| The free trial of the Sims Online game is currently | | | | games with more interesting and innovative features. |
| undergoing a revision. Very soon, according to EA, | | | | That, however, is about to change. Luc Barthelet |
| the free trial will become permanent free play. Great | | | | announced in March 2007 that he is re-involving |
| news for those of us who can't afford the $9.99 a | | | | himself in the game. The forums have been consulted |
| month for full play, but what has brought about this | | | | for the first time in years, and the Sims Online world |
| change? | | | | is in for a shake-up. |
| Well, put simply, EA stuffed up. The Sims Online was | | | | One of the first moves that EA are making is to |
| released to the public four years ago, and has earned | | | | created new cities for players to explore. They are |
| itself a relatively small user-base. The immensely | | | | also changing the logo, and have promised to close |
| popular game Second Life was released at the same | | | | the loopholes that allow for the money cheats. |
| time, and has gone from strength to strength. Now, | | | | Registration will be greatly simplified, and the free trial |
| Second Life is a very good game and plays to | | | | will become, soon, permanent free play. Of course |
| different strengths to the Sims Online, but the Sims | | | | there will be limitations: only one choice of city for |
| comes from a franchise that boasts the two highest | | | | non-payers; only one avatar; less starting money. |
| selling games of all time. It shouldn't have been too | | | | Nonetheless, this is a real show of commitment by |
| hard for EA to come up with a game, then, that at | | | | EA, and will no doubt draw in many new players. New |
| least landed in the top 10% of online games. And | | | | players, paying or not, will breathe life back into the |
| initially, they did. | | | | game, and that's got to be a good thing for EA, |
| At the beginning of January 2003, the Sims Online | | | | whose image was looking a bit tarnished by its failure. |
| claimed over 100,000 active subscriptions, making it | | | | So why now? Well, the Sims 3 is due to be released |
| top of the list for online games. Sales soared, and EA | | | | in (possibly) 2008, which might have something to do |
| projected 40,000 subscribers by the end of the year. | | | | with it. Nobody wants a dead goose on display when |
| And then they gave up. Luc Barthelet, the Senior | | | | they're trying to build hype for their new product, |
| Vice President of Electronic Arts, seemingly turned his | | | | and it's going to take a while for the Sims Online to |
| back on the game, and bugs and instabilities were left | | | | get back on track. This is a very promising (re-) |
| unresolved. Cheats sprang up which allowed players | | | | start, though, and a very exciting time to get into |
| to get large amounts of Simoleons (the Sims Online | | | | the world of the Sims Online. New features such as |
| currency), effectively destroying the in-game | | | | AvatarBook, which works much like Facebook, will |
| economy and rendering many of the objectives of | | | | help to provoke interest, and could pull in a very large |
| the game (such as employment) useless. Before the | | | | audience indeed. Few people who have played the |
| cheats came out Simoleons could be sold on eBay | | | | Sims games haven't wondered what it would be like |
| for real money, which is one of the attractions to | | | | to play with other people, but most have been put |
| many new players, who want to believe that their | | | | off by bad reviews or friends' advice. Now that's all |
| actions within the game have some sort of effect in | | | | set to change, and the community can only get |
| the real world. | | | | stronger and stronger. The question, then, is not why |
| So Second Life grew, and the Sims Online - an online | | | | EA are making these changes now, but why they |
| version of the most popular games of all time - sank | | | | didn't make them before. Now we can only play and |
| into obscurity. A few faithful users stuck with it, but | | | | wait, and hope this time EA gets it right. |
| most players left it well alone, instead finding newer | | | | |