Location: Electronic Arts Web Site

I recently (and very belatedly) learned of the demise of The Sims Online (or E-A World, in its dying days).  The multi-player version of Electronic Arts’ popular social game never caught fire, and the company pulled the plug. Personal caveat: I won’t play anywhere that is Windows-only, so I never have goofed with the Sims series (beyond my extensive use of Sim City Two with students in the early 90s).  But the Sims concept fascinated me long before I discovered SL.  I’m sorry it went under; the more virtual worlds, the better: every type of resident would have his or her niche.

Even if that means boring-looking blond Stepford-couples eating lobster in bed in their fake McMansions….whatever blows your hair back.

While I have no hair, and I cannot claim that Second Life will endure, I can claim one reason for its longevity: user-created content.

My tour of Hair Fair 2008’s vendors showed how much thought and talent go into even the most workaday examples of creativity by SL residents. EA-Land only permitted users to make content late in the game, and even then that content had to be approved by someone at the company.

Many other virtual worlds limit the ability of participants to create items for use in-world. That makes sense in gaming worlds, given the ability of a clever hacker to create something like a “Sword of a Thousand Truths,“ from the delightful “Make Love, Not Warcraft“ episode of Southpark. Such items are tantamount to cheating in the “game.“

In a social world, however, one premised upon avatar customization and place-pimping, why would a company want to limit creativity?  Well, stability comes to mind, something SL often lacks.

I’m guessing that Sims Online residents have migrated to SL and other worlds like it, so they can continue to socialize.  But what happened to their inventory of items?  Their virtual social-networks?

This is the one aspect of the demise of this world that might send shivers up the spines of serious SL residents.

Be sure to check the “In a Strange Land” Archive for old posts

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