By Lucy James on Nov 19, 2017 10:30 pm
Back in 2000, California-based developer Maxis released a game entirely focused on the micromanagement of someone's life, letting players pull their strings to make them do chores, go to work, and make friends. The Sims filled a niche that no one knew existed, becoming both a video game and cultural phenomenon. With the release of The Sims 4 on Xbox One and PS4, as well as the new Pets expansion pack, we thought we'd relive the history of one of the biggest PC franchises of all time. This gallery starts at the very beginning, looking at the game that sparked the idea for The Sims, how creator Will Wright explored his burgeoning ideas further, and--eventually--the creation of The Sims. As with any long-running video game series, The Sims has had its ups and downs, as has Will Wright, developer Maxis, and publisher EA, and these highs and lows are also thoroughly covered. For those that would rather see a video, we have a 30-minute look back at The History of The Sims, which covers the same touch points and delves much deeper into the history.
Raid on Bungeling Bay (1984)
While not an actual 'Sims' title, it was while designing Raid On Bungeling Bay that Will Wright realised he was having more fun creating the worlds than actually blowing them up, which was the core of the game. He wondered what it would be like to breathe life into this world, instead of destroying it, and after the release of Bungeling Bay, he continued to tinker with the game's level editor. Wright would tweak variables and add elements like traffic, an ecosystem, and people, and watch as the simulated city grew and changed over time in response. He would read up on urban planning, and put the new theories he studied into practice by coding them straight into his simulator. This side project would eventually become SimCity.
SimCity (1989)
SimCity was a city-building simulation game, and at the time, a unique one. It could neither be won nor lost in the traditional sense; there were no cinematics, and it didn't build to a climactic, blockbuster ending. Game publishers were confused, asking Wright, "How are you going to make this a game?" After struggling to get SimCity published, Wright co-founded a company called Maxis with Jeff Braun, an entrepreneur looking to break into the video game industry. In 1989, Maxis published SimCity. It had a slow start, but the game's popularity began to grow and by 1992 it had sold a million copies. SimCity was lauded by critics and fans alike, and it won countless awards. It was even used in urban planning and political science classes.
Various Sim Titles (1990-)
Realising it had struck a chord with the public with 'hobby-style' games, Maxis continued to release "Sim" titles throughout the '90s, including SimEarth and SimAnt, as well as sequels to SimCity. But none of the games Maxis was releasing were hitting the critical or sales success of the first SimCity. After experimenting with different genres, including publishing 1995's 3D Pinball for Windows, and suffering a string of commercial failures, it was considering acquisition offers. It was only when the studio was acquired by EA in 1997 that Maxis gained a new lease on life.
The Sims (2000)
The Wright family lost their home to a fire in the early' 90s. As they began the process of replacing their belongings, Wright wondered why people bought things. In particular whether they thought buying things would fulfill their wants and needs enough to make them happy. He began work on a game where players would build virtual house and fill it with items, but realised he needed something, or someone, to 'score' how well the house had been furnished. Thus the Sim was born. He realised that these Sims could be more sophisticated than just house critics, that they could be actual people with their own lives to lead. Following EA's acquisition of Maxis, Wright was given the team he needed to put The Sims into full production. Released in February 2000, The Sims allowed you to create and control a family through their everyday lives. With their starting account balance of 20,000 Simoleons (§), Sims could purchase an empty lot, or a build and decorate their own home. In-keeping with the open-ended 'hobby-style' philosophies of Wright's previous games, once the Sims were moved in, players were then free to do as they please with them. Sims had eight basic Needs that required management and they could get jobs, form relationships with others, and even die.
The Sims Expansion Packs (2000-2003)
In order to capitalise on the massive success of The Sims and satisfy a player base that was crying out for more content, Maxis began to release themed expansion packs. These packs would periodically introduce a variety of new objects, architectural styles, and even new gameplay mechanics for a lower price than the full game. They allowed Maxis to experiment with new ideas at a relatively low cost, and kept interest in The Sims high. The first Sims game had seven expansion packs, including Hot Date, Unleashed, and Makin' Magic.
The Sims Online (2002)
In December 2002, The Sims Online, an MMO-inspired version of The Sims 1, was released for PC. For $9.99 a month, the game allowed players to create one Sim avatar and move them into a world populated by other players. But The Sims Online didn't stack up against the original game. There was no way to make custom content, a huge aspect of the original game, and a key feature in the game's biggest competitor: Second Life. Despite playing with thousands of other real people, players would be found frantically trying to build their skills than actually interact with each other. The game had a fully simulated economy, but it was totally destroyed by a bug that allowed players to duplicate their profit by interacting with a clothing rack. In early 2008, the game was relaunched as the free-to-play title EA Land, where players could spend real money to get in-game Simoleons. Custom content was finally added, but it wasn't enough. EA Land was closed down just four weeks after its launch.
