Summary
Live-action video game adaptations have been around for decades, but thanks to recent hits likeThe Last of UsandFallout, it seems likely that they’re going to become even more prevalent in the coming years, with movie and TV studios having no shortage of suitable IPs to draw from. From narrative-focused games likeSpec Ops: The LineandMetro 2033, to cinematic thrillers likeSplinter CellandBioShock, there are countless video game franchises that would make for great live-action adaptations, thoughThe Simsprobably isn’t anywhere near the top of that list.
A game all about making a virtual family and controlling their every move,The Simsdoesn’t naturally lend itself to a big-budget live-action venture in the same way thatUnchartedorBorderlandsdoes, but that isn’t going to stop production company LuckyChap from giving it a go. Announced back in March,The Simsis getting its own big-screen adaptation, and though it’s already got some talent behind it, the movie could have a hard time capturing the core spirit of the franchise through no fault of its own.
The Sims Movie Might Struggle to Capture the Surreal Juxtaposition of the Game
The Sims Thrives on Exaggerated Realism
Perhaps the most important conceit ofthe entireSimsfranchiseis its central juxtaposition between the mundane and the absurd. On paper,The Simssounds like a pretty dull game, having players control a few virtual avatars as they progress relationships, go to work, eat, sleep, and enjoy hobbies. But the real hook ofThe Simsis that all of its life-simulator elements are usually highly exaggerated.
The average lifespan of a Sim can last anywhere between 48 and 500+ in-game days depending on the player’s settings, so naturally, the life of a Sim moves pretty fast, and it’s usually quite an eventful life. In just a few days, Sims can meet the love of their life, get married, have a child, and see that child off to college, and it’s this breakneck pace that givesThe Simsa nice foundational level of surrealism. Building off that foundation areThe Sims' more absurd qualities, such as its exaggerated life goals and personality traits, its bizarre yeticonic Simlish language, and the fact that zombies, vampires, werewolves, mermaids, and more are all able to just walk freely around the neighborhood, and that Death literally comes to take souls away.
It’s going to be a difficult task, butThe Sims' big-screen adaptationcan definitely capture this exaggerated, often absurd sense of reality. Margot Robbie’s production company LuckyChap is working on thisSimsmovie project, and there are plenty of lessons it can take from last year’sBarbieand apply toSims, with that movie managing to capture a sense of surrealism very well.
The Sims Movie Is Missing a Key Ingredient
ButThe Simsmovie might be missing a vital piece of the puzzle, and it’s through no fault of its production company, but the very medium it belongs to. Much of the humor and enjoyment ofThe Simsexperiencecomes from being the one in control of these avatars, and being the one directly responsible for their exaggerated actions. While watching a Sim get trapped in a pool, or watching a family grow absurdly old in just a few minutes could still evoke humor from audiences, it won’t have the same impact as when the player is directly in charge of those exaggerated moments.
The Sims
EA’s life simulation franchise The Sims began in the year 2000 with a game of the same name that was, at one point, the highest-selling PC game of all time.The main series games let players build a home, create a handful of characters, and then guide them through their relationships, careers, and goals.
