Um... Virtual Families is like a very 'weak' version of The Sims, I used to play it and it took generations just to upgrade the whole house. Those toons were seriously ugly though!
I've played let's see Sims City, Virtual Villagers, Gaiaonline, Sims Tower, Roller Coaster Tycoon 3, Animal Crossing, Toon Town, Wonder Zoo, Zoo Tycoon, Island Tropico, My Life Story, Ciao Bella, the Game of Life board game, Nanny Mania, an old console Barbie game I forgot the name of, Village Life, the Oregon Trail, Westward, and Giga Pets just to name a few.
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.” –Helen Keller
Um... Virtual Families is like a very 'weak' version of The Sims, I used to play it and it took generations just to upgrade the whole house. Those toons were seriously ugly though!
That game was sooo slow! I mean it took a whole day just for the person to go from one end of the house to another. but yet It was still kinda fun
> @jimmysnan said:<br />
> I...nothing is just like the sims.<br />
<br />
I concur, since 2000, nothing is like the sims, I wonder if they patented this? No games have even come close enough to compete.
Yes EA own all rights as well as patented every single thing about the sims. Zygna made the mistake of producing the Ville which was like Sims on facebook and quickly went down in flames. No one will ever be able to make the sims but EA.
🐸🐸🐸🐸 that's a scary, scary thought.
Its nonsense and will eventually come to a head.
Saying "we own the general idea of a comical life simulation game" is like saying you have exclusive rights to all rap music.
The original concept of the game is literally 20 years old, way past any claim to exclusive rights to general ideas and themes in entertainment.
So once someone actually stands up to them and says no then we will all know that EA doesn't have exclusive rights to comical life scenarios over video games. EA wouldn't win and they know it. They would threaten at first, and if they suspected they couldn't wear you down financially or otherwise, they would try to buy you off/out. Zynga was just too easy for EA to go after because EA wasn't the only ones going after them. Zynga is notorious for doing things like copying many games or using other company trademarks in their games without permission.
Trying to patent taking care of little people, feeding them, growing their children up, etc is the same as trying to patent planes in plane simulators.
Yes EA own all rights as well as patented every single thing about the sims. Zygna made the mistake of producing the Ville which was like Sims on facebook and quickly went down in flames. No one will ever be able to make the sims but EA.
you can't patent a genre. So any other company is free to do life simulation.
As long as they don't make it like our Sims games yes - but the minute it looks too much like any of our Sims games EA goes right after them. Most companies does not have the law force ea keeps on board at all time. The Ville was on FB not even a few days and EA shut them down.
Funny thing all the time it was in the planning and all the time Zygna shared info and pics and such for months - EA said nothing. The minute they went live though - was hammer time. EA does not play well with others or share their toys. EA needs a major time out if you ask me.
Virtual Villagers have the same concept but are not sued. To be honest the appearance of both were really similar.
Trying to patent taking care of little people, feeding them, growing their children up, etc is the same as trying to patent planes in plane simulators.
Right, it would never hold up in a real court.
EA suing people over it would be nothing more than a frivolous lawsuit and would deserve a counter claim for harassment.
But they don't just sue, they sue first, and buy you out when that doesn't work.
I remember signing up for the World of Warcraft trial for a while.. i played it pretty similar to how i would play the sims... rarely completed quests, editing their appearance, travelled around on a horse, annoying people..
Skyrim is a game that a lot of simmers seem to be able to get into. Possibly because of the freedom and exploration, the choice, the fun of customizing your own character and then going out and adventuring with him/her. Also, if you get the Hearthfire expansion you can build a house and adopt kids. (You can still buy a house and get married in the vanilla game, but Hearthfire allows you greater house customization and you can't have kids unless you add it). Plus, there are a ton of great mods for the PC version.
Minecraft is another game that a lot of simmers seem to be able to get into. Again, I think it probably has to do with the freedom.