The Sims (2003), Bustin' Out (2003), The Urbz: Sims In The City (2004)
In 2003, the #1 PC game in the world made its console debut on PS2, Xbox, and GameCube. The Sims had two gameplay modes, the mission based Get A Life, which had your Sim try and hustle enough to move out of their mum's house, and Play The Sims Mode, which was more like classic Sims Free Play. Bustin' Out, the next console release, was a very similar game, with a single-player story and a Free Play mode, but this time your Sim could get out of the house to visit other locations. The Urbz: Sims In The City offered some tweaks to the usual Sims formula. As well as building relationships and fulfilling Needs, your 'Urb' had to build 'rep' with other Urbs to gain fame and fortune, and advance to new districts in 'UrbzVille.' The Urbz was the first Sims game to feature a weather system, and its music was written and performed in Simlish by the Black Eyed Peas, who also appeared in the game.
The Sims 2 (2004)
Sims now had personality. They would form memories, and had distinct Wants and Fears, which would feed into an ultimate lifetime goal: Sims could now be family or career-oriented, and long for money or power. Sims would remember important life events, both positive and negative, and if they constantly met their goals, they'd live happier, longer lives. But the biggest change was the addition of genetics. In The Sims 1, there was no guarantee that a child would resemble either of its parents. In The Sims 2, after a successful 'WooHoo,' the female Sim could become pregnant, and the resulting baby would inherit not only appearance from its parents, but aspects of their personalities too. Sims passed through six life stages, with each offering unique age-related experiences. But it wasn't just the Sims that received some huge changes. Players could now view the world in full 3D thanks to the game's new engine. Days of the week were added, Build and Buy Mode received their share of gameplay tweaks and new objects, and Create-A-Sim was radically overhauled to improve Sim customisation.
The Sims 2 Expansion Packs And Stuff Packs (2005-2008)
Over four and a half years, eight expansion packs were released for The Sims 2, and while packs like Pets and Bon Voyage were very similar in style and content to Sims 1 expansions, most packs for The Sims 2 made huge changes to the game. Realising how hungry the audience was for new things, Maxis began to release themed Stuff Packs. These were cheaper than expansions, but included a load of new items. There were nine stuff packs for The Sims 2, including a tie in with clothing brand H&M, as well as everyone's favourite flatpack furniture store, IKEA.
The Sims 2 (Console, 2005), Sims Stories (2007-2008)
The enormous success of The Sims 2 on PC led to it being ported to many different platforms. The base game was ported to home consoles, and some expansions--such as Pets--were ported as standalone games to handhelds like the PSP and Game Boy Advance. Three games under the banner "Sims Stories" were released between 2007 and 2008, where you could play through the Story Mode of pre-made Sims, before creating and playing your own. The Stories games were tasters, specifically geared towards people whose PCs weren't high spec enough to run the main games.
Spore (2008), Will Wright Leaves Maxis (2009)
In 2008, Maxis released Spore, a simulation that would allow players to control life on an unbelievable scale: from the cellular, to the galactic. You could create a microscopic organism, and control their development and evolution through five stages, observing the emergence of their intelligence, social capabilities, and eventually their ascension into space. Spore was the last game Wright would work on at Maxis. He left in 2009 for a small startup called Stupid Fun Club, an "entertainment development studio" where ideas they came up with could be manifested in other media like video games. In 2011, he joined the board of directors on The Sims Online's old competitor, Second Life. While he hasn't been in the public eye with new projects in recent years, Wright's contribution to video games cannot be understated. In 2001, he won the lifetime achievement award at GDC, and in 2007 he became the first game designer to be awarded a BAFTA Fellowship. His ideas changed the way we think about video games and brought gaming to a whole to new audience.
The Sims 3 (2009)
Previously, when you wanted to send your Sim somewhere such as a community lot, you'd meet a loading screen between the two areas. In The Sims 3, all you had to do was zoom out from the Sim's home lot and you'd be on the neighbourhood map, without a loading screen in sight. If you sent your Sim to work, you could now follow their journey across the neighbourhood. To make The Sims 3 feel more like an actual 'living world,' there was an optional new feature called Story Progression, which meant that all Sims in the neighbourhood would continue on with their lives without your input. It meant that some Sims, even ones from families you'd created, could die, form new relationships, and even have children.
