The Sims Memes Facebook page has around 122,000 followers. It features images of jargon and inside jokes that are near and dear to the hearts of the game’s fans, spanning different generations.
Some memes poke fun at the game’s highly engrossing nature, where many players lose track of time in front of the computer. Others show the evolution of characters through the years.
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Many enjoy playing in their versions of reality through the different characters they create. Executive producer and general manager Lyndsay Pearson says that aspect helped the game remain relevant after over two decades.
“The Sims has always been a game where players can play with life,” Pearson told The Washington Post. “While the settings and themes evolve, at the core, this need is still there. The need to explore, experiment, build a life and create — those activities resonate regardless of generation.”
The Sims incorporated diversity and inclusivity even before these two ideologies became mainstream. The earliest versions of the game featured same-sex relationships, and its 2016 expansion of The Sims 4 included gender-neutral characters.
As Pearson admits, The Sims likely wouldn’t have the same longevity if developers Electronic Arts and Maxis had not prioritized broadening perspectives.
“That means we need voices from women, people who grew up all over the world, and voices of underrepresented groups,” she said.
But the introduction of same-sex relationships in the game wasn’t by design. This happened due to a mistake in the old design documents for its 1999 demo. But the developers decided to keep it, which worked well in the long run.
“In hindsight, I probably should have questioned the design,” programmer Patrick J. Barrett III told The New Yorker in a 2014 interview. “But the design felt right, so I just implemented it.”
