The Sims 4
From GameLabWiki
The Sims is a video game series established by Maxis in 2000. It’s name is a metaphor of Simulation and depicts the main focus of it’s game type as a life simulation. Players choose avatars as family members with whom they interact in a self built home habitat. The family members can be modified in various ways.
About the Game
Research-relevant topics of the Game
Core Game mechanics
Create a household mode
An avatar is called Sim. Sims can be picked as male or female human beings that are drawn together as a family. Their degree of relationship can be chosen depending on their age: housemate, spouse, parent or grandparent, child or grandchild. Their age is varied from toddler, kid, teenager, young adult, adult and to an elderly person. Babies appear after their birth during the game and cannot be chosen during the create a household mode clothing and hair styles can be chosen as well as skin, hair and eye color, chest size, the amout of muscles, body fat and body hair. Every Sim first and a last name, players are completely free to type. a The Sims age after certain days which can be varied.
Life mode
This mode allows the Sims to interact with their surroundings. Time passes by in three modes which can be differed into their rapidity. Players have to lead the avatar's reaction and decisions for example going grocery shopping, doing sports, cooking or cleaning the house. During this time Sims need to interact with other human-like avatars to cultivate friendships and relationships. There are plenty of ways how a Sim can shape his or her love life. A permanent relationship is too much for your Sim? Multiple affairs with co-existing Sims with diverse sexes is not only possible but can also be a life-time wish (being a heartbreaker). The video game offers a rich network of decisions while interacting with people and objects like sitting on a sofa or having a skinny-dip in a whirlpool. The purpose of the Sims is not only to have fun in an alternative life-like world. Rent and price tags, school and work structure their 'lifes'. To earn money (so called Simoleons) a Sim has to apply for a job. The Sims can climb the job ladder for instance from rabid fan to sports legend.
Shopping mode
This mode provides the player with items to create a manifold household. Furniture for every room can be bought with in-game currency called Simoleons such as beds, couches and dining sets. Bookshelfs, desks, cooking isles and many more. Accessories for any kind of esthetic needs can be found in subcategories which are shown as pictures for universal understanding. Vehicles such as cheap and expensive cars or bicycles are provided for the avatars. Depending on installed extention pack it is possible to buy items for pets like cats, dogs and horses.
Build mode
This mode shows vary items for building a new home. Transferring lawn, placing walls and pavement, building pools, fountains and ponds. Painting walls, planting trees, bushes, flowers and weeds. Placing fences, garden gates, pillars, doors, windows, chimneys. There are already-built rooms which can be chosen and placed onto the Lahn of the active household. Depending on installed extention packs it is possible to create a house on a boat platform.
Further Content of the Game
The color of their skin, eyes and hair can be changed to guarantee a certain individuality of each Sim. In addition, the pitch of their voice can be regulated. Traits such as family-oriented, schmoozer or daredevil awards the Sims with a human touch and regulate their wishes which are ought to be fulfilled to gain lifelong happiness. The Sims is a prime example for non-narrative entertainment due to its lack of narration. That’s why its game designers did not put a focus on sensory experience. Instead they offer avatars who have human needs. Therefore, Maslow’s pyramid of needs served as a model. The Sims have for instance a desire of eating, urinating and sleeping. The more freedom of constructing houses like huts, cottages, mansions, riding stables, pools, gyms, bars and flats, the merrier is the perceived realism of the game. The more possible interactions with objects and other avatars the more ‘realistic’ gets the life-simulation. Thanks to the graphics of recent video games it is possible to simulate ‘real-time physics phenomena’. The avatars of The Sims can interact with their surroundings. They paint or spray drawings on linen cloths or brick walls, put their dirty, smelly dishes in the dishwasher and build snowmen in winter season. These and many more aspects increase a keen ‘realistic’ turn. [1]
Related Research Approaches
Simulation in Games
The Sims is a life-simulation-game.
Gender Performance
Creating male and female avatars relates to doing gender. Following the Research Approach of Judith Butler's.
Credits/ Links
The Sims YouTube video [1]
- ↑ Shapiro, Michael. A/Peña-Herborn, Jorge/Hancock, Jeffrey T.: Realism, Imagination and Narrative Video Games, in: Bryant, Jennings/Vorderer, Peter (editor): Playing Video Games. Motives, Responses, and Consequences, New York, NY 2006, p. 275-278.