The Sims 3 Expansions And Stuff Packs (2009-2013)
EA shipped 11 expansion packs for The Sims 3. Most were inspired by previous packs, so you had the usuals: Pets, Seasons, a couple of holiday packs, and a chance for Sims to go to University. Some, like Showtime, added new ways to interact with your real life friends, with in-game messaging, and the ability to send your Star Sim on tour into your friend's game. Of all the expansions, Into The Future was the only really original take, offering a futuristic vibe and new items to make your Sims' lives easier. The Sims 3 also had nine Stuff Packs, including High-End Loft Stuff, Town Life Stuff, and Katy Perry's Sweet Treats.
MySims (2007), The Sims Social (2011), The Sims Freeplay (2011), The Sims Medieval (2011)
With The Sims train showing no sign of slowing down, more spinoffs were to be expected. These came in the form of the cutesy MySims series, which was aimed at younger players. It spawned five sequels of its own. In 2011, The Sims went back in time. The Sims Medieval was a weird mash up between The Sims and a regular kind of RPG. Sims only had two Needs you had to keep track of: Hunger and Energy, and they did''t pass through life stages. You also couldn't really build anything any more. You were given a bunch of pre-made castles and buildings, and you could decorate them. However, if you wanted to be a castle architect, then you were out of luck. Also in 2011, you could connect with your Facebook friends in The Sims Social. With 16 million players in its first week alone, it quickly became one of the most popular games on Facebook. But due to a bunch of bugs and a lack of new content, it quickly dropped in the ranks and was closed down just two years later. Mobile game The Sims Freeplay is still updated regularly, and differs from main Sims games in that it functions in real time. There's no speeding things up; one real-world minute is one in-game minute, and activities and interactions take time.
The Sims 4 (2014)
After 2013's lacklustre SimCity reboot, Maxis needed The Sims 4 to be a hit. Its biggest new feature was SmartSim, which meant express emotions based on events happening around them. Build and Buy Mode were condensed into one, and you could sculpt the look of your Sim to exactly how you wanted them. But despite these gameplay improvements, a lot was missing in The Sims 4. Toddlers--a whole life stage--were noticeably absent when the game launched. Swimming pools, a mainstay of The Sims since the first game, were also unavailable. The huge, seamless worlds introduced in The Sims 3 were also no more. Create A Style was gone, there were no basements, grocery stores, or school/work locations on the neighbourhood map.
The Sims 4 Expansion, Stuff, And Game Packs (2015-Present)
The Sims 4 has only had four expansion packs since its release, with the recent Cats and Dogs being the latest. Instead of expansions, there's been five Game Packs: smaller than an expansion but bigger than a Stuff Pack, these have introduced new gameplay mechanics like parenting skills, and also vampires. A lot of the missing, fan requested features, such as toddlers and pools, were eventually patched in. The game has 12 Stuff Packs, with the development of the next one, Laundry Day Stuff, being guided by Community votes. A console version of the game was also released, and a mobile version is in development for next year.
By Dan Auty on Nov 19, 2017 08:30 pm
While the Justice League in the latest DC movie features just a handful of heroes, the history of the team in the comic books is a lot more complicated. First created in 1960, over the decades it has seen over 150 members in a wide variety of divisions, offshoots, alternate versions, and reimaginings. From Justice Leagues America, Europe, and International to Justice League Dark and Justice League Elite, through the various timelines and reboots of Flashpoint, New 52, and Rebirth, it all gets a bit complicated. Here's the first part of our run-down of all the heroes who have been part of this legendary team over nearly 60 years of justice.
Adam Strange
A regular in the DC universe since the late '50s, Strange joined Justice League United as part of New 52 in 2014. He has bionic eyes, a jetpack, and an energy gun.
Agent Liberty
AKA: Benjamin Lockwood Former CIA agent turned masked crimefighter, Agent Liberty briefly joined the Justice League to fight Brainiac in 1991.
Amazing Man
AKA: Will Everett, III The second hero to be called Amazing Man, this version joined the Justice League at Wonder Woman's request in 1994. His body can duplicate the properties of any inorganic material he touches, from stone to glass.
Amazing Man
AKA: Markus Clay The third Amazing Man is the cousin of Will Everett, and possesses similar powers. After helping the survivors if Hurricane Katrina, he was asked to join the League.
