The Sims is unique from other games in that it does not require players to meet any clearly defined goals or objectives. After finding success with the SimCity, a city-building simulation video game franchise, Wright decided to turn his attention from creating virtual cities to creating virtual life.
The idea for the game came from legendary game designer Will Wright. First released in 2000, The Sims is a series of life simulation sandbox games developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts.
