THE SIMS 

Life in a video game.

150 million people around the world have a version of The Sims video game. Will it be top of your Christmas list this year? 

*The father of the SIMS...is a man called Will Wright. In 1989, he created a game called SimCity. In the game, players could buid and control an entire city. Two years later, he had another idea. This time, his game was about people. This "simulation" of life was called The Sims.  

*A SIMple idea

Will Wright's inspiration for the Sims came when a fire destroyed his home in 1991. He had to start his life again with no possessions. "What do you buy first?" Will says. "You get a toothbrush and underwear, then a place to stay, later a new car...

In Wright's new game, The Sims, it was possible for players to make their own houses and fill them with cool possessions like televisions and swimming pools. Wright called it his digital "dollhouse".

*What is the SIMS' secret? 

When The Sims first came out in 2000, it sold then million copies in its first week! Today it is sold in 60 countries and in 22 languages. 

The Sims' secret ingredient is that it is based on reality. Players control their Sims and make them do all the things that we do: eat, drink, go to the toilet, sleep, get jobs and have families. 

*Making the SIMS game

 To make the game, developers take videos of actors and animate them in a computer. So everything you see in the game comes from human! Developers also use artificial intelligence to make the Sims unpredictable...so Sims can make independent decisions. Players also see that when their Sims make more friends, they are happier. But like in real life, there are disputes too! 

*Personalize your SIM

There are six different age groups for Sims, including baby, teenager and adult. Players can choose their Sim's hairstyle, colour and clothes...and the results can be very funny!