SIMS Computer Game for Children

The Sims games are series of life simulation titles from EA Games.

The Sims series is a life simulation computer game created by Maxis and EA Games. The original chapter of the game hit shelves in 2000. Since then EA released two sequels, a hefty collection of expansions and ports to various consoles. The Sims 3 was released in June 2009.

Premise

The Sims games are open-ended with no ultimate goal. Instead, the user can freely create a community of families and pursue whichever goals he finds most appealing. For example, he may decide to focus on advancing his characters' (called "sims") careers, or build as many relationships as possible over the course of a single sim's life. Each sim has needs, such as hunger and hygiene, as well as daily and lifetime wants that the gamer can opt to fulfill or ignore. Fulfilling these wants will increase sims' moods and make successes in other areas easier to achieve, although there is no direct bonus or reward for meeting sims' wants. The Sims games are truly open sandboxes in which gamers can play as they wish.

Getting Started

The Sims 3 comes with two pre-made neighborhoods complete with several families, a downtown, community and business locations, and unoccupied residential lots. The user can choose to play one of the pre-set sims families or build her own in Create-A-Sim. Create-A-Sim allows players to create individuals or families, selecting physical features, wardrobe, age, personality and familial connections. From there the player can move her sims into an unoccupied pre-made house or build a new abode from scratch in an empty residential lot. She will want to furnish her sims' new home with items from the "Buy" mode menu, ranging from plumbing to appliances to cacti.

Life Cycles in Sims

Sims can be created by the player, be conceived through pregnancy or be adopted. The player can make a sim of any life phase except for newborns in Create-A-Sim, although all underage sims must be housed with an adult. A sim with a normal lifespan lasts about 90 days barring accidents and sickness, although the user can adjust lifespans to run as short as 25 in-game days or as long as 960 days. Life phases in The Sims 3 are, in order, newborn, toddler, child, teen, young adult, adult and elder.

Careers in Sims

While players can have their sims pursue fun activities, such as painting and movie-going, the sims will also need to earn an income to live off of. Players can have their sims pursue careers in a number of professional fields, including athletics and music. In The Sims 3, sims also have the option of working part-time, a new feature in the series.

Expansions And Add-Ons

The Sims series has numerous expansions for all three of its core games. At present, Sims 3 players can take their sims on global adventure vacations in The Sims 3: World Adventures expansion. The Sims 3: Ambitions will be available for purchase in June 2010, and the most avid players of The Sims 3 can purchase item booster packs like High-End Loft Stuff. Create-A-World is a new, freely downloadable utility that allows users to fabricate new neighborhoods for The Sims 3 from the ground up.

References

• Wikia: The Sims 3

Resources

• EA Games: The Sims 3 Community