Kind of like Second Life then?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U55W0M10_A

Only problem is, assuming the screenshot from Mr. Kelly's website is legit, he specifically says the flash videos those pics are captured from are from "The Sims 4 (Olympus) - Pre-Production". It reads like it's part of a resume, and typically it's rather important that a resume is accurate.

They could very well be the design for a console or mobile/tablet version, however. I think there is a "The Sims 3" game for Android and iOS, as well as consoles, which are very different from the PC version.

And given how Second Life turned out (at least, once past the T rated version), and it's competitor, IMVU, it is difficult to understand why a company like EA would take one of their best loved franchises to compete with that stuff that's already out there. Because, in essence, that's what an always online, interact with your friends' Sims would turn out to be. Except T rated. Which would mean no third party mods or content (can't have little Johnny seeing some guy wearing a "piece" in the bathroom).

Which means, who do they expect to buy and play it? Millions of tweens looking for the next best thing now that Justin Bieber is almost an adult? Like they're going to drop several hundred dollars of their parents money on a base game + DLC over even a 2 year run? They have to stop smoking those herbs they stuck in Uni; it's making them stupid even by their own low standards.

As I said before, this is some Flash mockup of something, and I would not be reading anything into any possible game play or UI for TS4 based on those photos.

And there we have my worst nightmare for the sims..... always online with some 13 year old wanna be pervert hitting on my sim.... who looks like a pudding pop in a faded wrapper because there is no CC.

I'm having war flashbacks of the weird birth-roleplay video from Second Life that was played in my sex ed class. PLEASE GOD NO ANYTHING BUT THAT

i guess the question is.. do you want to play sims, or do you want to play second life?

I don't know. If nobody wants a recycle, why would people want OFB again? I can say OFB is very unique and original as it wasn't in TS1, but people seem to want TS2OFB in TS3. New content = no OFB / Seasons / University / Pets. Basically, we want everything to be recycled first, and then we need something new.

What I want, is for them to put all the stuff I already paid for (2 or 3 times now) in the base game, and let ALL the EP's be NEW.

Pets, Seasons, University can all go in the base game. OFB would likely be a lot of rebuilding so I can see it being an EP and maybe even UNI depending on how "rebuilt" it is. But Seasons and Pets - they will always be the same shit. Stop making me pay for something that isn't even remotely new. And "a horse" is not enough to call it a "new" pet experience. If they want to make a pet EP fine - gimme Farmlife.. THAT would at least be new, cows, pigs, chickens, ducks etc... But cats and dogs I have already paid for, so put them in the base game.

I guess if you don't mind paying $199 for the base game, you could get all that extra stuff right on release day if it's ready.

Face it, the financial model they have, for better or worse, works for them. And they're not going to give it up unless they have a better money making idea to substitute. Giving away all the EP content with the base game does not make any financial sense, for EA at least.

I seen the point that we need new EP content, not recycled from old series. They have threads opened on the forum for suggestions, if they are stuck maybe they can reference them or do the same for the next series. If those EPs rock, especially adding a little of the old in them, simmers may appreciate them more. I would.

Right now, they are going in a good directions with Island Paradise, but waited far too long in the series to have an EP that can cause some anticipation. Some of the past EPs may had some great ideas, but they are shallow, not enough game play that doesn't make one think EA is being lazy. Just my opinion.

This doesn't look like it's really a PC sort of thing. It reminds me of games played on console, mobile, or something a little less enriched as the PC game. Just looking at it makes me think of a button pad and scrolling through it with the sticks, similar to how you scroll through quests or inventory in Skyrim or Fallout.

It also looks like it will be online.

I'm really not interested in anything online. Seriously.
Sims becomes seriously creepy when actual people want to do romantic interactions with your sim or want to woohoo your sim.
I'll admit that I created an entirely new facebook account just so I could do romantic interactions with another sim to complete quests on Sims Social. I just found it incredibly creepy to flirt with a friend's sim, even if they didn't look like them though most of them created self-sims to play the game. I'm married. I don't need my husband's facebook feed to fill up with, "Your wife's sim just woohoo'd with your best friend's sim!! <3"

I also don't want to deal with being on a lot and my sim requiring the restroom but there's one sim blocking the door to the only bathroom on the lot because they've either idled out, they're a ghost connection and the original person disconnected a long time ago, they're being a troll and doing it on purpose, or they don't know how to play the game.

I play sims because it's fun to play BY MYSELF. Sure, it might be nice to go online and play with friends in a special game not associated with the main branch of Sims 4 (similar to Sims Medieval) but I do NOT want it as a main part of the game.

In regards to rehashed material, I want the old material. But, because it's Sims 4, I want more to go with it, more little things, more big things, and improvements on current features. I also want new stuff. I'll take my Pets and my Island Paradise. My Seasons and my Supernatural. My Late Night and my Time Travel. Every EP a smidge better than Pets, Seasons, and Supernatural with all EPs building on one another and complimenting each other.

Did Time Traveling go boom on the suggestion thread, making them list it on the next EP? I still think it's a nonsense pack and wouldn't fit the current game AT ALL. I'd still forgive Supernatural though. It sounds like they were really stuck at the time and thinking about some crazy EP to put together.

