Pictured Above: The Sims players are able to simulate real life with created families.
Sophie Ojdanic | The Crow’s Nest
By Aya Diab
If you could be anyone in the world, who would you be? Since 2000, The Sims has answered this enduring question for millions of players.
For over two decades, players are given the opportunity to build a character, design a house, make relationships, have families – or… burn it all down.
This unique blend of life simulation and open-ended freedom allows users to experience things that they may not have experienced in real life such as a stable job, owning a house or having a family.
There are very few games that hang around for almost 20 years despite a rapidly changing video game landscape. Through the video game series and its expansions, the franchise has sold nearly 200 million copies worldwide.
The latest version of the game, The Sims 4, has 10 expansion packs that give users the ability to enjoy new worlds and experience different features.
Psychoanalysts argue that The Sims can serve as a healthy escape from everyday life, making it a better way of coping than using alcohol or drugs. Especially in today’s world, where staying at home for longer hours is the new norm, gamers are turning to life simulation games to kill time and escape the chaos of the reality.
Crafting your own flawless reality and playing with life can feel rewarding for some students.
Annabelle Kozlowski, a freshman political science and environmental science major, explained her reason for playing The Sims as “the enjoyment of being God. Everyone wants to play God.”
Another student plays the game to build houses, create people and make relationships, but doesn’t care for the storyline or the game’s objectives.
Cassidy Delbango, a sophomore marine biology major, likes to play The Sims because it’s an open-ended game where you can’t win or lose.
“It’s a nice relaxing game that isn’t timed and doesn’t have scores or winners and losers,” Delbango said. “It’s nice to just sit back and build or create unique sims.
“I’ve been playing Sims since I was in elementary school with the beginning of Sims 2 generation. I loved watching it grow into the huge fanbase it has today.”
For other students, The Sims can be a way to relieve stress and escape reality.
Alexendra Davis, a senior mass communications major, described the game as a “break away from what I thought was a stressful life experience.”
Gamers play The Sims for many different reasons, but they all have one thing in common, and that is the enjoyment of playing with life.
I suppose it would be ok if you don’t let it consume your entire life.