Today, Electronic Arts' "The Sims" label has announced that it has hit a milestone, having sold 100 million units of The Sims titles worldwide. The game has been translated into 22 languages, and has seen people in 60 countries designing homes, exploring relationships, and trapping neighbors behind bookshelves until they pee themselves and/or die. 

To celebrate, and to thank fans for putting up with new expansions every four months, EA will be offering a complimentary outfit available at TheSims2.com on April 16. As a thank-you to EA, millions of fans will flood YouTube with creepy The Sims 2 machinima music videos for Kool & The Gang's "Celebration."

Hit the jump for the press release, along with some cool facts like "100 million copies of The Sims lined up end to end would line the perimeter of the Wembley football pitch over 115,000 times" and "Dropped from a plane, 100 million copies of The Sims would kill an African Bush Elephant." OK, I made that last one up.

THE SIMS™ CELEBRATES 100 MILLION SOLD WORLDWIDE

The Sims Is A Global Cultural Phenomenon In 60 Countries And 22 Languages Thanks To Players of The Sims Everywhere

GUILDFORD, UK April 16, 2008 —The Sims™, a Label of Electronic Arts, Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced a significant entertainment milestone, celebrating 100 million units sold around the world, thanks to players of The Sims everywhere. The first game from The Sims was sold in 2000 and has gone on to become the best-selling PC game franchise of all time and is sold in 22 languages and 60 countries around the world. The Sims franchise has inspired millions of players to tell stories, create characters, explore relationships, live through generations, design fashions, and build homes and design home interiors for their Sims. TheSims2.com, the vibrant online community of players of The Sims, has more than 4.3 million unique visitors per month, who have downloaded more than 70 million user-generated creations. A place to discover player creativity is on YouTube, where more than 100,000 videos and movies of The Sims have been shared, with about 200 million views.

As a special thank you to players of The Sims, visit TheSims2.com on April 16th to download a complimentary exclusive outfit for your Sims in honor of this milestone. It’s the perfect outfit for your Sims to enjoy a night of celebration!

“At this milestone, we want to thank players of The Sims everywhere for making The Sims such a worldwide phenomenon,” said Rod Humble, Head of Studio for The Sims Label. “The Sims has been an interactive experience for people around the globe to explore their passion for creativity and we’re thrilled to be a part of that. From building houses and relationships, from the first kiss to a toddler’s first step, from kitchen fires – and even visits from ghosts, players have told more than 100 million unique and fun stories!”

“The Sims is truly unique in the world of interactive entertainment because it attracts creative people around the world of all ages and both genders,” said Nancy Smith, President of The Sims Label. “Because of the open-ended creative freedom that players experience with the game, The Sims has universal appeal like no other game franchise. We thank players everywhere for their creativity, sense of humor and strong sense of community that has made The Sims the cultural phenomenon it is today.”

The Sims from EA Mobile has seen phenomenal global success, with more than nine million downloads of The Sims games onto people’s mobile devices, The Sims is a market leading downloaded game.

Fun facts to note:

    * 100 million copies of The Sims lined up end to end would line the perimeter of the Wembley football pitch over 115,000 times
    * 100 million copies of The Sims line up end to end would stretch the distance between Land’s End and John O’Groat’s over 200 times