TSO is back, SL style

Greening really sucks if you're required to do it.
Truthfully pre-TSO I just used the cheat codes to build and create gardens in the first game after I figured out I could create things.
I really liked the looking for cool content made by fans and collecting too but it really sucked on those 386 computer's tiny, tiny hard drives.
I never had website I occasional shared my paintings, wall and floor texture creations for a yahoo group called the Busy Bees on my very ancient Dagon account.
Sometimes though I do miss having needs for my avatar here.

Just out of curiosity I went and downloaded TSO last week. Apparently it's the new spiffy version. UGH. I couldn't zoom in to see my avatar, I couldn't really modify her at all, and the whole thing was just dang ugly. The program itself is slow and not fun. I think, to me, the worst thing was, that if I asked a multi-worded question to a room of people at large, I usually got a l33t speak answer back, using the fewest possible words. Ick. I didn't login to text on my phone. Deleted it after 4 hours of constantly making my sim use the toilet, take a shower, sleep, and eat.

That's great - but that's exactly what I'm talking about. As professionals move in and offer better and better content at lower and lower prices, the number of sales that will be available for you and folks like you - and thus the number of people who can benefit from that emotional *kick* - tends to fall. The issue isn't that novices are unable to make money (as you've mentioned, they might not want to). The issue is that in a world where it is possible to make real money can be made, there is no incentive for anyone to leave any space in the market for the little people, and in fact there is a strong incentive not to - more money.



Exactly, and what I'd like is for more people to be able to feel that way, but I fear that the changing market on SL is a threat to that. I have never felt welcome to create what I wanted to on SL and I know several others who are in the same position. (The items that I _have_ created were created from a customer-focused point of view, rather than being based on what I myself wanted to do.)

OOOh, big question.

Will you be forced to use toilets?
That's my biggest peeve with SIMs.

My mother decided one day to try the free trial of Sims Online. I looked at her and laughed. A lot. She'd never even played Sims in any format, so she had to learn the basics the hard way. In fact, I don't think she ever got past the basics. *shrugs* I think it's just as well.. the virtual worlds are better off without her trying to blow them up.

What difference does it make what the market is like to someone who's creating because they enjoy creating? Even for people who now make a profit at SL, profit likely wasn't the motive that made them start creating. It certainly wasn't mine. And who are these "little people"? That's such a patronizing and offensive term. I doubt there are many people who would self-identify as one, and those that do don't need their hand held. They need a smack upside the head.

From what I could see EA, like Sims, is no patch on SL. The graphics, with their no-perspective isometric (I think) viewpoint looks very 1992 compared to SL.

From what I've seen, it's the SL clones like Open Life or Central Grid, which are like 'SL beyond LL', that pose the biggest potential threat to SL, but even they've got a lot of catch up to do. The SL copycats like Hipihi and Novoking won't tempt me away even if I do manage to try them out one day.

The only website that claims to be a comprehensive list of virtual worlds that I've found was last updated 2 years ago!

So I wouldn't be surprised if there are other small virtual worlds on the net that we haven't yet discovered.

Heh, thanks. Now I know not to try this product. I have never had anything to do with "Sims".

Can't blame them for trying I guess... I just got an email from them.


Dear Former Member of The Sims Online

I would like to introduce you to EA-Land, an online world that is free-to-play, and based on a re-engineered The Sims Online architecture. Yes, FREE.

We have played The Sims Online together, my avatar is MaxisLuc (yes, I work for Maxis/EA.) I wanted you to know that at the beginning of last year, I assembled a team to improve The Sims Online. After months of ongoing hard work, we can proudly say that we have been successful and we have made this game fun again! I am writing to you because I would like to invite you to rejoin us in the game. You can come back for free right now by REACTIVATING your old account at this page http://ea-land.ea.com/register/free.php and then by downloading the game from the same link. Most likely, your Sim is no more, but if you come back to the game this month, you will get your earned privileges back (gifts, skill locks etc. in EA-Land) when we run our amnesty program at the end of the month. Today you can play for free in our test city called 'Test-Center 3', in a few days you will be able to also play for Free in the 'EA-Land' city.

EA-Land will host all of The Sims Online cities. The Sims Online was made of 12 different cities (AlphaVille, Blazing Falls, etc..) and we are moving all of those cities inside EA-Land (this is called 'the merge' by the users!). We have a huge new map: it is 100 times bigger than the previous size of any city. We had to add a whole new zoom level to let users see it. The internet is faster now, so we have been able to let each house have more simultaneous visitors. A lot of new users are constantly joining us and we expect more. As you have played TSO before, I think that you ought to own your lot in this new land, and I want you to have the ability to grab the best location before we open the gates. As an EA-Land subscriber, you will be able to have several Sims in the same 'city' unlike in TSO where you were limited to one Sim per city.

