A good article, but I object to the author's blanket statement that mass consumerism is the engine that drives The Sims. There are wealth and property driven Sims who want the big car or the expensive house, but the game is designed to nuture Family sims, Knowledge sim, and so forth. Also, the more you buy the more problems you have. A big house is harder to keep clean, the most expensive items tend to break more and require costly repairs, sim who live together and have a lot of stuff tend to stop interacting with each other and suffer emotionally - these inconviences are all features programed purposefully into the game. And to your point about the TV: if you buy the big TV, you're sims will be happy. But they won't do anything all day but watch it, gaining weight and missing out on social interactions - just like real life.

I hardly ever play the money-driven Sims. They're boring.