12 Dead Online Video Games That Should Never Have Ended

10. The Sims Online

The Sims is the best-selling PC game of all time, spawning numerous sequels and expansions in the never-ending pursuit of allowing players to live out the lives of virtual people in greater detail. As you will no doubt know, the series allow you to create your own character, design and build a house and then live out the life of your person; all the while you running their day-to-day activities, going to work and interacting with other Sims. Although the games have largely been single player throughout the various iterations, it appears as if the concept would translate very well into a MMO where thousands of players could play simultaneously. Maxis obviously saw the potential and released The Sims Online in 2002. It featured many of the same you would expect to find but also made some new additions, such as new types of employment, expanded social interactions and an updated skill-leveling system. Unfortunately, it did not last forever; due to a number of decisions made by the developer, including rebranding the game to EA Land, and an in-game economic crash due to a glitch that allowed items to be replicated caused EA to pull the plug last year. This meant we were left without a title that many had cried out for, where they could interact not just with non-playable characters but with other players, in cities made up entirely of real life people. Perhaps the thing that made The Sims Online so unique was its entirely player-driven economy, something which most MMOs struggle with. Players could work in jobs to earn money or buy and sell items, including houses, in a world where those playing it decided the value of everything. With the permanent closing of The Sims Online there was no longer any opportunity for everyone to play a simulation game on such a massive scale. Instead the market it filled with cr*ppy Facebook apps that in no way live up to the potential of this particular title.