The Sims is a popular life simulation video game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. Players can create virtual characters called Sims and control their daily lives, including aspects like appearance, job, and home. Since its release in 2000, The Sims has sold over 100 million copies, making it the best-selling PC franchise ever. Several expansion packs and compilation editions have been released to enhance gameplay and keep up with technology.

1. By Abi Maskall and Jazz Elliot

2. Sims is a life simulation game made for PC’s, described by founder Will Wright as “a digital doll house”. Sims allows for players to create and control Sims and every aspect of their lives; from the way they look to the place they work. As of March 18 th 2008, the Sims is the best-selling PC franchise in history. The Sims has one various awards such as “Game of the year” award in 2000 . What is Sims?

3. Sims was developed by Maxis . Maxis, founded by Will Wright , is an American company founded as an independent video developer in 1987 and was published by EA games (Electronic Arts). The game was released for Microsoft Windows in February 2000. Production

4. Marketing

5. Sims is a very popular franchise and so to keep up with modern technology and graphics, Maxis developed a number of new and “better” versions of the game, now leading up to Sims 3. Because of this it is difficult to find the original Sims in stores which was one of the places it was originally distributed, however you can still purchase the game online. The game is also available on download which enables consumers to download the game straight onto their computer which is cheaper as it cuts out packaging costs. Distribution

6. The Sims is one of the most heavily expanded computer game franchises ever. In total seven expansion packs were released for the Sims: The Sims Livin’ Large- released on 31 August 2000 Sims House party-released on April 7 th 2001 Sims hot date- released on 12 November 2001 Sims Vacation- released on 28 March 2002 Sims unleashed- Released on 7 November 2002 Sims Superstar-Released on 13 May 2003 Sims Makin’ Magic-Released on 29 October 2003 Expansion packs

7. The Sims has been repackaged in numerous editions. These are not expansions in themselves, but compilations of the basic game plus pre-existing expansion packs and additional game content. These edition includes: The Sims Collectors addition The Sims Party Pack The Sims Triple Party Pack The Sims Deluxe Addition The Sims Double Deluxe The Sims Triple Deluxe The Sims Mega Deluxe The Sims Complete Collection The Sims Full House Core game with expansions

8. The Sims was first released 31 st January 2000. As of February 2005, The Sims franchise had shipped more than 52 million copies globally. By 16 th April 2008, over 100 million copies had been sold and by March 19 th 2008 it has been considered the best-selling PC franchise in history. Distribution

9. PS2, PS3, Xbox and PC. The Sims Online was a multiplayer online game which followed the same structure as the usual Sims games. It was published by EA games in December 2002 for Microsoft Windows however it was then re-branded as EA-Land in 2007. By august 2008, EA Games announced it would shut down entirely. Consumption

10. EA Games advertised their Sims Games by using things like billboard advertisements,. The focus of the marketing was to target an online group. By using Sims characters to advertise through different websites and react according to what the website was (for example on Google, having a Sim’s character searching for something or acting like a sports fanatic on ESPN.com). These were all ways in which EA Games advertised for The Sims. Advertising

11. By using social websites such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr EA Games was able to make their own fan pages for fans to join up to. Also Youtube let game players view the game to get an idea of what it is about. For the digital advertising, the game was promoted through an iPhone App as a sample which can then be purchased for either an iPhone or iTouch. As more of The Sims series was released, advertising on the TV and in print emphasised the new features of the game. For example, the minute details that can be made when creating your Sim like the shape of its chin or height and weight. The tag line for the adverts was ‘Let There Be Sims’. The Sims Trailer: http://www. youtube .com/watch?v=H6UHmDPZ3eQ The Sims 3 Trailer: http://www. youtube .com/user/ TheSims ?blend=2&ob=1 Social networks