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Social simulation games are a subgenre of life simulation game that explore social interactions between multiple artificial lives. Some examples include ''
The Sims ''The Sims'' is a series of life simulation video games developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. The franchise has sold nearly 200 million copies worldwide, and it is one of the best-selling video game series of all time. The games ...
'' and '' Animal Crossing'' series.


History


Influences and origins

When ''
The Sims ''The Sims'' is a series of life simulation video games developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. The franchise has sold nearly 200 million copies worldwide, and it is one of the best-selling video game series of all time. The games ...
'' was released in 2000, it was referred to as "almost the only game of its kind". But there are several important precursors to ''The Sims'' and the social simulation genre. Firstly, the game's creator Will Wright acknowledged the influence of '' Little Computer People'', a Commodore 64 game from 1985. The games are similar, although ''The Sims'' is described as having a richer gameplay experience. Secondly, Will Wright also acknowledged the influence of dollhouses on ''The Sims'', which have generally also informed the gameplay of this genre. '' Animal Crossing'' was released in 2001 for the
Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and ...
in Japan. While released towards the end of the life cycle of the Nintendo 64, it developed a following that led to it being ported to the
Nintendo GameCube The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the ...
and released throughout the world. As the game's popularity has surged, this series has also been described as a social simulation game. '' Story of Seasons'', a series that began in 1996 and is often compared to ''Animal Crossing'', has also been described as a social simulation game. Its social simulation elements are derived from
dating sim Dating sims, or , are video game subgenre of simulation games with romantic elements. Dating sims are often dialog-heavy and focus on time management. The player must befriend and carefully build and maintain a relationship with one or more ...
s, a subgenre that dates back to the early 1980s, with games such as '' Tenshitachi no gogo'' in 1985 and '' Girl's Garden'' in 1984.AtariAge at CGE2010
Atari Age ''Atari Age'' was a magazine distributed to Atari Club members from 1982 until 1984. It was published by The Atari Club, Inc., a subsidiary of Atari, Inc. The magazine only covered Atari products and events, offering exclusive deals to its reade ...
Since the initial success of these games in the early 2000s, video game journalists have begun to refer to a group of similar games as belonging to the social simulation game genre.


Recent history

Several other social simulation games have emerged to capitalize on the success of ''The Sims''. This includes several sequels and expansion packs, as well as games like '' Singles: Flirt Up Your Life'' with heavy similarities.


