4 February 2025

Laura Chris and Tom Richardson

BBC News and BBC Newsbeat

EA/Maxis shows a screenshot of The SIMS six letters in the preparation of the kitchen, displayed from an equal perspective from top to bottom. All of them wears hugs for parties, and one of them sits on a table in front of a large cake with lit candles on top. Other characters stand in a line behind, with thought bubbles in a Christmas cake over their heads.EA/Maxis

Borpnah Sims celebrates her twenty -fifth birthday

Sims was not supposed to be successful.

In the nineties of the last century, when the creator raised the game to his superiors, he was not convinced of his idea of ​​a “virtual doll”.

The so -called life simulation where the players design their characters, give them characters and tend to their needs.

Who wants that?

Many people, it turns out.

Now, 25 years after its appearance, SIMS is one of the best -selling video game series, with an active community of Superfans known as SIMMERS.

The latest batch, SIMS 4, was translated into 18 languages ​​and played 85 million people all over the world, according to the publisher electronic art.

The open nature of the original game helped her to become a success to the so -called “extraordinary players” outside the most dedicated Medium.

The players had carefully freedom of formulation in a detailed local environment for their digital members, their life management, daily procedures, basic needs and hobbies in fine details.

But they also allowed them to imagine a different torment of their apparent friends. One of the most famous – they were cut off in a swimming pool without a ladder – Mimi is still common to this day.

The UK -based banner, known as Plumbela, says it has become obsessed with legendary trick when she played the game for the first time at the age of five years.

Plumbela is a dark red hair woman wearing a floral print dress standing, smiling, in front of a white board and some shelves tied to decorations. The blackboard contains SIMS shots stuck in it, with lines and notes in a black mark that connects it.Plumbella

Jesse, also known as plumbella, estimates the community community

SIMS has been part of Jesse's life since then, she says, to society around her.

Players can create modifications or “modify” different elements of the way the game plays with the appearance of the characters.

Additional height options, multiple functions and nerve character features are among some of the famous additions made by fans.

For allocated fans, Jesse says, the longevity comes from construction on each other's creations.

As she put it:

“It is really interesting to see the ways people can reach their game in an interesting way.”

You also made the ability to express yourself in The SIMS a common title among many players from various societies.

Even in its launch in 2000, SIMS included relationships of the same sex at a time when options for sexual activity or identity were rare.

The creator Molly, who is flowing with TheEENGLISHSIMMER, is the LGBT content of its channel.

She says the developer Maxis “has always been a kind of spearhead in the game industry when it comes to telling various stories and the desire to show this acting.”

Molly says Sims gave her a platform to find others like her.

“It was so great that I was able to tell my stories, communicate with people, and they can see themselves an actress,” she says.

The English language smiles a young woman sitting on a gaming chair. She wears large glasses with somewhat thick black edges and a thick golden chain that allows glasses to hang around her neck. Behind it there is a day for a day with a floral quilt cover and a set of soft games tucked at one corner.Englishsimmer

MOLLIE, also known as TheEENGLISHSIMMER, makes a lot of LGBT content for it online

SIMS came for more criticism over the years for its racist representation.

The American Connetor Amira, known as XMiramira Online, created a SIMS 4 skin color package that many players still use today.

Amira says: “I could not make Sims either look similar to me or my family and friends. This is the case in many games.”

“But the difference between Sims and other games is that I can do something about it.”

Milan Emira's package has achieved great success when it was released, and since then it has worked with Maxis and Electronic Arts to adopt more skin colors in the game.

“For me, this is a large part of why the game played for a long time,” she says.

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Amira says that she noticed more and more games that provide the ability to choose different skin tones, body types and hairstyles without the need for third -party additions.

EA/Maxis A SIMS screen shows 4 male letters with dark skin tones facing each other through the breakfast table. A garden can be seen through the sliding glass door behind it. Each man is above the head of three icons in square boxes. Each of them appears to be an activity or emotion and a happy green face/a sad red face indicating their reaction to it.EA/Maxis

A wide range of skin tones was added to SIMS 4 as a standard

While SIMS is often seen as a leader when it comes to comprehensiveness in games, some people are uncomfortable with their approach.

Zoe Dehunty Light, the Eurogamer video product on SIM on “big steps” with diversity and work with creators to build authentic acting in the game.

But it indicates that a lot of work was first, for free, by models.

Zoe says, the official addition of Lovistock provides multiple paragraphs of the game and costs 30 pounds ($ 37).

“So you can feel that she is pressing as much money as possible from people who want to act more, which is very bold,” she says.

The game was also criticized because of the non -inclusion of players with disabilities, whether in their ability to adjust its controls and see themselves on the screen.

“The game still lacks the option to change the main links, a problem with the basic access.” Zoe says.

The developer Maxis previously said it discusses the introduction of more accessories for the game.

It has added some features – such as visual hearing devices – to improve the representation of disability in the game.

While SIMS celebrates the annual anniversary, the new US government has presented policies to expand the scope of diverse, shares and integration (Dei).

Critics argue that these plans are discriminatory and are used to push the schedules of political business, while supporters argue that they are working to combat inequality.

The technology industry followed its example, with companies like Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, Cancel its Dei's efforts As well as cutting moderation teams.

There is a question about whether this can affect games, as companies are often criticized for their failure to face racist and sexual harassment sufficiently on their platforms.

“The biggest anxiety is that this will be seen as a green light for certain groups of high players to become more open to their hateful views, making the comprehensive spaces more important than ever.”

Amera Amira says it is especially important to a life simulation game like SIMS to include the largest possible number of people.

“Everyone should be, most often, on a few or non -existent case,” she says.

“Many people do not try the things that other cultures face and it is a really great way to implement learning about them in daily life,” Jesse added.

“I think this is a long way for acceptance as well.”

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