> @jimmysnan said:<br />
> I...nothing is just like the sims.<br />
<br />
I concur, since 2000, nothing is like the sims, I wonder if they patented this? No games have even come close enough to compete.
Yes EA own all rights as well as patented every single thing about the sims. Zygna made the mistake of producing the Ville which was like Sims on facebook and quickly went down in flames. No one will ever be able to make the sims but EA.
🐸🐸🐸🐸 that's a scary, scary thought.
Its nonsense and will eventually come to a head.
Saying "we own the general idea of a comical life simulation game" is like saying you have exclusive rights to all rap music.
The original concept of the game is literally 20 years old, way past any claim to exclusive rights to general ideas and themes in entertainment.
So once someone actually stands up to them and says no then we will all know that EA doesn't have exclusive rights to comical life scenarios over video games. EA wouldn't win and they know it. They would threaten at first, and if they suspected they couldn't wear you down financially or otherwise, they would try to buy you off/out. Zynga was just too easy for EA to go after because EA wasn't the only ones going after them. Zynga is notorious for doing things like copying many games or using other company trademarks in their games without permission.
I have been saying forever that some other company needs to give EA a true competitor in the "Life Simulation" (sims) game.
But it never seems to happen.
I don't know for sure if it's because 1) other companies are afraid of EA and just don't want the legal hassle, or 2) other companies just don't think there's the audience or market for it ???
Trying to patent taking care of little people, feeding them, growing their children up, etc is the same as trying to patent planes in plane simulators.
Yes EA own all rights as well as patented every single thing about the sims. Zygna made the mistake of producing the Ville which was like Sims on facebook and quickly went down in flames. No one will ever be able to make the sims but EA.
you can't patent a genre. So any other company is free to do life simulation.
As long as they don't make it like our Sims games yes - but the minute it looks too much like any of our Sims games EA goes right after them. Most companies does not have the law force ea keeps on board at all time. The Ville was on FB not even a few days and EA shut them down.
Funny thing all the time it was in the planning and all the time Zygna shared info and pics and such for months - EA said nothing. The minute they went live though - was hammer time. EA does not play well with others or share their toys. EA needs a major time out if you ask me.
Virtual Villagers have the same concept but are not sued. To be honest the appearance of both were really similar.
Hey, they have a proper telescope!
Bit sugar sweet looking that game, but doesn't look that bad!
Awake.
Shake dreams from your hair
My pretty child, my sweet one.
Choose the day and choose the sign of your day
The day's divinity.... The Ghost Song - Jim Morrison
Now would be a good time for another company to give it a shot.
The only other game I've played that slightly made me think of the sims was Space Colony. Your base crew had needs: they got hungry, lonely/stressed/have issues with other staff, dirty- so you had to keep those taken care of. Each character had a specific need that needed to be kept up based on their personality. Some crew members needed to workout to be content, while others needed to go to an atm and get paid, etc. There was a sandbox mode where you didn't have to do missions and could build whatever kind of space colony you wanted, and pick then layout the planet environment. You couldn't really customize the characters, or make your own, and they weren't the main focus. The objects you could decorate your colonies/bases with were limited. I just liked the variety of what you could do. You could design and keep a successful colony running, extract or harvest alien minerals/plant life, fight alien life or all. I guess it was a simulation/strategy game, not sure. I probably forgot some stuff, I haven't played it in awhile, and there was quite a bit I hadn't tried. It's not The Sims games, but fun, imo.
Trying to patent taking care of little people, feeding them, growing their children up, etc is the same as trying to patent planes in plane simulators.
Yes EA own all rights as well as patented every single thing about the sims. Zygna made the mistake of producing the Ville which was like Sims on facebook and quickly went down in flames. No one will ever be able to make the sims but EA.
you can't patent a genre. So any other company is free to do life simulation.
