The Sims Social

The Sims Social was a 2011 social-network game developed by Playfish and published by Electronic Arts, launched on Facebook as a browser-based adaptation of EA's hugely popular The Sims life-simulation franchise. It brought the series' signature dollhouse gameplay, creating and customising a Sim, building and decorating a home, developing skills, pursuing romances and friendships, and managing daily needs, into the social, asynchronous format of Facebook gaming, where interacting with real friends' Sims and homes was central to progression. Like its social-game peers, it employed energy systems, timed tasks, collectible items and microtransactions, encouraging frequent short visits and friend cooperation. At its peak it became one of the most popular games on Facebook, attracting tens of millions of players and demonstrating EA's ability to extend a major console-and-PC brand into the booming social-gaming space. However, its prominence was also at the centre of a notable legal dispute: EA sued rival social-gaming giant Zynga, alleging that Zynga's The Ville copied The Sims Social, a case that became emblematic of the era's fierce competition and cloning controversies. As Facebook gaming declined and player interest waned, EA shut The Sims Social down in 2013. It is remembered as a high-profile example of the social-gaming boom.