Ambush Bug
AKA: Irwin Schwab One of the most hilariously useless heroes ever to join the League, this bungling, teleporting hero was a member of the short-lived New 52 JLA.
Amethyst
AKA: Amaya In the New 52 reboot of this '80s character, Amethyst is a princess called Amaya, with powerful mystical abilities. She was the part of the more supernaturally-themed Justice League Dark.
Andrew Bennett
A shapeshifting vampire who is able to control his lust for blood, his debt to John Constantine led him to join the Justice League Dark.
Animal Man
AKA: Buddy Baker As his name suggests, Baker can take on the power of any animal. He was first created in 1965, but was a member of Justice League Europe in the 1980s.
Antaeus
AKA: Mark Antaeus The second hero to carry the name Antaeus, this version was a powerful, genetically modified hero who fought with the Justice League in the late '90s.
The Atom
AKA:Ray Palmer Palmer was an early member of the JLA, joining the classic line-up in 1962 to fight alongside the like of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and The Flash. He has the ability to shrink to incredible sizes while retaining his full mass and strength.
The Atom
AKA: Rhonda Pineda The Atom of the New 52 timeline turned out to be a spy from the Universe of Earth-3, who infiltrated the Justice League.
The Atom
AKA: Ryan Choi Choi was yet another incarnation of The Atom. He was recruited to the Justice League by Batman and Lobo as part of the Rebirth continuity.
August General in Iron
AKA: Fang Zhifu A highly decorated iron-skinned super-hero from China, August General was part of Justice League International in 2011.
Aquagirl
AKA: Mareena Curry Aquaman's daughter was part of both TV's Justice League Unlimited, and the Justice League of DC's 2014 event Future's End.
Aquaman
AKA: Orin / Arthur Curry Aquaman was a founding member of the Justice League, and returned to the team as part of the New 52 line-up.
Aztek
AKA: Uno Subtitled "The Ultimate Man," Aztek is a champion of the Aztek god Quetzalcoatl. He fought alongside the League in the late '90s, but sacrificed himself to allow Superman to save the world.
Batman
AKA: Bruce Wayne Alongside Superman and Wonder Woman, the most famous member of the Justice League. Batman was there at the start, and appeared in the New 52 and Rebirth versions.
Batwing
AKA: David Zavimbe Part of Batman Incorporated, Bruce Wayne's attempt to create a Dark Knight franchise across the world. Batwing was based in Africa, and fought with Justice League International.
Big Barda
AKA: Barda Free A powerful New God, Barda first appeared in 1971 and is also known as the wife of Mister Miracle (aka Scott Free, Darkseid's son). She fought in the League alongside her husband.
Big Sir
AKA: Dufus P. Ratchett What he lacks in brains, Big Sur makes up for in strength. He was part of Justice League Antarctica, a team of inept reformed criminals put together by Max Lord with the intention of keeping them well away from civilisation.
Black Canary
AKA: Dinah Laurel Lance A vigilante with incredible martial arts skills and a sonic scream, Black Canary was a vital part of the JLA through the 1980s and became their leader when the team later reformed.
Black Condor
AKA: Ryan Kendall The second character to carry the name Black Condor, Kendall is a Native American hero with telekinetic powers. He is by nature a loner, but spent a brief time in the Justice League.
Black Lightning
AKA: Jefferson Pierce Black Lightning was one of DC's first African American superheroes. The lightning bolt-firing hero initially turned down membership in the Justice League, before becoming a member many years later in 2007.
Black Orchid
AKA: Alba Garcia The New 52 version of the classic character, Alba Garcia is a member of Justice League Dark. She has super strength and the power of flight, plus shapeshifting abilities.
Bloodwynd
An ambiguous and powerful necromancer, Bloodwynd initially joined the League while under the mind-control of Martian Mindhunter, who himself was being controlled by the demon Rot. However, he remained in the team once freed from Rott's control.
Blue Beetle
AKA: Ted Kord The first of two Blue Beetles to have been part of the League. The wise-cracking Ted Kord was part of Justice League International in the 1980s and partnered with Booster Gold. He was killed in 2005 by former JLA bankroller Max Lord.
Blue Beetle
AKA: Jaime Reyes Reyes became the Blue Beetle after Kord's death, and featured in the limited series 'Generation Lost' in 2010 as part of Justice League International.
Blue Devil
AKA: Daniel Cassidy Former stuntman Daniel Cassidy was permanently bonded to a suit that was designed for a horror movie he was working on, and his subsequent attempts to remove it left him cursed with demonic powers. Accepting his fate, he put his abilities to good use in the JLA during the 1980s.
