Is The Sims the next barbie?

As far as we know, children have always played with dolls of one sort or another to act out variations on their own lives, or lives they observe or imagine. Today, a vast and growing number of kids are doing the same thing — but with a very new tool. Instead of dolls, they are using video games. And perhaps most of all, they're using The Sims.

Ellen was only interested in using cheat codes to build bigger and bigger houses, which she promptly tore down and re-built again. I still call the McMansions in our area "Sims houses" because they even look like the stuff she built. I'd never much thought of it before, but as I recall her interest in the game actually did wane when we bought a real house.

Me? Oh I played it too, but after awhile I realized it was essentially a real-time strategy (RTS) game, and I'd much rather muck around with the conquering armies more common to mainstream RTS. I'm a guy, whaddayawant?