Do you tell people you play The Sims? I don't know if it's just me but I tend to not tell people, and I hide the discs and cases if I know people are coming over. My fiancé found out after we moved in together because I couldn't really hide it, and I don't think he quite gets the point but he (as far as I know) doesn't think its really weird - he proposed to me so I'm guessing not!
I just think that if people found out they'd think I was a little odd... Am I overreacting? Does anyone else get what I mean?

Yes. I tell anybody. I don't see it as anything to be embarrassed about. Millions of people young and old play this game so I would not of thought its anything to think odd of.

It's the best selling game series of all time. Nothing to be ashamed about... Heck, I even talked about it in a job interview once - I was asked what I did with my free time and I explained that I made sims custom content - 3D models and texturing. The interviewer was actually really interested and I showed him my MTS profile and he understood that it actually took quite a lot of technical skill. And I got the job.

All my friends know, and they wanted me to make sims of them. It's not like the Sims has the same effects and reputation a World of Warcraft which I've known people to fail entire semesters because they are so addicted to it.

Haha! I also talked about Sims 2 in a job interview about what I do in my freetime, and you know what? I got the job...but probably not because of that answer alone.

Wow... maybe I am just really overreacting... or maybe I just worry too much about what people think! Cheers guys.

I'll tell people I play it if the topic of video games or similar comes up in conversation, but it doesn't often come up.

I kind of understand where you're coming from with the hiding it thing. It's probably because a lot of people think that video games are a boys thing - which, of course, they aren't. I'm a girl who loves gaming and I'm definitely not ashamed or embarrassed by it. I'll talk about games with the friends that I have who are into video games, but I do also have many friends who aren't interested in that stuff at all.

ETA: there are also negative stereotypes of gaming that people most likely don't want to be associated with (even though said stereotypes are nothing like the vast, vast majority of gamers) which could lead them to hide the fact that they play. I think we all know the stereotype: overweight, single guys in their mid-30s still living in their parents basement, who spend day and night on MMORPGs and don't get any face-to-face social interaction.

Well, no. I dont get what you mean. Every human is odd in different ways, why try to be "normal"? Normal must be a very boring person indeed.

I tell people one of my interests is computer games (Im not only playing sims). And if they find it interesting and we share the interest of course I will talk about sims!

If they find me weird even just for the computergames bit, I see no reason to harass them with talk about sims. Wich they would be as uninterested in as if I'd start chatting about my ear shape

And since im nearly 40 and female, yes most people find me odd. But then I cant fathom why anyone can sit glued to the tv every night.

I actively convert people into the genera. Now if you'll excuses me I've got to spread the Gospel of Will to the unwashed heathen masses.

LOL Black Barook! Way to go!

I don't tell strangers or colleagues from work, but I have to tell my friends if only because playing the game is such a time sink for me that they deserve to know what I'm doing when I retreat for hours at a time.

I try not to bring the subject up to my friends as they don't play and don't want to hear about my playing. I'm worried a couple of them might try an "intervention".

I don't however actively hide the fact that I play. I do remember talking about it at a party once and one of my girl friends looked at me and said "it sounds like Barbie's". I thought "exactly, but better".

Since I was never permitted to play with Barbie's as a child (uptight Mom and Barbie's had *gasp* boobs) this of course explains my obsession.

I talk, my friends know, my collegues know, I think playing is as normal as not playing.

Ya, most of my friends think its cool and want the game but they can't afford the game or its many expansion packs and stuff packs. I can't blame em' I've spend 100's of dollars on the sims and its many expansion packs. Including the sims 3.

I got some friends playing too... and my brother (although he uses the game as a way to vent his frustrations sometimes I think.)

Whenever people ask me what I like about it I reply with the question: "Did you ever play with LEGO as a kid, or barbies?" And then depending on if the person is male or female I elaborate on the great 3-d house building engine, the custom content creating or how you can micromanage families and stuff.

I never got someone that said it sounded dull or dumb afterwards and I got a friend who studies architecture and city-planning on a complete building spree.

