When it comes to sandbox games, the EA-distributed Sims franchise has been a long-running favorite. Devoid of any central missions, the game allows players to simulate reality in a virtual open world. From creating people to housing them and handling their lives, The Sims games have allowed fans to explore a digital realm that seems to satirize real life itself.
Whether it be the new-age jazz music or the multiple expansion packs, there is something or the other that has kept The Sims running with a cult fanbase. But only the biggest of the fans know the specific details about the gameplay and the franchise’s amusing history.
The Franchise Started With SimCity
While Sims took off from The Sims’ release in 2000, the franchise’s roots can actually be traced to the 1989 under-the-radar simulation game, SimCity. In some markets, the game was also released under the titles of Micropolis and SimCity Classic. The general gameplay involved managing urban structures in a sandbox that would be developed in the further games.
It was independently developed by franchise creator Will Wright way back in 1985. As Wright explained the game’s motives in a 2014 interview with a blog called Reform shared on Medium, “Players right off the bat were forced to sit down and in fact pick their goals…They had to, first of all, decide what their values were, what kind of city they would like to live in.”
A Sims Live-Action Movie Was Planned But Later Canceled
Given the franchise's global popularity, it is not surprising to find that there was a Sims movie in development. The earliest announcement for such a project came about in 2007. Publications like Variety and IGN reported that Scary Movie 3's screenwriter, Brian Lynch, would be attached to the project, along with Fox Studios producer, John Davies.
Since then, not much was heard about the Sims movie. And then, in 2019, much to the dismay of fans, the project was permanently shelved along with several other Fox video game movies, like Mega Man, and Magic: The Gathering. The reason behind this was Disney's acquisition of the studio that lead to the cancellation of over 300 movies, as reported by CBR.
It Is One Of The Best-Selling Video Game Series Of All Time
With four main installments and five spin-offs along with a host of other handheld and console options, The Sims franchise has sold over 200 million copies all over the world.
According to a study by the LEGO video game franchise while superseding Final Fantasy, which currently stands at 164 million copies.
A Toilet Was The First Item To Be Implemented
Among one of the franchise's weirdest aspects was its origins in toilet humor, as mentioned in Eurogamer. Apparently, to pitch the game to Maxis, Will Wright introduced just a toilet seat to the first Sims prototype in 1993. True to the nature of the game, characters could utilize the seat for several purposes, including using it, cleaning it, or just lifting the seat for no reason.
According to Wright, it was a difficult pitch for him that required persistence, even if it meant that The Sims was originally known as the "toilet game" among studio executives.
The Games Spawned A Reality Show
The Sims could never spawn a movie adaptation but it managed to inspire a reality television series called The Sims Spark'd. The four-episode debut season premiered on TBS in 2020. The franchise's original distributor, EA Games, developed the show, along with BuzzFeed and Turner Sports.
The participants included popular gaming personalities who were tasked with creating simulations in The Sims 4. American Idol contestant, Rayvon Owen, appeared on the show as the host, while the judging included singer Tayla Parx, EA developer Dave Miotke, and YouTuber Kelsey Impicciche.
Multiple Guinness World Records Have Been Awarded To The Sims
Owing to its large sales on multiple platforms, The Sims has also found its place on the Guinness Book of World Records.
The annual gamer's edition of 2017 mentioned that the franchise had the most expansion packs for a videogame series. Additionally, the series was also mentioned in the book as the Best Selling PC Game Series, with the PC sales amounting to 36-50 million units.
The Idea Came Out Of The Creator's Need To Rebuild His Home
The Sims is one of those video games that were inspired by unusual things, and it was a natural disaster in this case. Back in 1991, a fire in Oakland Hills burnt down Will Wright's San Francisco home. As he sought to rebuild his residence from scratch, he got the idea of making a game with a similar idea. Players would have the option of building and furnishing their own homes and doing much more.
The development would still take several years, but the fire still turned out to be an unexpected blessing given the future success that Wright enjoyed.
Released A Sims Postage Stamp
The cultural impact of the franchise is such that even released an exclusive stamp based on the game in 2005. Released by the French postal service La Poste, Animation World Network reported that there were only three million copies of the limited edition stamp.
The Sims was one of 10 video game series chosen by La Poste as a part of their "Heroes of Video Games" collection. The artwork featured two characters fighting over the green crystal known as The Plumbob.
Composer Jerry Martin Has Actively Worked In Advertising
One of the most influential elements of The Sims has been Jerry Martin's jazzy, feel-good video game soundtrack. With an ambient sonic style comparable to muzak, Martin's score appears in 23 games throughout the franchise, including spin-offs like SimCasino, SimCopter, SimSafari, SimGolf, and many other titles.
Other than The Sims, Martin is a prolific composer of several pieces of advertising music. From Honda to NBA, Wells Fargo to Apple, the musician has been associated with a diverse set of brand campaigns.
Simlish Is Derived From Real-Life Languages
Simlish is a recurring feature of every Sims game. The fictional language is spoken among not only Sims characters, but also dedicated fans. Even though it sounds like gibberish on the surface, it is actually derived from several other languages. As The Verge mentioned in its detailed history of Similish, it consists of traces of Ukrainian and Navajo.
The Sims is a game with endless possibilities. So, Will Wright felt it would be repetitive and redundant to just resort to English. Improv actor Stephen Kearin was hired for this purpose, as he read languages that he didn't understand and added a bit of improvised gibberish. The rest is history.