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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
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.".
Don't give them any ideas!
The only Sims titles I've ever owned were the original and its vacation expansion (The newest at the time when my family finally bought a PC). After that I just didn't find the games that fun anymore. Then again, rosebud;; and /move_object on (I Believe) could only take you so far...
This game was highly addictive for me for a while, but only inbetween MMO addiction spurts. I intentionally uninstalled the game so I wouldn't play it any more, only to reinstall it a few times -_- I'll probably pick up the Sims 3 when it comes out, but I won't be buying any expansions for it.
I enjoyed the sims for approximately 4 hours, but once I built the biggest fuck off house I could, and locked some sims in a room so I could watch them piss themselves and die of starvation, there really wasn't anything else to maintain my interest. How the hell are people still playing it?
Only played the first Sims. For me the best part was was building the houses (with use of the money cheat of course). It always bothered me that proper building regulations weren't followed especially concerning that there should be two doors separating the toilet and kitchen. As a gamer however I would want my Sims lives to be as efficent as possible. Kitchen dining room as one long room, long dining table with four chairs each corner and behind each chair a door leading to a toilet room each. I wanted none of that let's all four of us go to the same bathroom and only to realise that all four of us are here when we're jammed in taking several hours to jumble our way out. Dumb AI made a mockery of good building design.
I had fun with The Sims. Playing with genetics to make crazy looking children -- fun. Cheating to get tons of money and build super cool houses -- fun. But that only entertains me for a few days, which is alright and all, but ... man. The storytelling people pull out of that game is just crazy. I know people who play this game the same way people play WoW. For what's essentially a single player game (though I think you can send your Sims to meet other Sims, or something?), that's just nuts.
I played around with mods for awhile, but eh. It was too hard to do what I wanted. What I wanted being to turn The Sims into The Sims: Ancient Rome Edition, full of palace intrigue and betrayal and marriages et cetera ... but alas. I'll have to stick with narrating Rome: Total War.
The next Sims needs to have gunplay. And basic multiplayer. I'd love to have a clan go around and terrorize the old women who enjoy this game. I love the Sims how it is, but adding some violence into the mix or letting me actually GO to my job, would be the next big step. Getting angry at my boss, throwing coffee in his face, stealing office supplies and trying not to get caught. Just like real life.
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21 comments + 95764 views
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.".
Don't give them any ideas!
The only Sims titles I've ever owned were the original and its vacation expansion (The newest at the time when my family finally bought a PC). After that I just didn't find the games that fun anymore. Then again, rosebud;; and /move_object on (I Believe) could only take you so far...
This game was highly addictive for me for a while, but only inbetween MMO addiction spurts. I intentionally uninstalled the game so I wouldn't play it any more, only to reinstall it a few times -_- I'll probably pick up the Sims 3 when it comes out, but I won't be buying any expansions for it.
Well I've played it for weeks in a row when it just came out... never got into Sims2 but my GF is a HUGE fan! :-D
That's insane. It must be like #1 selling game = 100 million, #2 selling game...10 million.
How the fuck did they sell 100 MILLION? If a company hits A million they are normally laughing all the way to the bank.
Fuck.
Mmm, reading it again they seem to counting The Sims, Sims 2 and the gazillion expansion packs together. Still bloody amazing though.
I enjoyed the sims for approximately 4 hours, but once I built the biggest fuck off house I could, and locked some sims in a room so I could watch them piss themselves and die of starvation, there really wasn't anything else to maintain my interest. How the hell are people still playing it?
I played Sims first when I was 8. Me and my brother started a family, they all died. Drowning, boot camp, starvation....
You could get them stuck in a rut where they couldnt get a job or have any money for food.
Only played the first Sims. For me the best part was was building the houses (with use of the money cheat of course). It always bothered me that proper building regulations weren't followed especially concerning that there should be two doors separating the toilet and kitchen. As a gamer however I would want my Sims lives to be as efficent as possible. Kitchen dining room as one long room, long dining table with four chairs each corner and behind each chair a door leading to a toilet room each. I wanted none of that let's all four of us go to the same bathroom and only to realise that all four of us are here when we're jammed in taking several hours to jumble our way out. Dumb AI made a mockery of good building design.
I had fun with The Sims. Playing with genetics to make crazy looking children -- fun. Cheating to get tons of money and build super cool houses -- fun. But that only entertains me for a few days, which is alright and all, but ... man. The storytelling people pull out of that game is just crazy. I know people who play this game the same way people play WoW. For what's essentially a single player game (though I think you can send your Sims to meet other Sims, or something?), that's just nuts.
I played around with mods for awhile, but eh. It was too hard to do what I wanted. What I wanted being to turn The Sims into The Sims: Ancient Rome Edition, full of palace intrigue and betrayal and marriages et cetera ... but alas. I'll have to stick with narrating Rome: Total War.
My girlfriend is still a Sims maniac, but I allow it because as long as she stays addicted she can't complain about my gaming.
The next Sims needs to have gunplay. And basic multiplayer. I'd love to have a clan go around and terrorize the old women who enjoy this game. I love the Sims how it is, but adding some violence into the mix or letting me actually GO to my job, would be the next big step. Getting angry at my boss, throwing coffee in his face, stealing office supplies and trying not to get caught. Just like real life.
Jesus Christ. That number doesn't even seem real.
Congratulations! Now get back to making more SimCity games!
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