I was born in the mid-’80s, meaning I was a pre-teen and teen in the ’90s, prime time for playing The Sims since its inception in 2000. Twenty years on, the computer game is as popular as ever, so much so that there’s now a reality show based on it called The Sims Spark’d where contestants compete to create the most bomb virtual life possible.
- The Sims Spark’d is the brainchild of EA and TBS. EA announced the new series on Wednesday, July 8, ready to bring the biggest Sims fans on the planet together in one place to face off against each other to see who can make the most impressive creations. Frankly, it’s genius and I can’t believe it didn’t happen sooner.
- There’s $100,000 on the line here. The Sims Spark’d follows a pretty conventional reality TV competition series format in that contestants will have different challenges to complete, showcasing their world-building skills and knocking everyone else out of the water.
- The reality TV show is a natural extension of the Sims world. “Something that has always been so special to The Sims is the community and how much our players connect with each other to celebrate, share, collaborate, and show off the things they’ve been able to make or share their stories,” Lyndsay Pearson, GM of The Sims franchise, told The Verge. “What we’re doing with Spark’d is a really interesting evolution of exactly that. It’s the same DNA, the same motivation.”
- There are 12 contestants in total and you’ll probably recognize some. EA describes the contestants as “familiar online personalities” so that means you’ll probably know a few. In addition, there’s a celebrity judging panel including YouTube star Kelsey Impicciche, game developer Dave Miotke, and singer Tayla Parx.
- Sadly, there are only four episodes of the show. At least so far! The show starts on July 17, with episodes airing on TBS on Friday and Saturday and also available to watch on Buzzfeed’s “Multiplayer” YouTube channel on the following Monday. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait!
