The original The Sims - now sometimes called The Sims 1 for the sake of clarity - was released in February 2000, and received regular updates via expansion packs through to October 2003.
Start at the beginning, right? When faced with a self-imposed task as massive and daunting as writing a retrospective on The Sims franchise, going back to the very first game was the obvious launchpad.
As The Plumbob Turns is a regular column in which RPS's in-house Sims fanatic Rebecca delves into the history of her favourite franchise.