Maxis’
games ‘The Sims’ and ‘”The Sims2”’(used
to produce SimBee and Sim Jose are one of the best-selling gaming
franchises of all time, appealing broadly to women as well as
men. Players customize a family of virtual human beings, find
them jobs, keep house, and go about the mundane tasks of everyday
life. Sims must be fed, bathed, taken to the toilet, and kept
comfortable and happy. It’s an odd and compelling combination
of dollhouse and pet-care.
The Sims Online (used for the SimGallery Project) has brought
the Sims into the communal environment of online gaming. Players
still build homes and care for Sims, but can now combine efforts
with other real people through their Sim avatars.
The Sims and Sims Online have proven to be a rich ground for innovation
and invention, and have spawned a huge fan culture. Players circumvent
the conventions of the game to create their own realities. The
accessible domestic metaphor and mix-and-matchable elements (costumes,
props, furniture) provide fuel for endless recombination. The
online game already has a burgeoning arts community doing performances
of Shakespeare and inventing visual art forms unique to the TSO
world.
For more information visit the official SIMs
site>>