Photo courtesy EA Games
Within a few months of releasing "The Sims" in early 2000, EA Games had shipped more than a million copies, making the game a whopping success. And while most popular games sell well for the first several months and then start to peter out, "The Sims" just kept going -- for years. By early 2002, the game had sold more than 6.3 million copies, making it the best-selling PC game of all time. Every new expansion pack was also a hit, as were two console spin-off games.

But as impressive as these numbers are, the really remarkable thing about "The Sims" is what types of people bought the game. Most successful games, even blockbusters like "Halo," sell to a fairly limited demographic: mainly male gamers under 40. In contrast, around half of all Sims players are female, the game attracts all ages, and a sizable chunk of players didn't play many computer games before they got the Sims. In other words, this game hit a nerve like very few creations do.

So, what do you do for a follow-up? Maxis, the game developer behind the Sims games, is getting ready to unleash "The Sims 2," the first true Sims sequel. By all accounts, the new game is bigger, badder, and even more addictive than the original. In this article, we'll take a peek at the new additions