Short for simulation, particularly in gaming contexts. Also refers to a SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module) used in mobile phones.
Abbreviation of 'simulation' from Latin 'simulare' meaning 'to imitate, copy'. The gaming sense developed in the 1980s-90s with computer simulations, while SIM card usage emerged with mobile technology.
The gaming world's love affair with 'sims' began with SimCity in 1989, spawning an entire genre of simulation games. Meanwhile, your phone's SIM card contains more computing power than the computers that first ran these simulation games!
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