Talk:EA-Land

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[edit] Wrong company infos !

Maxis is dead since they are in EA, since 2007 the Maxis logo was removed from The Sims franchise ! It's no longer Maxis but it's EA Games only. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.52.208.241 (talk) 13:26, 17 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Code Red?

The Sims Online is currently in a zone of 'Code Red'. This means that The Sims online has less players than it did earlier, due to extreme botting Cheat programs in which causes players to stop playing. See below under 'economy' for more on the issue.

The sentences above are not structured very well and when did this 'Code Red' phenomenon start? I've never heard of it (I've heard of the cheating, but have not heard of it being referred to as 'Code Red'). Would someone mind clarifying and editing this information? --Funnykidrian 20:05, 18 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Rules

Simolean selling is not illegal, while botting is illegal. Stratics, while the official message boards, bans people from posting, and allows others to scam in the Swap Meet section. I do not think it should be listed, and think that Stratics is basically unfair, since many moderators believe they run the game, when in fact, all they do is play it. They have an unfair influence on the game, which is why I removed it from the External Links. --DaKing 20:51, 27 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Rules

I do know that. But also, since Stratics is the only news source for The Sims Online, I feel it needs to stay in the site section. --Smuznikrovf 22:51, 7 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] References

I added the "references" template. This has some STRONG allegations of illegal activity (Child prostitution? Mafia rule?) without any articles as "back-up."

lol look into the map of the game you will see strong mafia. most of the child invole in child prostitiution left the game i'm not sure i use to play the game but then left the game due to EA/Maxis poor business pratice. but it is true tho there is strong mafia rule there.

Okay - so find a news or reference source that indicates mafia rule, cite it, and remove the references template. --Thoughtfix 23:48, 3 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] My Opinion (on the scandal)

I don't really think the scandal should even be part of this discussion anymore. He doesn't play the game anymore, and he never did anything good for the game. He spread bad publicity for The Sims Online in order to make himself popular. He violated the Terms of Service, which is the real reason why he was banned. There is no secret agenda, and there is no scandal. Many people are banned on a weekly basis for breaking the rules, and he was just 1 person who did this. Yet, he made a stink, and got airtime from the wonderful newspapers in the world who didn't have enough murders to cover the headlines with, hence the "TSO scandal." Can we drop this crap, and talk about the game, the updates, and concentrate on TSO as a game, and even avoid the Stratics groupies and the same people getting the spotlight, over and over again. - --DaKing 20:19, 26 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Release date

The article states that it was both released in November of 2002 and December of 2002. Which is it? Frecklefoot | Talk 20:17, Dec 21, 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Scandal

This subject should be addressed in greater depth (for example, what kind of criminality was discovered?) A link to the story would be a good start. Cohen the Bavarian 21:32, 17 Jan 2005 (UTC)

My guess is that the scandal(s) referred to are the much publicized exposures of professor Peter Ludlow, which first hit the big news in The New York Times on January 15 2004, I believe. Ludlow has put a wealth of material on his internet site www.alphavilleherald.com including links to other sources, so that might be one relevant link to include. -Morten R. Sorensen 14 Apr 2005

There is now nothing on the allegations of impropriety in the article. This is unacceptable for wikipedia, if you ask me.

[edit] Some subjective thoughts on the "Scandal" part

I won't, at least as of yet, try to suggest an actual edit of the Scandal part of this article, but I do feel like adding some comments I feel relevant to take into consideration.

The article ends with the statement, "As of yet Maxis's only response has been to ban the researchers from the game." This is, to the best of my knowledge, accurate. However, while at a quick glance it looks fairly objectively phrased, my feel is that it could come bring across a feeling that there's something suspicious about Maxis' silence, the more so because of the use of the word "researchers" which is likely to create an image of scientists conducting unbiased investigation in many minds. While Ludlow has beyond any doubt carried out much investigation right down to actually involving himself in the game, questions may certainly be raised about his bias. This is not intended as a criticism of Ludlow who has every right to promote his own agenda, just a reminder that he certainly has one of those, and that any mention of his work here ought to reflect that. That agenda, simply put, is trying to force Maxis to impose a much higher level of censorship onto the game than it currently employs, particularly when it comes to controversial sexual themes played out through game characters, e.g. prostitution and sado-masochism. (Recently he has directed his efforts to another on-line game, which is reflected in a change of title of his site, though, suggesting to me that he finds "worse" things going on there.) It should be noticed that Ludlow clearly acknowledges that he does have a cause, in that the motto of his site is the charmingly humorous motto, "Always fairly unbalanced".

A neat little irony in the whole matter is that Ludlow and his fellow critics of Maxis have made a public issue out of their demand for censorship is being censored by Maxis, in that Maxis is supposed to "go after" any linking to the Alphaville Herald site internally in the game and affiliated sites. They also often claim that Maxis is catching them on technicalities when trying to hush them up, the technicality in the question mentioned being that the Alphaville Herald links to ways of hard-to-catch game cheating, which is clearly against Maxis' interest to promote; the more so as the internal in-game money is now being traded for real money on sites like e-bay. This, of course, is makes Ludlow see the internal TSO money as a fully-fledged real currency, and fuels his claims that what may be seen as a game representation of prostitution by players is indeed real prostitution.