Examples

*'' Little Computer People'' (1985)—by David Crane, published by
Activision Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Santa Monica, California. It serves as the publishing business for its parent company, Activision Blizzard, and consists of several subsidiary studios. Activision is one ...
*'' Tenshitachi no Gogo'' (1985)—One of the earliest
dating sim Dating sims, or , are video game subgenre of simulation games with romantic elements. Dating sims are often dialog-heavy and focus on time management. The player must befriend and carefully build and maintain a relationship with one or more ...
s, released for the 16-bit
NEC PC-9801 The , commonly shortened to PC-98 or , is a lineup of Japanese 16-bit and 32-bit personal computers manufactured by NEC from 1982 to 2000. The platform established NEC's dominance in the Japanese personal computer market, and, by 1999, more ...
computer.Tenshi-Tachi no Gogo
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
*''
Alter Ego An alter ego (Latin for "other I", "doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a differe ...
'' (1986)—a personality
computer game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedbac ...
by
Activision Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Santa Monica, California. It serves as the publishing business for its parent company, Activision Blizzard, and consists of several subsidiary studios. Activision is one ...
*''The Money Game'' series (1988–1989) **''The Money Game'' (1988)—a Famicom life simulation about balance love with high finance **'' Wall Street Kid'' (1989)—the Famicom sequel to ''The Money Game'' (''The Money Game II: Kabutochou no Kiseki'') *'' Jones in the Fast Lane'' (1990)—by
Sierra Entertainment Sierra Entertainment, Inc. (formerly On-Line Systems and Sierra On-Line, Inc.) was an American video game developer and Video game publisher, publisher founded in 1979 by Ken Williams (game developer), Ken and Roberta Williams. The company is k ...
is one of the earliest life simulators. *'' My Life My Love: Boku no Yume: Watashi no Negai'' (1991)—a life simulation for the Japanese Famicom system *''Princess Maker'' series (1991–2007)—by Gainax **''
Princess Maker is a series of social simulation bishōjo games where the player must act as a parental figure and raise a young girl. The series was produced by the video game and anime production company Gainax. The first ''Princess Maker'', while popular e ...
'' (1991)—by Gainax, a raising sim which the player must raise an adoptive daughter until she reaches adulthood. The final result varies from a ruling queen, to an ordinary housewife, to even a prostitute if the player looks after her poorly. **''
Princess Maker 2 is a 1993 Japanese video game developed by the company Gainax. It is the second installment in the '' Princess Maker'' series of social simulation games where the player must act as a parental figure and raise a young girl. The player takes role ...
'' (1993) **''Princess Maker: Legend of Another World'' (1995) **''Princess Maker 3: Fairy Tales Come True'' (1997) **''Princess Maker 4'' (2006)—by GeneX **''
Princess Maker 5 ''Princess Maker 5'' is the fifth game from the main ''Princess Maker'' series originally released for Microsoft Windows in 2007. A PlayStation 2 versions of the game followed in 2008. That version includes various Gainax references, such as the ...
'' (2007) * ''
Tokimeki Memorial is a dating simulation series by Konami. It consists of six main games in addition to many spin-offs. The games are notable in the dating sim genre for being highly nonlinear. Their nickname amongst their fans is the contraction ''TokiMemo''. Th ...
'' series (1994–2014)—6 main games and a large number of spin-offs *'' True Love'' (1995)—a Japanese
erotic Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, ...
dating sim and general life simulation game where the player must manage the player's daily activities, such as studying, exercise, and employment. *''
Persona A persona (plural personae or personas), depending on the context, is the public image of one's personality, the social role that one adopts, or simply a fictional character. The word derives from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatri ...
'' series (1996–2020)—6 main games and several spin-offs, although the first 3 games do not emphasize this aspect very much. *'' Story of Seasons'' series (1996–2016)—by
Marvelous Entertainment (MMV) was a multinational corporation that produced animation, music, video games and television series. MMV is known for its involvement in the ''Story of Seasons'' series. They merged with AQ Interactive in 2011 and became Marvelous AQL; the ...
, farming simulator, role-playing game, and dating sim rolled into one. * ''
Shenmue is an action-adventure game series created, produced and directed by Yu Suzuki. '' Shenmue'' (1999) and '' Shenmue II'' (2001) were developed by Sega AM2 and published by Sega for Dreamcast. '' Shenmue III,'' developed by Suzuki's company ...
'' series (1999–2019) *''
The Sims ''The Sims'' is a series of life simulation video games developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. The franchise has sold nearly 200 million copies worldwide, and it is one of the best-selling video game series of all time. The games ...
'' series (2000–2014) **''
The Sims ''The Sims'' is a series of life simulation video games developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. The franchise has sold nearly 200 million copies worldwide, and it is one of the best-selling video game series of all time. The games ...
'' (2000)—by Will Wright, published by EA for the PC. **''
The Sims 2 ''The Sims 2'' is a 2004 strategic life simulation video game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. It is the second major title in ''The Sims'' series, and is the sequel to ''The Sims.'' The game was released for Microsoft Windo ...
'' (2004). **'' The Sims 3'' (2009). **''
The Sims 4 ''The Sims 4'' is a social simulation game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. It is the fourth major title in ''The Sims'' series, and is the sequel to '' The Sims 3'' (2009). The game was released in North America on Septem ...
'' (2014). *'' Animal Crossing'' series (2001–2020)—a life simulator by Nintendo. It has also been dubbed as a "communication game" by the company as had
Cubivore ''Cubivore: Survival of the Fittest'', known in Japan as is an action-adventure game, action-adventure video game co-developed by Saru Brunei and Intelligent Systems for the GameCube. It was originally published by Nintendo only in Japan on Febr ...
,
Doshin the Giant ''Doshin the Giant'' is a god simulation game developed by Param and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 and GameCube. It was originally released in Japan on December 1, 1999, as a launch game disk for the 64DD peripheral for Nintendo 64 ...
and GiFTPiA. *''
Real Lives Real Lives may refer to: * Real Lives (video game), a 2001 educational video game * Real Lives (TV channel), a British television channel owned by Sky See also

