The Sims passes 100-million mark

Electronic Arts celebrates that the franchise has sold in mind-boggling numbers since its launch in 2000.

The best-selling PC game franchise of all time just got a bit more best-selling. EA announced today that The Sims series has now sold 100 million copies worldwide since it launched in 2000. Since the first game, the series has been translated into 22 different languages and sold in 60 countries around the world. According to the New York Times, the franchise has generated over $4 billion for its publisher, Electronic Arts--or around $500 million per year.

The first Sims game was the brainchild of celebrated game developer Will Wright, and was released for the PC on EA's Maxis label just over eight years ago. Dozens of expansion packs, spin-offs, and console ports followed, and this trend continued after the launch of The Sims 2 in 2004. The launch of The Sims 3, recently announced for 2009, will let a new generation of virtual humans wander around their neighbourhoods freely for the first time.

The virtual-life sim lets players customise a sim or group of sims and direct their day-to-day lives, including building and decorating their houses, choosing their career paths, and managing their relationships with others. Each month, The Sims 2 Web site has over 4.3 million unique visitors, who have downloaded more than 70 million user-created items, including furniture, outfits, and sims themselves. The game has also been a surprise hit on YouTube, where gamers have posted some 100,000 movies showing their sims.

According to EA, "If 100 million boxes of The Sims were lined up end-to-end, they would stretch from New York city to Moscow. And, with 100 million sold, one out of seven homes in Europe and one out of three homes in America would have a product of The Sims franchise."

Those who wish to celebrate The Sims' success can download some new duds for their Sims 2 characters on April 16 from the game's official Web site.

103 Comments

  • AirForceGamer

    Posted Mar 18, 2009 11:32 pm PT

    What are people complaining for? No one is making you buy all the expansions. I bought sims 2 the week it came out and never got an expansion for it. I still play it at least once a week. My wife got me 1 expansion and that's the only reason I have an expansion. THe core game play great and if you want to buy some expansions then go for it.

  • Killingspree303

    Posted Nov 16, 2008 11:21 am PT

    Look to the left at the side... What do you see here? Mass produced addition games that no one needs...

    (A little late, yes, but I had too)

  • LittleNYZ

    Posted Aug 24, 2008 11:21 am PT

    LaraCroft15 i freaking agree becuz having to buy all of thoses games and can be like a lot of money so i can't wait for the sims 3 imagin how much money dats gunna be i hope they make the sims 2 complete collection LittleNYZ

  • DeterminedGirl

    Posted Aug 16, 2008 1:55 pm PT

    I'm an avid pet lover so it's obvious that I love playing The Sims 2: Pets! My only wish for my own Sim is that you can adjust the height instead of everyone being over-indentical.

  • 619_clean

    Posted Jun 22, 2008 9:51 am PT

    looks to kill, sims is something...

  • acemasta21

    Posted Jun 4, 2008 11:47 pm PT

    sims is my fav pc franchise i just wish the console version was like the pc version i c a possibilty since its going next gen

  • Elk

    Posted Apr 23, 2008 9:56 am PT

    @LaraCroft15 I dread rebuilding my wife computer, just because re-installing all those darn expansion packs takes hours. But as soon as we go to Sims 3 we'll have a fresh slate and be missing lots of content until expansions come out. Sims 3 pets anyone?

  • hypnotic71

    Posted Apr 20, 2008 2:29 am PT

    Can't wait foe the Sims 3. Clearly, this game is one of the best games of ALL time.

  • rjunior14

    Posted Apr 19, 2008 9:24 pm PT

    The Sims has ALWAYS been in my computer for the last eight years

  • LaraCroft15

    Posted Apr 18, 2008 10:27 am PT

    I really hope they will make Sims 2 Complete Collection soon too like they did with Sims 1. Buying all the expansions separately can be pricy and not very convinient to install. As for Sims 3 I would like to see new sim game controlled not just with mouse but with keyboard as well - 3rd person view like Dreamfall game.

  • whitemouse29

    Posted Apr 18, 2008 4:48 am PT

    Yay!!!! I can't wait for Sims 3!!! Congrats EA Maxis!!