The above comments made by a user who wasn't trying to hide in anonymity, but as a new contributor forgot to log in, for which he begs forgiveness. Morten R. Sorensen 17:41, 18 Apr 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Mafia section is misleading

The information on there appears to say that nothing has been done to combat the Mafia gangs in The Sims Online. This is untrue, seeing as Maxis/EA has changed the way friendship webs worked. There is also a sentence saying that illegal activities occur, which I personally do not see. If they mean the EA.com Terms of Service, it should state so, otherwise it is misleading. Zachnorn 10:42, 23 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Removed Copyvio

I removed a huge chunk of copied info from the page, copied from here. -Localzuk (talk) 00:45, 22 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Sims Online in Wikibooks

Wikibooks
Wikibooks has a book on the topic of

Remember, you can also write guides about the game in the Sims Online section of this article. Improvements and additions are welcome! ╫ 25 ◀RingADing▶ 09:38, 12 February 2006 (UTC) ╫

[edit] Recent Edits

I think the following part should be revised/removed from the Overview section:

The Sims Online has been completely ignored by the EA/Maxis Staff. There have been no updates since 2005. The game's economy has hit an all time low and the population is at the bare minimum to even keep a server open for.

Although there have not been significant updates to the game for a while, various contests are still being held by EA (i.e. the recent TSO Jokes Contest - see the TSO website on Stratics for details). --Funnykidrian 05:20, 10 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] newbee

I just started playing Sims (and this is my first computer - yes, I'm 1 of those old coots). Sims online sounded neat - I could make a cabin & talk to the Sims version of real people, like advise newly-weds. Or be a pot-smokeing Madam & argue with people who thought this was wicked (& turn them into toads!) Hoped programming allowed towns to make their own laws - I would have to move my Girls to a non-puritan town, or they would be put in the stocks, or I would be burned for being a witch. But instead it sound like I have come in, in the middle of a "real world" argument. I can't tell what's going on .. Please be patient with this gramma -- I didn't know sims kids COULD have sex. Mafia? What? Is this sims degressed to a nasty chat-room? Is someone in the "real" world (italics because this reality, also, is just another illusion) being God to the Sims? maybe not a bad idea.Gramma Pat 19:04, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

oh ya, order on the sims online collpased. all hells broke loose, its a prety big dissapointment actuly. --Jakezing (talk) 03:23, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

..

[edit] Large Edit

I've finished a large edit that used the information present in the article and attempted to make it easier to read/comprehend. Let me know if anyone figures out what the "group money objects" is meant to be, I bulldozed over at least a few of those in the process, then gave up near the end. My excuse is that I have a cold today. --Mr.Bunny 18:56, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

I think the "group money objects" are the money-making objects that you could only use in a group. For example, in order to operate a pizza-making oven, exactly four players need to use the oven. If they are successful at making a pizza, all four players are paid a certain amount of simoleans (the currency in the game). --Funnykidrian 06:49, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Newer TSO Developments

Developers of the sims online are currently revamping major parts of the system (allowing custom content, reworking much of the game code, improving graphics, etc.) I, personally, this that this should be mentioned somewhere in the article. Anyone with a firm understanding of whats being revamped willing to contribute?

Ts1and2fanatic (talk) 00:41, 26 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] No mention of controversy at all?

Seriously this page reads like half-assed ad copy. No mention whatsoever of the presence of organized crime rings, extortion rackets, child prostitution rings, etc. This game is one of the most infamous in online gaming for this kind of thing, and yet the article seems to have been deliberately sanitized in it's entirety, right down to every last statement making a point to cite the lead developer. This seems frankly irresponsible. --66.220.104.149 (talk) 21:44, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

Any evidence? Sources? -Localzuk(talk) 22:09, 9 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Logo?

That is not the official logo, is it? I thought the official one is that really gaudy one with all the colors?

I could of sworn this is user made and was posted on the Stratics TSO board... if that is the case, it should clearly be taken down and replaced with the real one.69.121.66.69 (talk) 20:15, 9 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Product name is written wrong

EA Land is written everywhere, including the official website, as "EA-Land". I suggest we move it to the official name of "EA-Land" instead of "EA Land". Agree?

-Smiley Barry [USER] [TALK] [SL] 22:58, 21 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Cheat Codes?

Are there chaet cdes for ealand and how do you get monet on it on the begining Save The HumansTalk :) 23:12, 16 April 2008 (UTC)

There's no cheat codes, and the only way to get money is to get a job. Bear in mind that Wikipedia is not a site that gives guides to playing games. Jammy (talk) 08:33, 17 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] EA Land will be closed

EA Land will be closed... http://www.ea-land.ea.com/blog/?p=1156 --José Roberto A. JR. (talk) 23:52, 1 May 2008 (UTC)