The Sims (series)

The Sims is a video game series developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. The franchise began with The Sims, which was released in February 2000. The Sims is a spin-off of the older SimCity game franchise, which were both created by Maxis co-founder Will Wright.

The games in the series generally lack defined goals, unlike most other video games. The focus of the games is on the simulated lives of virtual people called "Sims". The player is responsible for directing their actions, attending to their needs, and helping them attain their desires. Players can play with pre-existing Sims and families, or create their own. They can place their Sims in pre-constructed homes or build their houses using the in-game building tools, then furnish the homes with objects from an in-game catalog. Numerous add-ons and expansion packs greatly expand the number of features, tools, and objects available to play with.

The success of The Sims ultimately led to the creation of three sequels (the third sequel, The Sims 4, is set to release later in 2014), over two dozen expansion packs, numerous console and non-PC platform games, and several other spin-off titles within the series. As of September 2013, there have been more than 175 million copies sold of games within the franchise. The series is the most successful PC gaming franchise ever.

Main series

 * The Sims
 * The Sims 2
 * The Sims 3
 * The Sims 4

Spinoffs/Other games

 * The Sims Online
 * The Sims Stories
 * The Sims console games (The Sims - The Sims 3)
 * The Urbz: Sims in the City
 * MySims
 * The Sims Medieval
 * The Sims Social
 * The Sims FreePlay

Reception
The Sims series has received critical acclaim. The Sims series also holds 5 world records in the Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008. These records include "World's Biggest-Selling Simulation Series", and "Best Selling PC Game of All Time" for The Sims, which sold 16 million units, 100 times EA's original projection of 160,000 units.