Join GameSpot as we celebrate gaming history and give recognition to the most influential games of the 21st century. These aren`t the best games, and they aren`t necessarily games that you need to rush out and play today, but there`s no question that they left an indelible impact on game developers, players, and in some cases, society at large.In 2000, PC gaming was largely a `serious` scene. Counter-Strike, Diablo II, and Deus Ex all launched that year, Valve`s Half-Life had launched two years prior, and id Software`s Quake still had legs four years after its release. They were joined by one very odd duck: The Sims. It was the evolution of developer Maxis` previous success in SimCity, but on a more personal scale. It was freeform, goofy, and much more `casual` than its contemporaries, and it was clearly something special.The Sims blended the best of what simulation games could offer with lessons learned from none other than Quake, which laid the foundation for modern game modding and the communities that surround it. With accessible modding tools and a built-in sharing platform, The Sims brought community-made content to a broader audience. Through this platform, it fostered a space to explore games as a passionate and social experience. That had a greater impact on players than it did the development of other games, but it was an important one all the same. The Sims resonated especially with girls and women--for many of them, it was a gateway into a world that was otherwise incredibly hard to reach.When The Sims arrived, there wasn`t really anything like it. There were Maxis` own Sim games, the highlight of which was SimCity, and 3D home-design software was popular. But a virtual dollhouse, one in which you controlled the narrative, the relationships, the look and personality of a person and their home--that was novel. The Sims took simulation and scaled it down, not in complexity, but in scope. Rather than managing an entire city, you managed a life. And, unl ...
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