The free access that people have to the in-game console and the assets present in the game have led to the development of a large number of innovative cheats and an extremely active modding community that has developed a number of mods for the game. One of the reasons for this unmitigated popularity is due to the sheer flexibility present in these games - as is the case with most PC games. And this prediction turned out to be true, as the series has gone on to become the most played PC game of all time by a long shot. From its very first release, it was clear to both EA and Maxis that they'd stumbled upon an absolute gem of a series that would stand the test of time as one of the most popular gaming franchises of all time. The fact that this popular series is getting ported onto consoles is proof enough of the sheer popularity that the series has accrued, ever since its inception way back near the start of this century. It goes without saying that The Sims is one of the best life simulation games available on the PC by a long shot.