RE-designed with Smart Users
We have a blog (http://www.tso-e.com ) where we explain all the things we are working on and the events we are running in the game. We also have a very active wiki web site (http://www.game-blueprints.com ) managed by the community where you can work with others to design the game. We have already implemented many features designed by the users! The stratics forum community continues to be very active. We have made some big changes to the game, and many more are coming over the next few months. It is difficult to say which of the recent changes are the most important as users have different reasons to play the game, but let me tell you about the changes that I particularly like:

Custom Content
Users now have the ability to upload custom content. Like in the original Sims game, the goal is to let you customize the game completely, but in EA-Land you can see and buy the customizations of the other players! Players have already uploaded several thousands pieces of custom content. I suspect that by some time this year, all of the content of the game will have been replaced many times over by custom content. We started with the ability to upload bitmaps (easiest for the new creative users), then moved on to chairs and sculptures. You can now make your own portraits in the game and "skin" objects like in Sims2 by using your own images. Because we are approving all of the content, this user content is safe to be viewed by everyone! We are working with the main user web sites that have been providing custom content to the Sims users for years (e.g. http://www.TheSimsResource.com) to make sure that their content will be made available in the game.

New Economy
We heard from the community that the economy was broken in TSO. That was true, too many users were billionaires, and the goal of the game was mostly about extracting money from Maxis. I can now say with satisfaction that we have fixed the economy on EA-Land. This took many features, from establishing a real estate market, where users can easily buy or sell lots to one another, and a dynamic object pricing market where the prices of objects purchased from Maxis is based on supply and demand, enabling stores and entrepreneurs to earn a living. We also enabled users to buy simoleans directly from Maxis. While there is no need for users to do so in the game (we give subscribers simoleans every week), it can help new users build their dream house faster with a simple paypal transaction secured by us.

Web Services and Social Networks
The internet has changed so much since the launch of The Sims Online in December 2002, we had to change the way we think about online games. We have opened the access to most of the in game information to the internet through web services. For example this enables you to add Google or Yahoo widgets to your computer (or iPhone! ) and see if your favorite lots or friends are online. We are providing you with privacy settings so you can decide if or which of your avatars will broadcast what information to the internet. Sims User web sites are already using this feature to create some amazing community sites. We also built avatarbook, to show how that information can be seen and connected to social web sites like Facebook © (login to the "avatar book" application at http://apps.facebook.com/avatarbook where you can search for MaxisLuc's profile page)

And there's more to come! We are looking forward to seeing you back in the game and having fun with us again!

Sincerely
Luc Barthelet,"MaxisLuc"

The Sims. Don't make me have to break out my thread killing platypus avatar from TSR.

Seriously .. meh.

Still, if it gets the holier than thou element out there with something to do then all worlds might be happier. Those of us wanting to wallow in the exquisite mudbath we know and love can only benefit.

***edit*** Luc is still there huh. Now there's a name from the past.

Amen, Brother Midnight.

Anyone who is creating content in SL just to make a buck is missing the point. It also seems more likely that these 'made for profit' products will be inferior to a similar 'labor of love'. Sure there is room for all types in this new world, but why expend so much effort if you're not enjoying yourself - that's what RL jobs are for.

One of the best aspects of SL, and the Internet in general, is that ANYONE can create and contribute. We are empowered by easy access to tools and info and we are inspired to share the things that we find most interesting.

Big Guys? Little Guys? To me SL and the Web have all but eliminated this gap. It's just as easy for me to create and distribute content as it is for a multi-national media conglomerate.

When was the last time you went to a big corporate build in SL? I know that all of my favorite spots and things were created by people with a passion for what they are doing, not by someone crunching the numbers and creating just to make a profit.


For the OP:

Very interesting that EA is changing things up fro TSO, especially allowing for new (limited) content and cashing out of Simoleans. I think it's certainly a sign that the gaming industry sees value in what is happening in SL.

I played a lot of the Sims and Sims 2, but never logged in to TSO. I think I'll download this free client and give it a look-see. Always fun to see what is happening in other virtual worlds.

Because you keep saying "the enjoy creating" or "they want to create" as if these were somehow set in stone when people join SL, and they aren't - most new users I've met don't come in with any expectations at all, they're just seeing what experience they turn out to have in SL. Desires are changeable. When someone is inspired to create when they come into SL, something inside SL inspired them. If they enjoy creating for the pure sake of creating so much why wouldn't they be doing it in an RL art package? A big part of the difference is in the social environment SL provides. But the social environment is changing and it could be putting that factor in danger.