* Sky Real Lives, an in-house channel from British Sky Broadcasting {{dab ...
'' (2001)—an educational life simulator by Educational Simulations where the player is randomly "born" somewhere in the world and often must deal with third-world difficulties such as disease, malnutrition, and civil war. *''Singles'' series (2003–2005) **'' Singles: Flirt Up Your Life'' (2003) **'' Singles 2: Triple Trouble'' (2005) *''
Democracy Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which people, the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation ("direct democracy"), or to choo ...
'' (2005)—a government simulation game that was first developed by Positech Games, with a sequel released in December 2007 and a third game in 2013. *''
Eccky ''Eccky'' is an online game. Until 2009, it was an MSN-based social simulation game in which two people work together to create and raise a virtual baby. ''Eccky'' won the 2005 SpinAwards for Innovation and for Best Interactive Concept. In 2009, ...
'' (2005)—by Media Republic. *''
Façade A façade () (also written facade) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loan word from the French (), which means 'frontage' or ' face'. In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important aspect ...
'' (2005)—An artificial-intelligence-based interactive story created by Michael Mateas and Andrew Stern. *''Nights'' series (2005–2008) **'' New York Nights: Success in the City'' (2005)—a social simulation created and designed by
Gameloft Gameloft SE is a French video game publisher based in Paris, founded in December 1999 by Ubisoft co-founder Michel Guillemot. The company operates 18 development studios worldwide, and publishes games with a special focus on the mobile games ma ...
released for mobile phones. **'' Miami Nights: Singles in the City'' (2006) **'' Tokyo City Nights'' (2008) *''
The Idolmaster is a Japanese media franchise that began in 2005 with a raising simulation and rhythm video game series created by Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Namco). The series primarily centers on the career of a producer who works with a group of ...
'' series (2005–)—an
idol Idol or Idols may refer to: Religion and philosophy * Cult image, a neutral term for a man-made object that is worshipped or venerated for the deity, spirit or demon that it embodies or represents * Murti, a point of focus for devotion or medit ...
raising sim by
Namco was a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Na ...
. *''
Kudos Kudos may refer to: Arts and media * ''Kudos'' (computer game), a life simulation game produced by Positech Games * Kudos (production company), a UK-based film and television production company * Kudos, a fictional currency used by the Dwellers ...
'' (2006)—by
Positech Games Positech Games is a video game developer based in the United Kingdom. The company was founded in 1997 and belongs to the former Lionhead Studios programmer Cliff Harris. The company has published a number of PC games. One of the most notable pub ...
. There is a 2008 sequel ''Kudos 2''. *'' Virtual Villagers'' series (2006–2010)—by ''
Last Day of Work Last Day of Work (LDW) is a video game developer specializing in casual games. The company developed real-time "Virtual Life" simulation games including Fish Tycoon, Plant Tycoon, Virtual Families and the Virtual Villagers series for platforms ...
''. *''Tomodachi'' series (2009–2013)—by Nintendo **''
Tomodachi Collection ''Tomodachi Collection'' is a social simulation video game for the Nintendo DS, released exclusively in Japan on June 18, 2009. A sequel, ''Tomodachi Life'', was released for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan on April 18, 2013, and in North America an ...
'' (2009) **''
Tomodachi Life ''Tomodachi Life'' is a social simulation video game developed by Nintendo SPD and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. The game follows the day-to-day interactions of Mii characters (referred to as "islanders") as they build friendships, ...
'' (2013) *'' Castaway Paradise'' (2014) *
Stardew Valley ''Stardew Valley'' is a simulation role-playing video game developed by Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone. Players take the role of a character who takes over their deceased grandfather's dilapidated farm in a place known as Stardew Valley. The game wa ...
(2016)


See also

*
Dating sim Dating sims, or , are video game subgenre of simulation games with romantic elements. Dating sims are often dialog-heavy and focus on time management. The player must befriend and carefully build and maintain a relationship with one or more ...
*
List of simulation video games This is a list of notable simulation games for all video game platforms. Biological simulation *''Catlateral Damage'' * ''Creatures'' series ** ''Creatures (artificial life program), Creatures'' ** ''Creatures 2'' ** ''Creatures 3'' * ''Dra ...
*
Simulated reality The simulation theory is the hypothesis that reality could be simulated—for example by quantum computer simulation—to a degree indistinguishable from "true" reality. It could contain conscious minds that may or may not know that they live in ...
*
Social simulation Social simulation is a research field that applies computational methods to study issues in the social sciences. The issues explored include problems in computational law, psychology, organizational behavior, sociology, political science, e ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Social Simulation Game Video game genres