So this week my crazy brain decided to try and figure out the Sims. I’ve mentioned before how I occasionally try to figure out gaming systems and the like, but the Sims has always been a bit of a mystery to me. I could never understand the appeal of basically living a fake life through a videogame. There just didn’t seem to be anything exciting about it. No competition, no ultimate goals, just boring everyday life. There’s not even any science fiction or fantasy elements to make things interesting. I just don’t understand why it would hold people’s attention for so long. In an attempt to understand it better, I spent some time studying the game and came to some conclusions. They can be summed up in one sentence.
I still don’t get why the Sims is supposed to be fun.
No really. The best thing I can compare it to is a role playing game where you pretend to be normal, everyday people. Your character may level up a lot in Sitting on A Couch Eating Pizza, but that’s not really exciting. I mean, come on, sometimes you just sit and watch some guy watching TV, or watch them playe a fake match of chess. It’s not interesting at all to me, and I still can’t figure out why it would be interesting to someone else. If anybody can explain it to me, feel free. Otherwise, I’m just giving up on the whole concept, and assigning it to the same realm as soap operas and fashion sense. Oh well…
If you ask me, the main issue isn't about progressing - it's about control. You get to decide someone's fate. You can make them successful or destroy their lives instead. You're the boss and your poor creation is at your mercy. So if they sit around all day and do nothing? That's because you told them and you relish that someone else has as boring of life as you do. Or perhaps they're completely successful? Then it gives you hope that maybe you can twist the fates in order to get your own life like that. Or maybe they get successful and then you destroy everything that's dear to them. Makes you feel better to see someone else's dreams fall apart too. Or maybe you're just nuts.
ReplyDeleteBottom line: I really think it's more about the joy of controlling someone instead of actually getting somewhere.
Which I think would be right up your ally ;)
Hmmm, would that be a comment on how conniving I am, or my lack of progress in getting anywhere? :)
ReplyDeleteSeriously though. I watched one guy literally watch his Sim play chess repeatedly, for like twenty minutes. By the end of it, whatever sense of human deceny remains in me was crying in a corner. Bah...