I don't hide it, but I don't bring it up randomly.

Well, I'd like to talk about playing with my friends but they don't understand it. Atleast most of them. My closest friend though listens patiently when I talk about Sims, since her ex was a game addict also One of my good friends thinks it's just wasting time and thinks that it's a kids game (her nieces play and they are a little over 10), another is little interested about Sims but she doesn't want to play (as she knows that she'd get hooked). I do wish I could share this hobby of mine with them too... It's funny though, how example my mom reacts to it. She's always nagging that do I spend all my time with that "cottage game" Well no, not all my time. But most of it, yes. B) And so what, I'm almost 30 so that's really not her (or anyone elses who doesn't get it) business anyway!

I don't hide it. I display it proudly. I would display it more too if given the chance. My sims games are lined up at the top of my not very tall DVD shelf. I talk about it all the time to friends if they don't mind listening. I bring it up on dates, guys seem to think it's interesting, (I also talk about college football, so I should be a catch). Anyway I also have a shiny green plumbob hanging from my rearview mirror and I used to have sims pictures on my walls. I'm a nerd for sims. It got me into the college of my choice. By the way, if I were a CC-creator I would probably be talking about it more, and I think it would get me ahead in my career too.

I was out at the pub one night and I told some chick "you'd look great as a Sim"

She had no idea what I was talking about and even after it was explained to her she still didn't get it. FAIL.

^ HAHAHAHA!

I once told my boyfriend's roommate one of my slutty sims's life story thusfar and he actually sat there and listened with interest.
I was at work and I looked over to my coworker and told him "If you were my sim, I would make you go order pizza" (He was complaining about being hungry) and he just rolled his eyes and said "You need to play Sims 3 already"

It doesn't tend to come up in conversation with my friends and coworkers. Most people who know I play don't really 'get why I like it'. My BFF (and we've known each other since we were 12s, before somebody goes 'BFFs are for 12s, foo!') tried it once, and she started freaking out because her cute little single father lost his toddler to the social worker 'cause he was too angry to feed him.

Mostly, I'm just a younger, female version of the classic gamer nerd: but since I'm moving out in the fall to finish university in another city (yay for growing up well and moving out! 10,000 aspiration points! ), maybe I'll develop a life yet...

Oh, no, wait, creating a self-sim and playing them doesn't count!

I don't really go around advertising the fact that I play, but its more because I think they don't actually care, rather than being afraid of what they think of me. Like when I tell them I play it's just like 'Oh yeah, cool'. So I don't really bother telling most of them.

Although there are some people I can in-depth Sims conversations with, such as my sister. We have 4 hour long Sim sessions sitting on her bed on our separate laptops, it's kind of funny really.

I can also have rather long conversations about Sims with my cousin, since he was the one who got me into The Sims back in 2000 (that was when you could actually burn the Sims onto another disc, so naughty).

I don't tell-either colleagues or strangers-but friends know. In fact, today I admitted I played games to a customer, but I didn't admit to the Sims..something held me back. Probably the fact that in my job, I should look and act like a "professional" and it might be taken that I'm just not that much of one by saying I played it..at my age, too! (I'm over 50.)
I lied and said "Civilization", although that's true too. I'm looking forward to the newest game coming out later this year..CIV V.
I guess my Sims are a big secret obsession.

I'm 37 and hubby is 43. He has his sci-fi computer games, and I have Sims--and it's a good thing we each have our own computers!

He's asked me on several occasions, "All right, what expansion/stuff packs are you missing?"

My mother's coming for a visit this weekend and I'm going to show her Sims.

I hide it from people I don't know well, because it does have the perception of kind of being a "woman's game", even though it's not.

And Fran, wait, 5's coming out? Score! (My IV and Vista did not play nice, and I can't play it anymore)

I don't exactly hide it from people, but I don't go around with a sandwich board on broadcasting that I play The Sims. I'm not ashamed or anything, it's just not something that comes up often.