

The MMORPG certainly had its drawbacks, but it set a precedent for the potential of large-scale social simulators. Remarkably, The Sims Online was able to emulate quite a bit of the Sims experience while also creating a space for real-life players to interact.
SIMS ONLINE PLAY SIMULATOR
The first Sims game introduced the iconic life simulator mechanics that are well-loved today, including the creation of Sims, relationship mechanics, lot customization, career paths, and more. Many gamers are familiar with modern social simulators like Second Life and Animal Crossing, without knowing that The Sims Online predates them both. RELATED: The Sims 5 Reveals Cross-Platform Play The Sims Online Was Ahead of Its Time But Faced Numerous Gameplay Limitations Still, The Sims Online deserves a complete remake instead of being the multiplayer model for The Sims 5. Unfortunately, The Sims Online was short-lived, as a lack of consistent players culminated in the game shutting down in 2008. With the immense popularity of the first Sims game and the rise of the MMORPG genre with old-school RuneScape and Everquest, Electronic Arts wanted to get the best of both worlds. The Sims Online - also known as "EA-land" - was an MMORPG and social simulator released in 2002. Many Sims players may be unaware that the franchise has had a multiplayer game.

Since The Sims 4 is on par with The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim for being a "decade" game, it makes sense for Sims publisher Electronic Arts to take some big swings with The Sims 5 - including a possible Sims Online-inspired multiplayer mode. While some Simmers are ready to move into a new era for The Sims, the upcoming base game will come with significant changes, including multiplayer, cross-platform gameplay, and an emphasis on social connection. New content is being released for The Sims 4, and The Sims 5 - aka "Project Rene" - is also in development. There's a lot in past Sims games that can move the future of the franchise forward and for the better.2023 is set to be a big year for The Sims franchise. EA has the tools to make the current Scenarios better and make them online tasks and timers are even already built into the current game, The Sims 4. The Sims can have online aspects without changing its core gameplay and throwing the game through another overhaul. There is a lot that could be done with a feature like this and there could be object, outfit or special currency rewards. Sims' careers could be more interesting than simply being a rabbit hole to go down and instead put players in a multiplayer area where they must complete job tasks alongside others, putting more control in the players' hands.

These scenarios could range from simple things like running a restaurant's kitchen to something more complex like having an American Gladiator-type competition. Players could have their own roles or all be in the same role and complete tasks given, similar to how tasks are given over a time period when dating in The Sims 4. However, instead of being part of a story, which would take away from the solo gameplay, they could be fun, everyday scenarios where a certain number of players must cooperate or compete. A smaller version of this style of gameplay contained in its own instance could fit perfectly as a new online feature for The Sims. The Sims 2 for consoles had similar tasks that were instead included in the regular gameplay, as did The Sims Castaway. They were then given tasks to complete based on their role, which told a story, as well as unlocking items and raising skills, among other things. The Sims Medieval is the best example of what a scenario could be where players chose a role in a medieval village - Bard, Blacksmith, Monarch, Knight, etc. These were present in older games like The Sims Castaway, Medieval and Sims 2 console versions. It wouldn't be the first time The Sims has had tasks and goals. Instead, Scenarios should be reworked to be closer to an actual scenario than fan challenges and become online for a certain number of participants in their own instances. The single-player gameplay should, for the most part, remain unaffected as this is the heart of The Sims. However, there are modern and old aspects of Sims game that would work perfectly as optional online features - the keyword here being optional.
