sims-online
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EA-Land to be shut down in August
Yeesh, that was quick. Just around two months after it was put before the public, EA announced via a blog post that EA-Land (which was The Sims Online rebranded) would be closing up shop on August 1. Current subscribers can get $15 off a game at the EA Store or a three-month membership to Pogo. Unsurprisingly, that hasn't satisfied most fans, who were able to spend real-world money to improve their EA-Land experience. Threads (here and here) were flooded with comments from users like:"Well. I'm SO freaking glad that I put so much REAL LIFE money into this game. Thank you for letting us ALL down.""Did I mention I just payed $150 last night for the founders account I've always dreamed of. Way to go... Perhaps you could have told someone sooner.""I really just can't believe it's going to be over.....and I really can't believe they think a few months of POGO can make up what we're losing here."Some of the comments were more conciliatory, some even began plans to buy the game outright. But it was clear that even if the world itself may be dying it leaves behind an impassioned, angry populace.[Via Eurogamer]
Sims Online is back (sort of) and free
Well, here's a story that we didn't expect we'd be writing today: The Sims Online is back. ... Yeah, we're as surprised as you are. Apparently, a team has been toiling deep within the bowels of EA to bring The Sims Online back to the former glory that all 17 of its fans remember. The game is now part of EA-Land, and has apparently been improved with Yahoo and Google integration as well as the ability to upload custom content that can be sold to other players.You can play without a subscription fee, but you'll be able to spend money to buy Simoleans, and (at some point) cash those Simoleans out. (If you want to cash out more than you put in, you'll need to be a subscriber). What will having a real-world economy grafted on to it do to the game? Well, let's just say that if you've never paid a Sim "masseuse" to talk dirty to you in Simlish, you haven't lived.
