Sims 2 Pets is EA's Best Friend

February 14, 2007 | By: David Radd

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The popularity of The Sims franchise cannot be overstated. Even its expansion packs do quite well and The Sims 2 Pets is no exception. Rod Humble, VP of The Sims Division, gives us his "humble" opinion on why Sims fans love virtual animals just as much as virtual humans.

It's somewhat appropriate that there is a Sims 2 expansion dealing with pets. After all, to an outside observer, it would seem that content like this for the seminal simulation seem to breed like rabbits. People are still willing to pay the price, though, be it for things like pyrotechnic displays and life phases to seasonal items to put in your house.

The Sims 2 Pets, however, has managed to eclipse all previous expansions when it comes to popularity. It makes sense too, given the large appeal and natural addition pets make to a virtual house. If people are okay with taking care of beasts that tend to be messy and can present a lot of work in real life, why not in their game world as well?

We talked with Rod Humble, Vice President and Studio Head of The Sims Division, about why people love their Pets.

The Sims 2 Pets was the best selling PC title of October, despite being available at retail for less than half the month. The game dropped down to the number two slot for November before returning to the number one in December. The Sims 2 Pets has gone on to sell over 585,000 copies across all platforms, according to The NPD Group.

"We couldn't be happier with the result and success of The Sims 2 Pets," said Humble. "The Pets theme was one of the most requested ideas from our community - they were clamoring to find out how their Sims lives would change with the addition of a newly added furry friend! When users finally got to play the game, I think they were surprised at how deep it realty is. Not only are there 70 dog and 30 cat breeds for players to choose from, but the create-a-pet feature allows players to build their own designer breed from scratch. Labradoodles, puggles - any dog or cat creation is possible!" [It's like Sims Pets players get an early taste of Spore! - Ed.]

"We keep our finger on the community pulse, listening to new ideas and investigating the possibilities of some of the most requested themes on thesims2.com," he added. "Although The Sims 2 Pets has been the most popular expansion pack to date, previous expansion packs like Nightlife and University have also done well. We're just happy we were able to keep our customers happy by delivering high quality games that provide hours of Sims fun - and Sims player creations!"

It practically goes without saying that the appeal of pets to the mass consumer is huge. With nearly two-thirds of adults owning pets, it seems only natural that thousands of Sims 2 players would want to add some small animal to their virtual households. Add on to that the increasing interest in pets-themed games since Nintendogs came out and you've got yourself a winner.

"I think one of the reasons The Sims 2 Pets is doing so well is because most everyone can relate to pets at one point of their life or another," explained Humble. "From Scratchy tearing up the couch and Roofus getting in the trash, to teaching Spot how to catch a Frisbee and watching Gatspy give himself a bath � these are life's memorable moments that The Sims 2 Pets rekindles. It's not only your pets' appearance you can recapture, but their personality as well. With so many features and personalities to choose from, players are sure to recreate an old friend, or find the perfect new pet for their Sims."

"By adding another agent with different needs into the game play you get many more emergent anecdotes which invite storytelling," he continued. "That's another way of saying that with critters in the game more interesting situations will come up as you are playing. It also adds another care giving/nurturing aspect to the game, which is very enjoyable."

While not on the scale of a large market release for EA, Sims 2 Pets was probably the largest release for the franchise since The Sims 2 itself released in 2004. This includes the fact that it launched on multiple console platforms, as well as PC. Still, the largest push for this version of The Sims was the same as any version: word of mouth.

"Our 'Played By' campaign has been very successful and was a key component to our advertising efforts around Pets," explained Humble. "'Played By' highlights Sims fans around the world - from science teachers and bartenders to stay-at-home moms and videographers � by featuring their playing habits and encouraging them to capture movies that tell the bigger story of how they interact with the game. We've always played close attention to what our fans are doing, and this campaign gives us an opportunity to celebrate them. Check out simsplayedby.com for more details.

"The Sims franchise is known for its classic, open-ended emergent gameplay encouraging players to dive head first into a creative sandbox and explore. No other simulation game on the market really has those elements incorporated into its basic gameplay, and I think its those factors that not only differentiate The Sims 2 Pets from other pet titles, but The Sims from other simulation games as well," he concluded.