Sort of true, but remember, many of the EPs released generated lots of positive anticipation when announced, only to turn to mud upon release. While I do believe Graham is putting quite a bit of effort to get this EP as polished as possible before release (yay for houseboats that kind of look like boats instead of floating slabs), I would avoid any irrational exuberance until after release, and a chance at real game play, on how this EP turns out.

No, the future pack was not referenced in suggestions (I don't think it was) but I know there were threads in the General Discussion for ideas and what we want in the pack. I am not interested and said earlier this year that IP was going to be my last one I get at release.

My point is the forums are there and lots of people gave input for the future pack, try that for something new in the next series. I feel EA may be getting stagnant. I hope EA remembers this is a sandbox game and not a online RPG.

Eskie, there may have been lots of anticipation for past releases, but for me there was only parts in the EP that made me excited. The only one I anticipated was University and that was a let down in itself, modders have made the EP more useful. I feel Sims 3 is still a lazy made series, so much of it feels like skimming the game play and not going deep enough to make any of the interactions worth playing for. As I have read in other threads, the risks are so elementary...why try for them? Feels like more of an annoyance than fun. IMHO.

Oh, I fully agree with you that the problem with TS3 EPs is that the concepts are quite good, but are executions are never fully developed to maximize their potential. Uni is a good example. I was looking forward to it, but after sending a few kids through to complete degrees, it loses all replay potential as it is superficially repetitive and simplistic in game play. The only thing I actually like from it that I use in regular worlds is the bowling alley. However,I wish that could have just been a standalone premium content item for $5, and save the balance on the EP, as well as avoiding the ill considered "social groups" arrangement that mucks up regular worlds almost as annoyingly as the celebrity system did.

Honestly, while SHT might have felt like it should have been part of LN, I was excited by the new singer career, which I thought was really what the rock star career should have been like in the base game. After playing a few singers, though, I haven't been back to it again. The magician and acrobat careers don't offer enough replay potential for me to fire up SS any time soon (probably never).

I'm hoping IP will have the kind of depth of play that will keep me involved for a while. However, if TS4 (whether announced now, or at some later date) is thrown together and pushed out the door by the same accelerated schedule that has forced TS3 to offer content that is only half developed, I'll be spending my money elsewhere. Still, you have to give EA credit. No one is nearly as successful as they are at buying up successful games and franchises and running them into the ground.

Yes! This statement very much! *HUGS*

Given the latest news, they might not be mockups for much longer....

Well, if those Flash mockups are what they expect to release TS4 looking like, they are truly fucked.

I STRONGLY doubt that the released images are at all representative of what TS4 will look like. Not only were they mock-ups, but they were pre-production mock-ups--and if any of you followed TS3 before it released, I think you know that pre-production stuff should hardly be taken seriously. For instance, I read in maybe 2008 that TS3 was going to only have the bladder, hunger, and energy needs, and that they'd be reduced to bubbles that go from green to orange to red. Obviously that's not how the game ended up being, and to assume anything from these images, which are probably years old, makes little sense to me.

I think TS4 will be xbox only.

i am pretty sure the images are fake.

i agree 100%, and i also read that thing about the motives in 2008.

I just wanted to update everyone. If you don't know it, yet, Monday many fansites are invited to a conferance call by The Sims Studio. They all got an email, that's what they are reporting.

It is stated by many of them they will get a new 'image' after the conference..I'm guessing something to post on their sites having to do with the 'new' game.

If you haven't seen any of this the new news is on SimsVIP with respective links to the emails the other fansites received. Also, SimsVIP updated their site as of May 3rd 2013 they were invited, too. It was believed originally they were not invited..speculation was flying it was because they posted the info about the flash mockup was the reason they were left out of the loop. But they are now invited.

We can say whatever P. Kelly was working on 'The Sims 4 Olympus' is certaintly an online game.

A Sim Guru as tweeted about the new blue plumbbob..those comments can be found over on SimsVIP.

Some think it represents the 'friends' you invite into your game, and your Sim has the green plumbbob. I don't know if that is all true, but a swear those mock ups look familar..like that IMVU game or something.

Monday is the big day for news from fansites which are posting EA will make a world wide announcement later, whatever that means. Lots of fansites in Germany and Russia are saying it will change Simming. Most I can't translate..or things get misconstrewed in translation...

But if that is The Sims 4...it looks like an MMO, and it looks awful as far as what 'type' of game play it would be. I mean even if it is all fake..which I doubt..what is that 30 point romance stuff going on in the pics and or the thing at the top where it says some guy lights a fire..meaning in romance?

Ug..I don't think I'm going to like whatever it is.

I want to play Sims. But I won't play online though. So TS3 will be the last Sims game for me if EA goes down that path. As for Second Life, I tried it once. A friend is so into playing that game and talked me into trying it. I HATED IT from the time I got in and couldn't wait to get out. I had to wait for my friend to show me around after she was done, I'm like.. ok this game is not for me. If you can even call the blasted thing a game. I got out, uninstalled it and have never been back.

You are not alone. I am out in that mess too.