Functionally similar to the final Camera Mode, SimsWebCam's key difference is its default 'Simply SimSational!' caption placed at the lower-left corner of images. While streaming, fans actively participated in chat rooms with questions about the mysterious, in-progress world of The Sims.
It is believed that the system automatically captured and uploaded screen snapshots every 10 seconds, effectively narrating a live gameplay experience through a rolling sequence of images. A further research at the game's development history shows that, for the means of building pre-release hype and gathering user feedback, the Sims team employed 'SimsWebCam' for weekly streamed gameplays on the SimCity website. This triggers zooming rectangles to focus on the Sim, and a 320x240 JPG file named 'SimsWebcam' is created or overwritten in the game's main directory. To activate it, players can simply position their cursor over a Sim, playable or not, and press F7. Hidden within the base game of The Sims lies a curious snapshotting tool, dubbed 'SimsWebCam' or 'stalker camera.' This feature, notable absent from patched versions and expansions, offers a unique way to capture Sims in action.
Example of a SimWebCam picture captured in the final.
