The Sims heads to Threadless for first merch line

The Sims, 17 years old this year, opens its Threadless store with 17 designs. — AFP Relaxnews

The world's best-selling PC game franchise of all time, The Sims, finally has its own line of official merchandise.

Fans of The Sims can finally walk around with a green crystal following them about, just like the game's little people do.

Seventeen designs stock the life simulation franchise's official Threadless store, thesims.threadless.com, available to order on t-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies, as well as art prints, rugs, phone cases and more.

First launched in 2000, by 2016 The Sims was being inducted into the Strong National Museum of Play, recognised for nearly 200 million sales in 60 countries and over 20 languages.

Three numbered sequels and various spin-offs followed, with The Sims 4 arriving on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this past Nov 17 after several years on PC and Mac, and eager fans getting hold of 2018's The Sims Mobile early after it soft-launched in Brazil and Spain.

As well as those green crystal designs – Plumbobs, to those in the know – there are phrases from the game, references to recent expansion packs for The Sims 4, and the franchise's recurring llama theme.

In keeping with the reputation of The Sims for attracting a broad audience, its merch options run from the upper body clothing options that Threadless built its business on to water bottles, notebooks, beach towels and mugs.

The iconic franchise's website indicated that it was open to expanding the range, particularly with a bit of help from its fans, inviting additional suggestions based on other fun Sims sayings or physical replicas of art prints featured in the game's spread of make-believe domestic and office buildings. — AFP Relaxnews