The New York Times has today published an article about children replacing the classic dolls for videogames, of which the Sims is probably played the most. Children use the toys to play variations of their own lives, or lives they observe or imagine. It's those children, especially the middle-class schoolchildren in the USA according to the paper, who made the Sims the success it was - it sold 60 million copies globally since its release. Experts say that girls seem to like making a friend, whereas boys like to take on a pretend identity. Will Wright is also quoted saying that girls want a more creative, complex experience than boys for entertainment, and that the Sims gives them that. Also, girls tend to stop playing the game when they're going to high-school and start getting more interested in boys, at about the same time when they lose their interest in science or math. If this continues, Education Professor James Paul Gee says the gender imbalance in those areas will continue to exist. In the article several young fans of the Sims also talk about the game and their experience with it. For all the details read the entire article, which covers three pages.