Having mushroomed over seven years of creation during the nineties, the game unintentionally captures the technological (and, why not, cultural) touchstones of each moment the builds were compiled and, as such, joined the iterative dance at its own pace, being caused dramatic overhauls until Sim Lane's streets could be open upon the world and everyone (emphasis on the game's broad demographic reach) were free to build up a personalized American-Dream-Come-True.
As the biggest milestone of what can now be viewed as Maxis' own Renaissance Age (along with its old sibling project SimCity 3000), the development journey of The Sims is a textbook case of redemptive game design. Oh, it's adorable! Just like a doll's house. E3 1999: Will Wright showcases The Sims at its "sloppy house" booth setting (Photo by Patrick J.