In video games, the most recent form of entertainment, to blow out the 20 candles of a game is necessarily an event. This is precisely the symbolic milestone reached by The Sims : in February 2000 the very first opus of the life simulator was released. Developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts, this unique life simulator has become, three suites and multiple extensions later, one of the biggest boxes in the history of video games with more than 200 million games sold.
A "sandbox" game
The craziest thing about the Sims' success is that the recipe has changed very little since the first game. Twenty years that we have created incredible houses only to realize after one hour that we haven't no longer has enough money for the roof. Twenty years that we strive to offer the best life to his Sims to finally see them, not without a certain sadism, drown in a swimming pool without ladder. Certainly, the games have grown, offering more and more accessories, clothing styles, furniture for the home, trades for the characters. But the heart of the game, it has not moved an iota.
The Sims was, is, and will always be the ultimate "sandbox" game. We start from scratch to try to have the best virtual life possible. First, create your character from head to toe. Then build him a house. With the means at hand if you like the challenge or by cheating with one of the many codes of the game, to have unlimited money and start your life in a sumptuous villa. And there, it is necessary to live quite simply, in this world shaped according to our desires. Navigate between hunger, natural needs, desires, expectations, social interactions, money problems ...
Childish passion
This game system, a kind of virtual dollhouse, has rocked an entire generation of players, like Sarah, 24. This video game fan discovered The Sims at 8: a revelation for her. Today, under the name of Trixy, she has become a streamer, that is to say that she films herself playing games. "The first Sims CD I had was a gift by chance. And my best friend also had it. From there, we started talking about it. And when I slept at her place, we had to go to bed early but it happened that we stay up until 3 am to play, hiding under the table as soon as we hear her mother get up, "she said.
Accessible from 7 years old, The Sims is a good first experience of video games for children. "When I was 8 years old and playing Sims , what interested me most was to live a life that I couldn't live. When I took my Sims, I could have a boyfriend, go party , going to the jacuzzi, it was discovering the world through a game, "recalls Trixy. And today, his passion remains intact. "I am 24 years old and that has not changed! I am still competing in the most beautiful house with my friends," laughs the young woman.
A cocktail of absurdity and unlimited creativity
First conceived as a solitary gaming experience, The Sims then opened up to local multiplayer, then online, thus encouraging players to build relationships through their Sims. The opportunity also to hear the characters converse in their incomprehensible language. A strange language that has a name altogether: Simlish. It is a totally improvised language, made of vocalizations and words without any meaning. This omnipresent humor is found in the attitudes of Sims, panicked at the start of a fire or capable of observing the same picture for hours.
It is this absurd side, combined with the infinite creativity of the game, which has made The Sims cult and has enabled it to become, despite some competing attempts, the benchmark for life simulators. "When we play Sims , we take ourselves a little for God. We manage people, families. There is no limit," said Trixy. "When I play it I sometimes do extraordinary things but also horrible things, like drowning my Sims in the pool. I'm not sadistic. It's just that it's discovery, it's incredible." So many game mechanics that have become cult for millions of players, inspiring some humorous sketches by well-known youtubers.
The Sims 5 coming soon?
As a result, even after 20 years of existence, The Sims continues to bring together millions of active players around the world. The community is still very involved, especially thanks to the streamers. Followed by tens of thousands of fans, Trixy helps bring The Sims to life. "It’s as funny as it’s serious but it’s also very time-consuming. You can tell yourself I’m going to play for an hour and in the end there’s going to be so much going on around you that you can stay there for 5 or 6 hours without paying attention ", she underlines.
Hence the longevity of the Sims . It is a game that you play almost until you can no longer sleep for weeks, then you give up to better resume it later. An irregular rhythm well integrated by Electronic Arts. The last part of the series, The Sims 4, dates from 2014. But it is updated regularly with paid content such as additional buildings, trades, places, clothes… Thus, the game "ages" with the players , it rekindles their interest regularly, without changing every year.
And after that ? When is a Sims 5 ? We know that the game has been in development for a while and that it will be prepared for the next generation of consoles, the PS5 and Xbox Series, which will be marketed in late 2020. The fifth installment of the franchise could therefore be available from 2021 .