10 Video Game Spin-Offs That Surpass The Original

The original SimCity may be rudimentary by today's standards, but the idea that players could construct an entire city in real-time in a game from 1980s was mind-blowing. Though the sequels tossed in new features and better graphics, the premise remained the same. After all, why change something if it's working perfectly?

However, the franchise went through a huge change-up after its creator, Will Wright, lost his house in a fire. Obsessing over how the fire wouldn't have spread if his home was arranged differently, Wright worked this idea into a new game that focused on a neighbourhood instead of a city.

Interestingly, the game that became 2000's The Sims wasn't meant to revolve around people. As the project took shape, Wright realised that rearranging furniture wasn't as engaging as characters building relationships, not just with each other but the player. By giving the NPCs their own routines and quirky behaviour, the gaming experience wasn't just more personal, but funnier.

At first, the higher-ups at Maxis thought The Sims sounded ridiculous, calling the project a "dollhouse". (To be fair, that was the original title.) Luckily, they changed their tune when The Sims garnered rave reviews and sold over ten million copies.

Though 2003's SimCity 4 was well-received, it didn't come close to matching The Sims sales, encouraging Maxis to focus more on the spin-off's continuation.