As long as they don't make it like our Sims games yes - but the minute it looks too much like any of our Sims games EA goes right after them. Most companies does not have the law force ea keeps on board at all time. The Ville was on FB not even a few days and EA shut them down.
Funny thing all the time it was in the planning and all the time Zygna shared info and pics and such for months - EA said nothing. The minute they went live though - was hammer time. EA does not play well with others or share their toys. EA needs a major time out if you ask me.
Virtual Villagers have the same concept but are not sued. To be honest the appearance of both were really similar.
I hated the generic look and generic game play of The Sims Social. But if it had looked better I probably would have stuck around a bit longer, lol. Virtual Villagers looks nice in comparison.
🐸🐸🐸🐸 was mentioned the Virtual Villagers /Virtual Families line of games is somewhat similar but stay away too long and they'll all die cause the game runs while you're away making it computer clock exploitable to an extent much like DA: I missions .
Comments
That game was sooo slow! I mean it took a whole day just for the person to go from one end of the house to another. but yet It was still kinda fun
Its nonsense and will eventually come to a head.
Saying "we own the general idea of a comical life simulation game" is like saying you have exclusive rights to all rap music.
The original concept of the game is literally 20 years old, way past any claim to exclusive rights to general ideas and themes in entertainment.
So once someone actually stands up to them and says no then we will all know that EA doesn't have exclusive rights to comical life scenarios over video games. EA wouldn't win and they know it. They would threaten at first, and if they suspected they couldn't wear you down financially or otherwise, they would try to buy you off/out. Zynga was just too easy for EA to go after because EA wasn't the only ones going after them. Zynga is notorious for doing things like copying many games or using other company trademarks in their games without permission.
they can patent the name, but that's about it.
Trying to patent taking care of little people, feeding them, growing their children up, etc is the same as trying to patent planes in plane simulators.
Virtual Villagers have the same concept but are not sued. To be honest the appearance of both were really similar.
Right, it would never hold up in a real court.
EA suing people over it would be nothing more than a frivolous lawsuit and would deserve a counter claim for harassment.
But they don't just sue, they sue first, and buy you out when that doesn't work.
All I've read of Second life doesn't appeal to me. I don't want a game where I have to play with other ppl, and chat with them and all that.
And don't you have to keep paying real money to buy clothes an objects? No thank you!
Minecraft is another game that a lot of simmers seem to be able to get into. Again, I think it probably has to do with the freedom.
I have been saying forever that some other company needs to give EA a true competitor in the "Life Simulation" (sims) game.
But it never seems to happen.
I don't know for sure if it's because 1) other companies are afraid of EA and just don't want the legal hassle, or 2) other companies just don't think there's the audience or market for it ???
Hey, they have a proper telescope!
Bit sugar sweet looking that game, but doesn't look that bad!
Shake dreams from your hair
My pretty child, my sweet one.
Choose the day and choose the sign of your day
The day's divinity....
The Ghost Song - Jim Morrison
The only other game I've played that slightly made me think of the sims was Space Colony. Your base crew had needs: they got hungry, lonely/stressed/have issues with other staff, dirty- so you had to keep those taken care of. Each character had a specific need that needed to be kept up based on their personality. Some crew members needed to workout to be content, while others needed to go to an atm and get paid, etc. There was a sandbox mode where you didn't have to do missions and could build whatever kind of space colony you wanted, and pick then layout the planet environment. You couldn't really customize the characters, or make your own, and they weren't the main focus. The objects you could decorate your colonies/bases with were limited. I just liked the variety of what you could do. You could design and keep a successful colony running, extract or harvest alien minerals/plant life, fight alien life or all. I guess it was a simulation/strategy game, not sure. I probably forgot some stuff, I haven't played it in awhile, and there was quite a bit I hadn't tried. It's not The Sims games, but fun, imo.
I hated the generic look and generic game play of The Sims Social. But if it had looked better I probably would have stuck around a bit longer, lol. Virtual Villagers looks nice in comparison.