Sim-Dud?

Lumpish Scholar writes ""The Sims Online" was one of the most anticipated releases of 2002; but (according to this Los Angeles Times story in the Baltimore Sun, "'The Sims Online' sold 105,000 copies, or only about a quarter of the initial shipment in December," and (as quoted in this article in the New York Times), "the company's president, John S. Riccitiello, said the number of subscribers was half what Electronic Arts expected." (Check out Google News for more articles, and a registration-free partner link to the New York Times story.) Meanwhile, the game's customer reviews at Amazon.com have an average rating of only two (out of five) stars."

Comments

Sim the sim

[anicklin]

Maybe they should have simulated the release of the game in The Sims to see what the outcome would have been. :-)

As a friend once remarked

[IWantMoreSpamPlease]

When I told him about "The Sims":

"Great, a simulated life for people with no real life."

Kinda summed it all up right then and there.

Re:As a friend once remarked

[efatapo]

When I told him about "The Sims":
"Great, a simulated life for people with no real life."

Kind of like an animated form of the slashdot community...

Re:dead before it was online

[Coward the Anonymous]

was I the ONLY one who never played the darn thing in the first place?

Apparently it's just you and me.

Gengis Khan Said It Best...

[Kibo]

The greatest joy a man could have is victory; to conquer one's enemies armies, to pursue them, to deprive them of their possessions, to reduce their famillies to tears, to ride their horses, and to make love their wives and daughters.

How do you kill people and steal all their stuff in the Sims online again?

Re:Well no shit

[First_In_Hell]

"Deer Hunter" comes pre-installed on computers? God help us all.

Obligatory Monty Python....

[The Notorious ASP]

The directors of the firm hired to continue the marketing after the other people had been sacked, wish it to be known that they have just been sacked. The marketing has now been completed in an entirely different style at great expense and at the last minute.

Re:Must be somewhat successful..

[The AtomicPunk]

You must be one seriously boring dude. :)

That's not good

[Otter]

Meanwhile, the game's customer reviews at Amazon.com have an average rating of only two (out of five) stars.

Given that "death by Ebola virus" would probably average two stars in Amazon reviews, that's not very promising.

"Let's make pizzas for 5 hours straight!"

[WileyWiggins]

Maxis managed to take the few things that were fun about the original game, (customizability, being able to wreak havok with a large group of Sims 'lives'), and remove any trace of them from the Sims online. A game where you have to spend days of real-world time doing telemarketing and making pizzas to try and save up to buy a virtual refrigerator? This game isn't just dumb or boring, it's sadistic.

Sounds like local politics

[Animats]

That's realistic. I've been involved in local politics for years, and all those experiences sound familiar.

Re:dead before it was online

[Autonymous Toaster]

I mean you simulate a guy making toast,

Did someone say something about toast?

I haven't played, but this sounds like an excellent game to me.