Ok, I am sorry for having chosen that term, and I didn't mean to offend anyone. But I just meant, the people who aren't big.

Again.. I'm not talking about the fact that these people are unable to make bucks creating content in SL. I'm talking about the fact that the people who _do_ make money, because they are making real money and thus there is no limit on the amount they'd like to make, have no incentive to leave any stone unturned in the world, ever. Not allowing cashing out puts a cap on this because a person can only use so much play money.



But to a large extent the Web has done that by being free and not supporting business in the traditional sense. If there was money in these things then the dynamic would be totally different - that's what I'm trying to say. If every single view of a clip on YouTube cost a dollar which was paid to the uploader, then the front page would be loaded with content from Warner, Disney, etc. Sure, you can distribute your content the same way they do, but you can't make it as good, nor market it as well.

For the Ones WHo say SL is a cesspool of filth and should be wiped off the map, EA Land may appeal to them.

me? nah, i've gotten used to my ava not needin things like food/sleep/baths, and peebreaks......so for all you who complain about the state of SL, EALand is here!!!! YAAAAY!!

Clearly you haven't seen the logo.



The whole website looks like a Disney thing...

It hurt my eyes so badly I couldn't keep reading.

i did, and laughed! lol
reminded me of my nephews playdoh lego land thingie...

Now we know why they need Screened Content..........

About 3 months into my SL life back in 2006 I got interested in trying my hand at making clothes for my personal use. Resizing a jpeg photo was something I might be successful at about half the time (just to show my graphics experience at that stage). I got GIMP and learned........on that I'm extremely proud of myself. And, I'm one of those who truly could not care less about making a profit at anything I create or do in this game.......I'm here strictly for the fun of it. I have a real life job that supports my real life needs so even the idea of creating for profit makes me crinch.......I don't want to work two jobs. So, my thoughts are with you, Chip........there is plenty of incentive for me. I can go to your shop and see what you have done and possibly purchase from you, but more often than not I gather ideas and get "inspired" to give it a go myself. Experimenting and trying to achieve the level that you (and many other creaters in SL) is so much fun.......got tell you, though, that I never even get close to you guys who are true experts. The point is, I have so many avenues to take in SL that do not require me to "work" at it.......it's all fun. Buying, making, wearing my sometimes disasters in public and, yes, I even give a lot away to friends or interested people. I do not want to sell anything becsause doing that makes it a job. The day SL becomes a job for me is the day I leave.......for good.

isn't Sims online a Teen rated game?

So of course it will require screened content.

I am actually going to look in on this. My expectations have been lowered enough not to be disappointed. Then again, I am a "Founder" there too, and the novelty of a 5 year old sim might get me my TSO 15 minutes of fame.

Yes, it's being screened.

Side note: A few days back on TSO Stratics, there was a thread about the similarities between SL and TSO, and it's interesting how some people bristle so much at ANY comparisons between the two and/or completely dismiss SL as a den of carnal pleasures.

Would be nice if the sexed themed areas in SL were more a Den of Carnal pleasures and less a Cyber imitation of a Porn SIte.

Though something inside of SL may have inspired them, they are likely just creative types.

And people who like to create are people who like to create, whether on the job, in the kitchen, in the crafts room, or on a game. Whether for pay or for fun. (I describe myself there.)

That kind of person is likely to be creative even in mileaus with less creative outlets, such as TSO.

But Yumi - it's not just magical creativity flowing in like manna from the sky and joy divine every moment. It's also work. You have to like the work and be willing to put in the work, and to get over "creator's block," again and again and again and again. And finish things - see them through from beginning to end, even through the parts that aren't joy divine.

As someone else once said, "Success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration."

And, I would add, I think it helps to love your projects and love doing things for others - in this case, creating things for others.

It never helps to compare yourself to others, or your projects to others already out there, or to view it all as a competition. There is ALWAYS room for more talent, and there is always more room at the top. Your talent is different from others, and that is the whole beauty of it: It is unique.

coco

I never played TSO but I did go through all the releases of The Sims as a game, before discovering SL. I got bored with The Sims as a game because it was too much of their content, just laid down on the ground, and not anything i could create myself, though I did enjoy building unusual houses.

I am wondering now if this is a final attempt to revitalise The Sims and TSO before the release of Spore (now scheduled for Q3 2008 but don't hold your breath) as I think Spore is going to be much bigger and more open to development into something to rival or at least be comparable to SL.

Spore looked very exciting standing from the viewpoint of The Sims, though I think my time in SL has changed my opinion on that. However, I tend to the feeling now that its just more pre-made objects to lay on the ground, at the moment. That may change, they may allow users to really create content after a while, rather than using a larger box of pre-made items.

Time will tell.

Anyone else have ideas about Spore?

imogen