Gamasutra takes a look at a couple of games in which ‘behaviors’ come in play and the control of character’s A.I.  Charles London from EA steps in to share his experience with The Sims:

“When you’re making the base game, you’re trying to capture the essence of everyday life in a way that will appeal to nearly everyone,” Charles London, creative director of EA’s The Sims Studio, told me.

“Basic things, like sleeping, eating, being romantic, or watching TV, are very high on the list; without those, there’s really no core to ‘everyday life’ around which to wrap more exotic content.”

The Sims series is the alpha and omega of non-competitive games. You can’t beat a Sims game, but you can spend hundreds of hours experimenting with its web of interrelated behaviors. The reward for playing comes from small surprises and moments of simpatico rather than increasing difficulty curves.

“We rarely design activities or interactions for our Sims without having an overarching theme, like seasonal winter snow play, or going out to nightclubs and restaurants, or learning to be a firefighter,” London said.

more here (via SnootySims)