Last night I went to the launch of Sims 3, the third installment of the Sims franchise brought out by EA. EA launched Sims in 2000 and since then has become the best-selling PC game in history with more than 100 million copies of the original game, its sequel Sims 2, and expansion packs shipped so far.
And I got to thinking, why has it been so successful? I think there are a myriad of reasons – it’s easy to play, family friendly and can offer hours of entertainment. But one of the key things they have got right, is the game hooks into the female market, something most games don’t do and haven’t done for as long as the Sims. Sure, there are women out there who love their gaming, but this past time is dominated by males aged between 19 and 39 to this day and the arrival of the Wii has been the scale tipper in the female and family direction. This current rendition of the Sims looks certain to be just as popular as its predecessor with more add ons and interaction for gamers. Right now, the game is only available for the Mac, PC and mobile platforms – it looks awesome, and not just for the girls!