From Designing Houses to Studying Architecture: Did Those Who Study Design Share Any Similarities in Playing the Sims Game?

Abstract

Wright’s famous game The Sims, and its sequels; The Sims2 (2004), The Sims3 (2009), and The Sims4 (2014) are computer based digital games that provide digital settings to simulate virtual dollhouses (Martey and Stromer-Galley, 2007). They are one of the most played games of all time, which is why it has been the focus of academic studies since its first release. Within the scope of this research, a comprehensive survey was conducted. The first phase of the survey was conducted with 54 participants and the participants who graduated from different departments were asked whether there is a relationship between The Sims game experiences, interest in playing SIMS and choosing a profession. The following phase was conducted with the focus of architects, interior architects and industrial design graduates and students, who are called design faculty members. In this study, the effects of playing The Sims on the profession and their professional achievements were questioned.