Gaming – Sims Freeplay
Codes and Conventions
Life simulation
- follows many stereotypical game conventions but subverts them for the purpose of its genre
and platform
Avatar
- a character created by the player; they will create more and manage them all
- large change to traditional sims, where you focused on one-character set at a time in a single
household
Set goals
- have to complete in order to progress in the game e.g. “Cook eggs and Bacon”
- large change to traditional Sims, where previously there were no goals or focused goals that
could be done for bonuses
‘Needs’ bar
- for each character at the bottom left of the screen, displaying necessities for the character to
survive
Touchscreen
- all button inputs are done via touching the appropriate panel on screen, with 360
manoeuvrable by using specific touch gestures
Improve the town
- previous games focused on one household at a time and the interactions that could then
happen between neighbourhoods
Furniture
- variety of options being available to purchase in the bottom right menu
- large change where there is the inclusion of the in-game transactions (use real life currency)
to increase the success of their sims’ actions
Experience bar
- to rank how well they managed to create their sims giving the game a much more goal
orientated focus
- supplemented by special events that occur in game on special dates and login bonuses
, Signs Semiotic codes
Icons for Exp being earned for tasks signifies progress of
- people sims
- furniture and everyday items
Indexes for Conversation/tasks are simplified to speech
- conversations in the bubbles sims talk in bubble icons that signify what occurs that is
not seen by the player
Symbols for
- speech in bubbles in the air
- having a sim selected in the iconic green Needs bars connote the state of the sim
diamond
- needs in the needs bar
- money and exp
Objects connote the wealth and success of the
sim
- they are used to suggest a capitalist
view where materialism is king
Codes and Conventions
Life simulation
- follows many stereotypical game conventions but subverts them for the purpose of its genre
and platform
Avatar
- a character created by the player; they will create more and manage them all
- large change to traditional sims, where you focused on one-character set at a time in a single
household
Set goals
- have to complete in order to progress in the game e.g. “Cook eggs and Bacon”
- large change to traditional Sims, where previously there were no goals or focused goals that
could be done for bonuses
‘Needs’ bar
- for each character at the bottom left of the screen, displaying necessities for the character to
survive
Touchscreen
- all button inputs are done via touching the appropriate panel on screen, with 360
manoeuvrable by using specific touch gestures
Improve the town
- previous games focused on one household at a time and the interactions that could then
happen between neighbourhoods
Furniture
- variety of options being available to purchase in the bottom right menu
- large change where there is the inclusion of the in-game transactions (use real life currency)
to increase the success of their sims’ actions
Experience bar
- to rank how well they managed to create their sims giving the game a much more goal
orientated focus
- supplemented by special events that occur in game on special dates and login bonuses
, Signs Semiotic codes
Icons for Exp being earned for tasks signifies progress of
- people sims
- furniture and everyday items
Indexes for Conversation/tasks are simplified to speech
- conversations in the bubbles sims talk in bubble icons that signify what occurs that is
not seen by the player
Symbols for
- speech in bubbles in the air
- having a sim selected in the iconic green Needs bars connote the state of the sim
diamond
- needs in the needs bar
- money and exp
Objects connote the wealth and success of the
sim
- they are used to suggest a capitalist
view where materialism is king
