Franchise file / Will Wright, Maxis
The Sims
Life simulation from Maxis
The Sims is the life simulation franchise from Will Wright and Maxis, launched in February 2000. It has grown through numbered sequels, spin-offs such as The Sims Medieval and the younger MySims line.
- 2000
- First game
- 2
- Series
- Will Wright, Maxis
- Creator
One world. Many eras.
Choose your chapter
The Maxis years. Maxis released The Sims in February 2000 and The Sims 2 in 2004, with The Sims Online arriving between them in December 2002.
Start with The SimsYour next late night
The essentials
Chapters
Series (2)
The numbered life sims and kinThe SimsThe Sims series is the core life simulation line, from Maxis's 2000 original to The Sims 4 in 2014, plus side entries such as The Sims Online, The Sims Medieval and the Stories games.The Sims (console)Console spin-offs for The Sims by Maxis and EA. Starting with The Sims in 2003, they drop the simulation into a more structured, goal-driven console format.
A legacy worth revisiting
From cities to households.
Will Wright co-founded Maxis in 1987, and SimCity made its name. The Sims turned that thinking from whole cities to single households in 2000. EA later set up The Sims Studio to lead the line, starting with The Sims 3 in 2009.
- 2000 to 2008
- The Maxis years
- 2009 to 2014
- The Sims Studio
Scenes that stay with you
Inside the world
Select a frame to expand it.
