while allowing players to easily and intuitively make whatever changes they want.
Unlike many modern action games, the tutorial primarily provides players with infor-
mation about how to play the game, not how to manipulate the interface. The interface
is so simple and intuitive that players pick it up with very little difficulty, no doubt the
result of rigorous playtesting. Indeed Wright has stated that ten versions of the inter-
face were thrown out before they arrived at the version with which they shipped. The
fact that help is embedded throughout the interface is key, allowing players to click on
any text item for an explanation of how it is important and why it is relevant.
A big part of the success ofThe Sims’ input/output scheme is its similarity to sys-
tems players are likely to understand before they ever start playing the game. For
instance, the buttons that determine the game’s simulation speed look like those one
would find on a tape player, something with which almost all players will be familiar. A
large amount of the interface is reminiscent of Microsoft Windows, with the pointing
and clicking players do mirroring that OS wherever appropriate. Item manipulation is
reminiscent of Windows as well; players can use drag and drop to place objects, or sim-
ply click and click. The standard Windows “X” appears in the upper right-hand corner
of dialog boxes to indicate that they can be closed, and the regular OK/Cancel button
combinations are used wherever appropriate. While the functionality mirrors Windows
in many ways, it is important to note that the appearance of the interface does not look
exactly like Windows. All of the buttons are nicely drawn in a friendly art style that is a
far cry from Windows’ cold, utilitarian sterility. If the game used the actual dialog box
art that Windows provides, players would instantly be reminded of working with the file
picker or some other Windows interface, not an experience they are likely to remember
fondly, certainly not as a “fun” activity. However, by putting a new visual style on the
behavior of Windows, the interface is intuitive and familiar to players without actually
reminding them of file management.
Another example of this is the “head” menu used throughout the game. When play-
ers want to have a sim perform an action on a particular object, players simply click on
388 Chapter 20: Game Analysis:The Sims
The Simshas an
extremely intuitive
interface that includes
multiple ways for the
player to accomplish the
same action.