Blue Jay
AKA: Jay Abrams Blue Jay was introduced in 1971 as part of the Champions of Angor, a superhero team initially written as an Avengers spoof. Blue Jay could fly and shrink at will and later joined Justice League Europe.
Booster Gold
AKA: Michael Carter This egotistical, time-travelling hero comes from the 25th century and was part of Justice League International. Best buddies with Blue Beetle.
Bulleteer
AKA: Alix Harrower Bulleteer was based on the classic character Bulletgirl. She wears silver alloy on her body, which makes her skin indestructible, and was briefly part of an interim Justice League put together by Firestorm, post-Infinite Crisis.
Captain Atom
AKA: Nathaniel Adam With alien powers gained through an experimental army weapons test, Captain Atom joined the League in the mid '80s and eventually became leader of Justice League Europe.
Captain Cold
AKA: Leonard Snart Technically a villain and long-term adversary of The Flash, Captain Cold served briefly in the League as part of the New 52 reboot in 2011.
Captain Marvel
AKA: Billy Batson Known as the world's mightiest mortal and now better known as Shazam, Billy Batson joined Justice League International when it formed in the late '80s.
Catwoman
AKA: Selina Kyle Gotham's greatest thief was part of the New 52 version of Justice League America, which was put together by Steve Trevor.
Clock King
AKA: William Tockman Another member of the inept Justice League Antarctica, Clock King possesses no super powers. In fact, his sole "ability" is a keen sense of punctuality.
Cluemaster
AKA: Arthur Brown Cluemaster is a failed game show host turned villain who, like Clock King, was packed off to Antarctica by Max Lord.
Coldcast
AKA: Nathan Jones The electromagnetism-controlling Coldcast was a member of Justice League Elite. This was a shadowy black ops team organised by Sister Superior, who dealt with the jobs that the normal Justice League would not.
Congorilla
AKA: William "Congo Bill" Glenmorgan Once a human who could transform into a gorilla, Congo Bill ultimately became trapped in the body of the beast. He joined a new Justice League group put together by the Green Lantern in the Cry For Justice comics.
Crimson Fox
AKA: Vivian and Constance d'Aramis Crimson Fox is the alias of twins Vivian and Constance d'Aramis, who share their superhero duties. They have the ability to use pheromones to affect the behavior of men, and were part of Justice League Europe.
Cyborg
AKA: Victor Stone Originally a member of the Teen Titans, Cyborg became a founding member of Justice League in the New 52 reboot of the team in 2011.
Deadman
AKA: Boston Brand A former trapeze artist who now walks the Earth as a ghost, Deadman uses his powers of possession in Justice League Dark.
Doctor Fate
AKA: Kent Nelson One of two Doctor Fates to feature in Justice League International in the 1980s. Kent Nelson is a powerful sorcerer whose powers are provided by the ancient god Nabu.
Doctor Fate
AKA: Linda Strauss After Kent died from old age, his powers passed to a woman called Linda Strauss, who took on the identity of Doctor Fate.
Doctor Light
AKA: Kimiyo Hoshi A member of both Justice League International and Justice League Europe in the 1980s, Doctor Light has power over all light sources.
Doctor Light
AKA: Arthur Light While the other Doctor Light was originally a villain, in both New 52 and Rebirth timeline Arthur Light was rebooted as a hero and member of the Justice League.
Doctor Mist
AKA: Nommo Balewa The immortal spellmaster Doctor Mist was originally recruited to be a member of Justice League Dark, but was ultimately exposed as a double agent working for the evil Felix Faust.
Donna Troy
A long–running superhero with an incredibly complicated past and a variety of powers, back stories, and aliases. She featured in the 2010 version of the League, which included Batman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, and Dr Light.
Element Woman
AKA: Emily Sung As her name suggests, Element Woman can transform into a variety of compounds. She was part of the New 52 Justice League.
Elongated Man
AKA: Ralph Dibny The super-stretchy Elongated Man joined the Justice League in the 1970s. He was killed off, but resurfaced in New 52 as a villain.
By Tony Wilson on Nov 19, 2017 02:30 am
You can probably guess exactly what Anime NYC is all about just from the name, but it is more than just anime--you can also spot plenty of manga and video game cosplayers on the show floor. These are the best we saw, from One Piece to One Punch Man. If you're a Dragon Ball Z fan, there are a few shots here just for you. And if you're eagerly awaiting Dragon Ball FighterZ in January, you can check out our gallery of all the confirmed characters so far.
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