  • NightBlade151

    Posted Apr 18, 2008 12:30 am PT

    @lexxy182002:
    The Sims 2? Graphics intense? You've got to be kidding me. For today's standards, The Sims 2 has crappy graphics. It really does.
    You should consider buying a new computer...

  • incredibleman

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 10:44 pm PT

    OH MY F***ING GOD

  • penguins227

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 4:49 pm PT

    that's a lot... lol

  • alexl86

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 4:36 pm PT

    Yeah, but it's worldwide sales... so, it's only a 60th of the world's population... still, one out of 60 people(theoretically anyway) own the Sims. That's... scary.

  • Thesimsfrk111

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 2:50 pm PT

    100 million? OMG! That's a third of our (the United States) population!

  • mikeyg756

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 2:28 pm PT

    If the Sim 1 community doesn't have powerful enough machines to run the sims 2, then the sims 1 community must be a bunch of homeless people.. OFCOURSE EA is gonna be all about sims 2 at the moment, becuase its been out for 4 years!, and they don't think anyone is stupid enough to be playing the first one after all this time.

  • lexxy182002

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 9:29 am PT

    EA: What about celebrating with your Sim 1 Users/Fans??
    It's way narrow minded of you to think everyone's just moved on to Sims 2... there is still a thriving Sims 1 Community... and a lot of us have no plans for the near future of moving on to the Sims 2. It was WRONG of you to take the Sims 1 exchanges off line, and it's wrong of you to ignore us now while you are "celebrating". it could be a huge marketing mistake on your part. Most of us in the Sims 1 community don't have a machine that would run the more graphics intense Sims 2, let alone the Sims 3, even if we were inclined to switch over. Think about it. The Sims 1 Still lives, and we aren't going anywhere. Ignoring us could be a big mistake.

  • ps3thabest

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 9:17 am PT

    i played it on ps2 i didnt really care for it im focused on gta4 metal gear solid 4 fall out 3 etc

  • ufopuller

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 8:26 am PT

    That's a lot

  • Fanible

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 8:00 am PT

    77 listed to the right, but it accounts for only about 30 actual titles. It's more so just a showing of how EA milks the franchise for all it's worth, because they release the games on every possible system.

  • ftjx

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 7:56 am PT

    amazing, especially when you compare this news to the one about gta4 beating halo 3 in sales.........absolutely amazing!! just goes to show that innovation really does pay

  • RyeGoldenDragon

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 7:42 am PT

    It is funny, at first it all started with my sister playing the game and to me it first looked like playing doll house with only the characters interacting together, but later on some of my friends wanted to see this game so I showed them it and it was more funny from there we tried to create a virtual version of ourself (including our girls friends) living in our house and then we made them do all sorts of things...aka getting into trouble and all that stuff, this game has an interesting addiction to it especially when you play with a girlfriend who is sitting next to you.

    I loved the idea (must be because I learned architectural draft) that I would build houses and customize the way they looked (also the challenge of balancing a budget by getting the sims the jobs and keeping a group of 8 adults alive while trying to build a house, I hated cheating but like the finance challenge of getting them to "move up" in life.

  • da_illest101

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 7:27 am PT

    i'm surprised about the popularity of this franchise, i play the sims a few years ago and it didn't leave me with a strong impression, different ppl different taste i guess

  • HyperMetaDragon

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 12:35 am PT

    EA has made a few billion dollars off of us with The Sims, I don't see why it's a celebration.

  • Razzi65

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 11:20 pm PT

    i hav'nt played it yet..
    lolzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

  • baseballboy6411

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 9:46 pm PT

    Awesome I love the Sims anyway

  • lew_0911

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 8:14 pm PT

    Such a great success for a game with a surprisingly simple premise.

  • Pete5506

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 7:54 pm PT

    I have always loved the sims

  • Proman84

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 6:53 pm PT

    In related news, EA celebrates the release of 100 millionth 'The Sims' title...

