Computer card game company Solitaired used the artificial intelligence program Midjourney to design a Sim and his Sims’ home in West Virginia. (Photo courtesy: Solitaire/AI program Midjourney)
CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – “The Sims” video game franchise was first released 23 years ago in February 2000.
Over the years, four generations of the game, multiple gaming platforms and mobile applications, the life simulation video game has become one of the best-selling video game series of all time. The game allows players to design and create their Sims, their home, and navigate lives, careers, relationships, etc. of your Sims.
A new survey from Solitaired, a computer card game company, looked at some player statistics and also asked AI to design a Sim and their home for each state.
The study found that 84% of Americans say they play or have played some version of The Sims. Of those surveyed, 26% say they currently play the game and 28% plan to purchase The Sims 5, which is in the “early stages of development,” according to Solitaired.
The survey also asked players which of the four current major versions of the game is their favorite, with only 8% separating the favorite and least favorite.
“The Sims,” the original generation of the game, received the fewest votes: only 20% of respondents said it was their favorite, and 25% of respondents said The Sims 2 was their favorite version. The Sims 4 came in second with 27% preferring the game. The Sims 3 came in first among respondents, with 28% rating it as their favorite Sims generation.
The survey also found that for 17% of players, exploring their Sims’ neighborhood is their favorite part of the game; 32% prefer to control their Sims’ social interactions; and 51% said building and furnishing houses is their favorite part of gaming.
According to Solitaired, among those currently playing, 37% are Generation Z players, 24% are Millennials, 20% are Generation X, and 21% are Baby Boomers.
Sometimes the Sims gameplay can take a darker turn. In a life simulation game, sometimes that includes death, and not just from “old age.” As each generation of the game includes several ways for a Sim to die, approximately 50% of women who responded to the survey said they had intentionally killed one of their Sims. Among men who responded to the survey, 44% said they had intentionally killed a Sim.
With rumors swirling about The Sims 5 after Electronic Arts recently confirmed they were working on early development, Solitaired also used AI to simulate what a Sim from each US state would look like.
These are the designs that the Midjourney artificial intelligence program created for West Virginia and surrounding states:
West Virginia:
Kentucky:
Maryland:
Ohio:
Pennsylvania:
Virginia:
To see all images from all 50 states, visit the Solitaired website here.