Hot on the heels of the news that the Sims 2 has already old a million copies in just 10 days we have a great testosterone filled review by the Ars crew. They offer a the Alpha Male geeks perspective on this gaming phenomenon and try to answer the question of why in the hell is the game so popular?

I tried the original Sims, and was initially intrigued but it quickly turned into a bathroom and shower simulator. I found myself checking the need to go to the bathroom a lot more often than playing the game, and it got old fast. It didn’t last long on my hard drive.

Sounds like my experience with the first one.

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After a few more hours I felt lost and frustrated, there wasn’t anything I had to do. I got up, made some meals, cleaned up after myself, and mostly sat around. In the middle of the night, William, the youngest in the family, tried to make a snack and died in the fire. The grim reaper showed up, left an urn, and then made a check on his list.

Hmmm, sounds about as entertaining as it gets.

This really is a game that everyone can get into, and can be a very interesting psychological exercise. I became fascinated by what the game did, and the seemingly endless little animations and interactions between the Sims and their world. I was even more fascinated by how I played the game and reacted to what my characters did.

So it looks like this is a game that even an uber male geek can enjoy. Looks like I will have to buy it…for my mother this Christmas.