  • Sniperwolf_SN

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 4:00 pm PT

    I think the sims 2 is very nice game , but its not the best , but I think this type of games can be loved by different poeple , because it talk about real life . for example ... I love Medieval 2 , but not all poeple love wars , and not all poeple love cars,guns,blood ,etc. ... but the sims 2 maked to be loved by alot of poeple ...

    and there is another thing ...
    Its from EA !!!

  • leafdj

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 3:50 pm PT

    NWA_31 :
    I'm glad you did, that way I didn't have to.
    Haha, I'm guessing that breaks 100 by the time they're done with The Sims 3.

    Also: I happily do not own any Sims game. I have real life to live. =/

  • Leick3

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 3:47 pm PT

    first game was best, the rest were ruined by eas greed

  • Iffy350

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 3:40 pm PT

    I am still waiting for a proper Sim City 5. I guess I will need to wait for this game to have at least ten expansion packs, two different bundle packs, and for spore(s) to be released for Wright to return to his forgotten/abandoned child that is the SC franchise. I won't buy this game but I will buy Spore. Spore is original I will give it that much.

  • NWA_31

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 3:36 pm PT

    77... That's the number of Sims games on the list at the right of the page.

    That's right. I was actually dumb enough to count them.

  • Zerosumgame

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 3:10 pm PT

    100 million crappos! wow thats a lot of crap!

  • 04JETTA

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 3:08 pm PT

    The Sims>

  • 8434

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 2:39 pm PT

    woah thats a lot

  • Bloodbath_87

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 2:09 pm PT

    One of the best games ever, IMO.

  • skyline7284

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 1:56 pm PT

    LOL look at the list of the games to the right >>>

    Sims is a great game, but i find that huge list just saddening...

  • Kenji_Masamune

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 1:51 pm PT

    woah.. I knew that the sims was the top selling pc game of all time, but I didn't know if was this big.

  • TehEliteElite

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 1:46 pm PT

    That is a lot.

  • Tremere1

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 1:19 pm PT

    Release small campaigns for games like Halo, WoW, COD every few months and you will see how the sims are going down. I mean, come on, they count 5 beds, 2 lights, and 3 more things a new game.

    Well, I guess that is the EA way.

  • Tsuchikage

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 1:17 pm PT

    I lost interest in The Sims quickly due to the horrible pathfinding problems. Why can't my Sim walk around a table properly? I haven't played The Sims 2, though, so maybe they fixed it. I might give it another shot when The Sims 3 comes out next year.

  • horgen123

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 12:57 pm PT

    Woa
    And that list -> there is looong.

  • markop2003

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 12:37 pm PT

    As they're are 75 Sims games released up to now that's not that amazing. That's only 1.3mil per game. This just shows how bad EA are they just keep remaking the same franchise with out changing hardly anything. Personally i can't stand the sims, no real objective, all the sims do is complain at you...

  • Nxss-effa-sim

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 12:29 pm PT

    I'm a fan of the Sims but I really don't like the statistic. Only the actual games should qualify, not the expansion and stuff packs. If you were to exclude those, it would be a much smaller number, maybe 30 million--which is still no small feat.

  • d51cdallas

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 12:18 pm PT

    thats alot of games

  • nate1222

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 12:18 pm PT

    I'm not a big fan of "get-a-life" type games. I wouldn't buy a game about "daily routines" that I already-begrudgingly-do. But the success of The Sims and WoW does prove a point I've repeatedly made: If PC devs can bring down the system requirements, PC gaming could thrive. Most people don't need flashy visuals that require an expensive rig (nor game console, look at the Wii's success). If it looks nice, is fun and affordable the people will buy it. UT3 is pretty cool. But UT2004 is better, cheaper and has low system requirements. My rig can pull either, but UT2004 (on the Unreal Anthology disc) stays in my rig almost as much as Oblivion.

  • cooldude03

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 12:15 pm PT

    enix165 and others. I didn't mean Wii was for nongamers, I own a Wii and love it. I ment that the Wii is easy to play for gamers and nongamers. For example my wife doesn't like to play 360 and PS3 retail games, but she likes Live Arcade games and Wii games. I just felt that it related to the main stream casual feel of The Sims.

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