players many times over. With The Sims' space growing stagnant since the latest expansion pack, fans can be forgiven for expecting an announcement from EA on the much-anticipated fifth installment of the series.
No official announcement for The Sims 5 has occurred so far, leaving only hints and rumors to go on. During the conference, Wilson heavily hinted that The Sims 5 was in the initial stages of pre-production and that a future installment could see both single-player and multiplayer components.
Another scrap of evidence, first circulating on Reddit, was a job listing for a senior character artist. It offers exactly the same free-flowing elements and ability to replicate the human experience while providing extreme levels of personalisation. However, every step this franchise has taken has also gone into more detail, adding new features to keep people coming back. In The Sims 4, new additions like emotion-driven gameplay, more diverse build tools and neighbourhood integration change how gamers can enjoy and explore their own custom world, without deviating from what makes the series special and so inviting.
The Sims 4 is just another an example of how franchises continue to dominate the world of entertainment. With rumours of The Sims 5 circulating, we have no reason to believe this series is going anywhere. The Sims 4 proves that there are still plenty of fans out there, and still plenty of ideas in the tank, to continue to make the franchise an exciting and immersive gameplay experience for years to come.
The Sims has solidified its place in the gaming world and the gaming industry. Username or Email Address. Remember Me. Blog Post. Shawn , February 26, 6 min read The modern pop-culture landscape is dominated by franchises.
This, however, is by no means a bad thing. A Brief History of The Sims One of the best-selling games of all time , tallying up nearly million units, The Sims has dominated the simulation game market since it was released all the way back in the year Those numbers are likely to continue to grow, especially given recent events. The upcoming The Sims 4: Discover University expansion pack is scheduled for release next month, and given the anticipation surrounding that pack, sales are likely to be high.
EA has also just announced its partnership with Steam, which means even more fans will be able to have easy access to The Sims titles. The game series first began in with the release of The Sims , which became instantly popular and profitable.
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