The Sims began as an uber-geeky niche product, rose to incredible popularity among gamers and the general public, and while it is no longer relevant to the hardcore gamer community, The Sims still has many devoted players. The history of The Sims is littered with huge successes and notable failures, such as the franchise’s attempt at an MMO. It’s important to remember just how important the series has been to the hobby and industry it has both mirrored and launched many of the best and worst trends from the last sixteen years - including emergent gameplay, the modding community and the concept of DLC. To many gamers in 2015, The Sims probably seems like an irrelevant franchise, something that their moms used to dabble in, but not a “real” game.