I thought it would be a good idea for me to look into some of the most revolutionary games of all time. Since my dissertation will be based on video games, I want to expand my knowledge more on the subject, even though I’ve owned a console from the last three generations of gaming consoles. One of the most popular games I’ve been playing over the years is The Sims. The aspect of being able to control people and choose how to live their lives by getting jobs, improving skills, marriage and kids as well as keeping them alive and happy won over so many people, including myself. I’ve been a fan since the release of the original game, and I have stuck with it for each generation.
The aspect I love the most about The Sims is that everybody plays it in a different way. Some use it to create families and live through each of their lives. Some use it as a building program, allowing them to create their own houses and community lots without any sort of restriction. There was a point I remember as a teenager when The Sims 2 was used by YouTubers to create mini-series and create a story to share with the YouTube community. I was always fascinated by this and attempted to create some myself but they weren’t a huge success. I didn’t have a good knowledge of cheat codes and Custom Content. That was another huge part of The Sims. The players were able to create their own content and add this into the games, allowing their experiences to become more personal and tailored to the individual. The addition of each expansion pack also brought more content and different life stages to make the experience similar to everyday life. For example, The Sims 2 introduced a university pack, allowing the players to experience the life of a university student, which would eventually lead to better paid jobs. There was also a pets pack, allowing the user to create custom pets or adopt them. I never know what EA will release next, and as a gamer its really exciting.
The Sims 3 was an interesting introduction to the franchise. It introduced a concept called Moodlets, which would either improve or deteriorate a Sims mood. It also introduced a new world where a Sim could explore the neighbourhood openly, similar to a Sandbox game. This was a huge development. Allowing the characters to roam freely cut out a huge amount of loading screens and opened up a new world of fun in terms of gameplay. There was also a lot of new features in CAS (Create A Sim) which allowed a user to develop a Sim more to their liking by changing each individual part of the face, and allowing highlights in the hairstyles, I think this made Sims become much more human. The concept of Create-A-Style was also introduced. This would mean the user could design an outfit or a room, but use their own specific design elements, such as the colours or patterns. The Sims 2 and The Sims 3 are without a doubt my most favourite part of the entire franchise. I also enjoyed playing each on console too, especially with The Sims 2 where you could play multi-player! What an achievement. It was so nice to be able to play with a friend and not having to constantly take turns.
The release of The Sims 4 caused quite a stir in the community both before and after its release. The developers at EA removed a lot of key aspects included in other base games, such as the toddler generation, the ability to build pools, and ghosts of deceased Sims. This really put off a lot of its audience, because these are what made the game fun to play, and without it fans felt like it would be a disappointment. It caused such controversy that EA agreed to bring these features back into the game through a series of update downloads. There is finally a Sims series that doesn’t involve buying the disks for the expansion packs. Everything is now bought and downloaded through Origin, who are owned by EA. Although this makes getting hold of the games more simpler, I will miss actually buying the disks and collecting them. There are some great new features in this latest addition. Sims now have actual emotions, and it changes their behaviour and the way they interact with other Sims. I’m looking forward to seeing what EA has to offer during this new generation of The Sims.
Ell Roberts 