LADYDRAGON.COM - The Sims Becomes The Best Selling PC Game of All Time

Thursday March 21, 2002

The Sims Becomes The Best Selling PC Game of All Time

Electronic Arts (Nasdaq:ERTS) today announced that they have shipped over 6.3 million copies worldwide of the computer game, The Sims(TM), making it the best selling PC game of all time. The wildly popular game that allows players to create a neighborhood of simulated people (Sims) and control their lives, skyrocketed to the top of the charts when it began shipping to stores in February 2000 and has quickly become a universal gaming and cultural phenomenon. The Sims was the best selling PC game of both 2000 and 2001. Translated into 13 different languages, The Sims also remains a top seller worldwide.

The unparalleled success of The Sims has inspired the creation of four add-on packs; Livin' Large, which allows players to put their simulated families from The Sims into new extreme situations and settings, House Party, which gives players the chance to host outrageous parties for their Sims, Hot Date, which gets The Sims off the couch, to an all-new downtown area and into the dating game, and due out March 26, Vacation, which allows the Sims to get some rest and relaxation with their families and friends on a fun-filled vacation island. Combined sales for The Sims, The Sims Livin' Large, The Sims House Party and The Sims Hot Date have topped 13 million units life-to-date.

"Reaction to The Sims' by both customers and critics have exceeded our most ambitious expectations," said EA president John Riccitiello. "The Sims has become a cultural phenomenon. Its worldwide appeal spans hard-core gamers, casual computer users and even gaming's most elusive group of consumers, women. Over 50 percent of new Sims players are female."

The Sims has steadily insinuated itself into pop culture consciousness since its release. In September of 2000, the game inspired New York City-based band Electric Funstuff to release a Sims-inspired anthem, appropriately titled Sim-Hilarities, about a player of the hit PC game who finds odd parallels between his life and the lives of his on-screen characters. A take-off of "Simlish," the unique language of The Sims, was featured in last year's season opener of ABC Television's "Drew Carey Show," as well as game footage depicting the office antics at Winfred-Louder Department Store, Drew's place of employment, in its April Fools episode. Most recently, a take-off of The Sims was featured in an episode of Fox Television's "Malcolm In The Middle." Malcolm recreates his own family in a computer game called "The Virts" with disastrous results.

Since the release of The Sims, EA has been extending the value of the game by providing a series of free add-ons and on-line support through the game's official Web site located at http://www.TheSims.com. Over 1,000,000 unique users visit TheSims.com each month to download new household objects or character clothing sets. One of the most popular features allows players to post stories created with The Sims for the site's visitors to read. Over 34,000 user created stories are currently available on TheSims.com.

Just as entertaining and a true testament to the games' popularity are the hundreds of fan created web sites inspired by The Sims. Thousands of fan created objects and Sims, from fabulous home furnishings to cutting edge fashions, are available for downloading to enhance players' Sims experience.

The game's long list of honors has included being selected "Game of the Year" for 2000 by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences and by numerous other publications in the United States and abroad. The creator of The Sims, Will Wright, was inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame in February, joining such industry legends as Sid Meier and Shigeru Miyamoto.