THE Sims has gone where no other PC game has gone before – into the hearts and hard drives of women.
Since The Sims came on the market in February, female fans have helped to make it the top-grossing PC game so far this year, even besting “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”
In The Sims – a “people simulator” from the creator of the wildly popular urban-planning game SimCity 3000 – users play God by creating a family or a neighborhood of virtual people, then giving them jobs, decorating their homes, helping them manage their finances and performing daily tasks like dressing, feeding and caring for them.
The players, however, don’t have total control. As part of the game, accidents happen, things are forgotten, pets gets sick or even bite.
Women have helped to drive this game to the top of the PC charts.
Nearly 25 percent of Sims registrants – players who bother to register with the company – are female, as opposed to about 5 percent for most games, said Patrick Buechner, marketing director for Maxis, which developed the game.
But Buechner believes the actual female audience is even bigger because husbands and boyfriends sometimes register the game for their partners.
Julie Schwahl, a Long Island real estate broker in her mid-50s, got hooked on The Sims when her granddaughter loaded it up onto Schwahl’s computer during a visit.
Schwahl – who has since purchased The Sims for herself – has tried a few games before, such as Dr. Mario, Tetris and casino games, but none grabbed her.
“This one has me fascinated,” she says. “The figures get really wild. They get moody. You have to do things to make them happy.”
Like send them to the bathroom, the refrigerator, or even the pool.
“It’s the wildest thing I’ve ever seen,” she says. “They can’t keep it on the shelves. It’s sort of like Monopoly but you keep building.”
Women have played other computer games in the past, such as Tetris, while teenage girls turn to Barbie or Cosmo Makeover games.
They also play bridge, poker or checkers online, but part of the appeal is the chat element.
The online version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” also appeals to women, but it’s more a family game.
“The Sims appeals to hardcore gamers and casual gamers at the same time,” says Matt Gravett, a game analyst with PC Data, who’s wife has been bitten by The Sims bug.
“The Sims appeals to men and women on many levels. It’s a soap opera you can control and the violence has been left out of it. That may have piqued the interest of women users.”
Even hard-core gamers – males 13 to 24, are taking part in the craze. “Sims is considered a deep computer game. There’s a lot going on with lots of thinking,” says Buechner.
Last year, SimCity 3000, launched in February, was the top-grossing PC game title, with a total sales of $26.2 million.
Just two months after its own launch, The Sims is on track to beat SimCity, with $15.6 million in sales already, according to PC Data.
More than 1 million copies of The Sims have been shipped to stores worldwide.
Female fans of The Sims have created sites to download or trade clothing and items for the household. One mom in Texas is creating her own Sims fashions (ftp.evl.net/robem/fashions/).
The Sims fan Amy Antill, a stay-at-home mom who can’t get enough of the game, has created a site (simboutique.terrashare.com) where players can download different colors of aluminum siding and wallpaper as well as clothing.
“I like The Sims more for the ability to customize than for the gameplay itself,” says Antill.