As ‘The Sims’ Are Celebrating Their 25th Birthday, Game Executive Discusses the Series’ Past and Future

Mark
As 'The Sims' Are Celebrating Their 25th Birthday, Game Executive Discusses the Series' Past and Future
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For 25 years, The Sims has been a massive part of gaming, appealing to all kinds of players. With four main games, a ton of expansions, and some unusual spin-offs, it’s left a big mark on the industry. Now, to celebrate the anniversary, Maxis has re-released The Sims 1 and The Sims 2 for PC, making them compatible with Windows 10 and 11.

Lyndsay Pearson, The Sims’ VP of Franchise Creative, shared that this project has been a long time coming. The team had only one old laptop that could run the original games, and it wasn’t even connected to the internet. She often joked with the studio’s technical director, constantly asking, ‘Is it time now? Can we do it now?’

The team knew players still loved those games, and Pearson believes many would be surprised by how different they feel compared to newer versions. Now, players can finally try them again and see those differences firsthand.

Throughout the years, along with the main games, The Sims‘ spin-offs have taken some wild turns. It all started with The Sims Online, but later games like The Urbz: Sims in the City, MySims, and The Sims Medieval pushed the franchise in unexpected directions.

Pearson remembers these games fondly, explaining that they were all about finding new ways for people to enjoy The Sims. Not everyone wants a full life simulation, so spin-offs like MySims were made to be more welcoming and relaxed. Even though she worked on the main games, she admits she was always a little jealous of those projects.

Now, EA is revisiting spin-offs again. In November, MySims: Cozy Bundle came out on Nintendo Switch, with a PC version arriving in March. There’s also Project Rene, which isn’t The Sims 5, but something different.

Pearson is excited about the possibilities, saying there’s ‘nothing but opportunity’ in exploring new Sims games that stand alone. The team is always thinking about how past spin-offs fit into the franchise’s world and how new games can reach different audiences.

After all these years, The Sims is still evolving. Bringing back older games gives players a chance to experience the series’ history, while new projects like Project Rene hint at where it’s headed next. Now that EA is embracing both the past and the future, there’s no telling what The Sims will look like in another 25 years.

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Mark is the kind of person who gets way too excited about new software updates and can’t resist taking apart gadgets—just to see if they can put them back together. With years of experience in tech journalism and a love for all things digital, Mark writes about the stories behind the screens, from game-changing innovations to the everyday tech that keeps life running smoothly. Outside of work, they’re the go-to “tech support” for friends and family, whether it’s fixing a printer that won’t cooperate or explaining why Grandma’s laptop keeps showing pop-ups. When Mark isn’t glued to their screen, they’re probably building their dream PC, rewatching sci-fi movies for the hundredth time, or testing a gadget that promises to “change everything.” Spoiler: they’ll let you know if it actually does.