The Sims 1 and 2 for the 25th anniversary of the series, I wanted to take a look back at the original game’s manual, which led to a surprising discovery: a reading list that explains the design choices behind the first game.
To fully understand the design philosophy behind The Sims, the developers left a sizable list of books for players to fully understand the choices made during the game’s development. Ranging from topics about construction and city planning to the essence of human consciousness, the development team for The Sims left behind a wealth of information for dedicated players to dive deep into.
The First Game’s Appendix Included Recommended Reading
Enrich Your Sims Playthrough With The Related Literature
Hidden in the very last pages of The Sims 1 manual on Internet Archive is a section titled ‘Recommended Reading.’ This list of literature covers a wide range of topics, from home design and urban planning to finding love and caring for llamas. While a reading list may seem a little strange for a video game, its inclusion makes sense when players consider that the developers wanted to share the ideas behind their pioneering game and present a deeper understanding of the inner workings of The Sims.
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The first Sims is quite different from its successors, so it can be necessary to seek out tips to make it easier to keep these Sims happy.
Never before had a game like The Sims existed, where players could engage in every aspect of real life in a simulation, from menial tasks like cooking and cleaning to more in-depth activities like building friendships and romances. While the game can often lean more on the quirky side of life, very realistic ideas needed to be considered to create the small neighborhood and the citizens inside. Building off of SimCity, literally and figuratively, The Sims needed to fit every tier of a person’s hierarchy of needs, from providing food and shelter to self-actualization through career growth.
- Home: A Short History of an Idea by Witold Rybczynski
- Notes on the Synthesis of Form by Christopher W. Alexander
- A Pattern: Towns, Buildings, Construction by Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, and Murray Silverstein
- Architecture: Form, Space, & Order by Frank D.K. Ching and Francis D. Ching
- Housing by Lifestyle: The Component Method of Residential Design by James W. Wentling
- Time for Life: The Surprising Ways Americans Use Their Time by John P. Robinson
- Maps of the Mind by C. Hampden-Turner
- Hidden Order: The Economics of Everyday Life by David D. Friedman
- Making the Most of Your Llama by Linda C. Beattie
- Finding Your Perfect Love by Arthur Clark and Cassandra Skouras
- The Illusion: Cutting Consciousness Down to Size by Tor Norretranders
Fittingly for the first game’s sense of dry humor, the book list comes with a warning: "Warning: all are filled with provocative ideas; Maxis disavows any responsibility for encouraging deep thought.” Each of the eleven titles informs some aspects of The Sims’ game philosophy and design.
Constructing An Entire World For The Sims Required Big Ideas
Game Philosophy Ends Up Just Being Normal Philosophy
Since the inner and outer workings of a Sim's life needed to be considered and constructed when creating The Sims, it makes sense that titles like Time for Life: The Surprising Ways Americans Use Their Time by John P. Robinson and Hidden Order: The Economics of Everyday Life by David F. Friedman were used for figuring out the basic ways Sims would use their time and how the household economy would work. For relationships, Finding Your Perfect Love by Arthur Clark and Cassandra Skouras is referenced, a title focused on enriching intimate relationships to their fullest capacity, an idea that surely influenced the importance of relationships and human interaction in The Sims.
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The most interesting book on the list is the very last, The Illusion: Cutting Consciousness Down to Size by Tor Norretranders. This meditation on consciousness and how humans process their reality is a fascinating title when considering how The Sims allows players to play God in a sense, as they create realities and choose every decision for their creations up to the grave (and sometimes beyond).
As Will Wright stated in a recent interview with the New York Times, “A long time ago, I decided that game design is applied psychology.” Taking The Illusion, which has a fitting title for its use in game design, and applying the question of consciousness to a life simulator makes for a surprisingly deep idea. This introspective philosophy is only moderately undercut by the inclusion of Making the Most of Your Llama by Linda C. Beattie, a book for novice llama owners, which seems to have no relevance to The Sims beyond the developers finding llamas funny.
The Sims Has Always Been A Criticism On Consumerism
Buying Happiness Usually Ends In Disaster
Since the beginning of the series, The Sims has always been critical of consumer culture, specifically in the United States. Series creator Will Wright explained some of his views on the games and their relation to the American Dream, saying, “I never really thought of The Sims as inherently optimistic. I always considered The Sims slightly sarcastically nostalgic for a past that never really existed.” When looked at through that lens, the main pursuit of the game, mainly money, is given a deeper meaning, especially with all the products Sims need to buy to function.
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From The Sim 2 on, making friendships is straightforward and often easy. However, that isn’t the case for The Sims 1, where friends are needed.
The Sims has always been defined by money, also known as Simoleons. The game's core functions are building, buying, and earning, either through a career or through the game’s best-known cheat code, Rosebud. The entire series has always focused on training Sims to improve themselves and build a career, which in turn is the pursuit of money.
Players would come to understand that money literally does equal happiness for their Sims.
The best items in the game, usually signified by higher ranks than other choices, always cost more money, making the connection that money will always buy happiness. When purchasing a TV that costs 10,000 and gives 9 Fun, it makes sense that players would come to understand that money literally does equal happiness for their Sims in the limited time they have before going to work.
The Sims is notoriously difficult, especially compared to later entries in the series, but making life difficult is entirely the point. While the goal of The Sims is whatever the player wants, most standard goals involve upgrading a home and the products inside, which relate directly to a Sim’s happiness. The criticism of consumerism and the need for game design are tied to buying products. As Wright explained, “You buy all these things. Fridges and TVs. And all these things promise to make you happy. But at some point, they all start breaking down.”
Source: NYTimes, Internet Archive
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