The famous series of stimulator game The Sims has been living with us for 19 years, with four parts of the series so far. The Sims 4 is the latest part of the series, and it was released in 2013. Up to this very moment, there have been six expansion packs, seven game packs, and fourteen stuff packs for four parts of the game. This game series has been so popular that anyone should be ashamed of themselves if they call themselves a gamer, but they don’t know about The Sims.
The Sims, as a virtual simulation game of real life where players can create their own Sim characters and engage in an online interactive environment. One of the most attractive features of this game is that it can be said to be such a close to real life game that it actually has an impact on the real lives of its players. The most visible impact of this game to its players is on how its players can make a real-life decision based on their gaming experience, thus players of The Sims can have a better life.
In The Sims 4, the decoration of the apartment can influence the mood of the Sim characters. If they stay in a well-decorated, beautiful apartment, they will be in a better mood. According to a lot of players of the game, during their teenage years, their room most of the time was totally a mess, giving then the feeling of living in the most “garbage” and that everything in their rooms were also garbage (well, to be fair, we were all really lazy back when we were teenagers).
However, those players of The Sims all said that the more they play the game, especially The Sims 4, the more they discovered that a well-furnished and beautiful place could make us feel so much happier. Looking at the work of art on the wall and how the rooms are arranged, a lot of us have to admit that we feel refreshed and cozy, just like the sense of real home. And all of those house decoration knowledge is from the game.
During the gaming experience, players can learn how to arrange the furniture to boost their moods. Take the position of your working table as an example. Imagine, putting your working desk facing the wall, every time you look up from your paper or PC screen, all you will see is the cold, hard wall. It would undoubtedly be uncomfortable or should I say a nightmare in the game.
On the contrary, the view of the window will definitely give you more energy and relaxation than a grey wall. Yes, that view might give you distractions some times, but you will certainly be more productive and efficient in your work if you place your working table next to a window. That is what the game taught me, and this lesson is quite valuable both in the game and in the real life.
If you spend some time watching Youtube gamers playing The Sims, you will notice that their Sims houses have a lot of trees. They say that if you have any place in your house that you don’t know what to put in it, place a tree. And that lesson can surely be applied to real life. Some small green pots in your working tables, your windows, your living rooms … can send you the true feeling of natural relaxation, although you might be living in a very crowded city.
One of the issues, when a person picks the furniture, is the price. Usually, when we don’t have much money, we tend to choose pieces of stuff that are functional and not necessarily fancy to lower the cost. Let’s just think of having a reasonably-priced sofa without back cushion that you have to put a pillow there to feel comfortable; or a bed that has been reused for years and years and moved from one apartment to another. Those things may be cheap, but they surely won’t be enjoyable. Just like your Sims characters, when they have to sleep on a cheap bed, they would wake up feeling uncomfortable and upset.
Believe it or not, The Sims can also teach its player the advantage of owning a pleasant and comfortable personal space. It is thought that the up mood of the Sim characters is merely an incentive for the players to upgrade their furniture or buy more to fill in the room. But this is also a tricky part. You don’t actually need to spend a lot of money on luxury furniture for your Sims characters to feel happy, but the furniture still needs to be good and modern enough to entertain them.
Your Sims don’t have to own the most expensive equipment but having a flat screen TV would definitely be better than a black-and-white TV. Just imagine if you have a nice, mint green desk, you will find the pleasure of working in it. A bed which is not a board but made of solid wood will be a heaven for you after a hard working day. Having your room filled with the things that you love and connect is, without doubt, making a big difference in your mood and quality of life.
Although The Sims is only a game and all the characters and the furniture are coded, sometimes I myself wonder how these characters would feel if they are given luxurious furniture, beautiful ornament and plenty of plants. As their brief lives get more relaxed, they might feel as happy and comfortable as we do if we are offered the same things. Sometimes I also wonder that we are living in some kinds of stimulation like The Sims or not, but it may not matter that much if we happy right?