Virtual Life Simulator
From LoveToKnow Online
Fans of virtual life simulators love The Sims. Launched by the creators of SimCity in 2000, the game has over seven expansions, a sequel and a second sequel expected to launch in June, 2009. Players can program their Sims to get jobs, clean their houses, buy pets, interact with love interests and even have children.
The Sims: Virtual Life Simulator
Considered one of the best-selling games of all time, the Sims virtual life simulator won the Game of the Year Award from Gamespot in 2000 and is considered one of the more addictive games that people can play. Players create their Sims, buy a house, get a job and work on keeping their Sims entertained, happy and clean while also paying their bills. Managing the Sims can take a lot of man hours in the game, particularly to achieve goals.
The interface is relatively self-explanatory. Characters can interact with televisions to watch them, get in beds to sleep in them, cook food in the kitchen (but not if they don’t have a stove or a microwave) and they can even have disasters. Toilets can overflow, stoves can catch on fire and the flowers can wilt if not tended.
Nothing is assumed in this virtual life simulator. While characters can hire a maid service and a gardener, they still have to work in order to pay their bills. A character that goes to work day in and day out and never gets to play can become downright depressed and refuse to go to work. The challenging part of this game is to keep the character happy while balancing their needs and wants, much like real life.
Masters of Virtual Life
While many other games attempt to create a similar virtual reality, The Sims is the undisputed master of the genre. However, other titles remain popular. For example, Webkinz allows adults and children alike to manage the virtual lives of their pets in the Webkinz world. They play games to make Kinz cash, they cook food, they take them out to play and they celebrate birthdays. If a pet is ignored for too long or not allowed to have fun, it can get sad as well.
Goals of Virtual Life Games
The goal of a virtual life game is primarily entertainment, yet it’s also about exerting control over the environment. For young people, managing Sims as they go to work every day, clean up after themselves and achieve their goals is an experience in how to apply themselves to their own real life goals and pressures. The virtual lives can become addictive because attachment forms between the created characters and the projected control the players have.
A Word of Caution
During particularly unstable emotional or economic times, simulated life games see a boom because they allow individuals a chance to exert control they would not normally have. In moderation, virtual life games are very healthy and can even offer insights, growth potential and education. Just remember to go to your own job, get your own homework done and clean up your own environment, because like your Sims, you need a healthy balance in your life, too.
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