The Sims Online Returns - in 3D

couponfork

Not sure if anyone here was ever a fan of The Sims Online but someone has created a completely new engine and plans to add new features never seen and has already accomplished a 3D mode for the game. It currently has a healthy population but more players would be great!

FreeSO

Scorchien

erhmmm          EA will sqaush this

SBFord

Scorchien said:

erhmmm          EA will sqaush this

In a heartbeat.

As we speak, the cadre of EA lawyers are gathering with ripened fruit and invisible ink pens all while wearing legal briefs as they prepare to squeeze every ounce of fun out of the interwebz.

Eldurian

The graphics on this are pretty old and outdated anyway. Given the relatively simple premise of the sims even a basement company should be able to create a better version that covers all the important features and adds some new ones of their own given some basic competency in creating games. Sure it wouldn't come with "The Sims" name attached to it, and that is worth a lot, but they would have complete control over the game and it's universe.

Given the target audience you could do very stylized art that ages well rather than getting an expert 3D modeler. 

Jemcrystal

nvm i see your link now did not see it at first

when is the last time someone got prosecuted for a private server?

copyright laws should not be toyed with

you are not going to get off the hook by telling the judge you are autistic/underage/computer_coding_prodigy

dangerous territory

making it free wont save/protect you

if this is real they need a lawyer fast - they need to get it copyrighted in their name - legalize it before EA sees what you have done - get advice to find out if it can be done or if EA still holds copyright - worst case scenario you might have to change the graphics to look like aliens/pigs/zombies/purple-people instead of human "sims" which could get around EA's copyright

couponfork

The sky is falling!!! There have been numerous re-creations of The Sims Online since it shut down, none of which have been contacted by EA. Sadly all the developers give up. The engine running the game is not EAs engine, it simply uses the CD files to render on a users computer.

Very similar to how PokeMMO avoids getting shut down.

Also, to clarify, I am not the creator of FreeSO but figured some members here would enjoy it. If it gets shut down, oh well. But I highly doubt it will happen.

postlarval

Jemcrystal said:

nvm i see your link now did not see it at first

when is the last time someone got prosecuted for a private server?

copyright laws should not be toyed with

you are not going to get off the hook by telling the judge you are autistic/underage/computer_coding_prodigy

dangerous territory

making it free wont save/protect you

if this is real they need a lawyer fast - they need to get it copyrighted in their name - legalize it before EA sees what you have done - get advice to find out if it can be done or if EA still holds copyright - worst case scenario you might have to change the graphics to look like aliens/pigs/zombies/purple-people instead of human "sims" which could get around EA's copyright

Copyrights are generally in effect for the life of the creator + 70 years. 

postlarval

Double-post

Daranar

Jemcrystal said:

nvm i see your link now did not see it at first

when is the last time someone got prosecuted for a private server?

copyright laws should not be toyed with

you are not going to get off the hook by telling the judge you are autistic/underage/computer_coding_prodigy

dangerous territory

making it free wont save/protect you

if this is real they need a lawyer fast - they need to get it copyrighted in their name - legalize it before EA sees what you have done - get advice to find out if it can be done or if EA still holds copyright - worst case scenario you might have to change the graphics to look like aliens/pigs/zombies/purple-people instead of human "sims" which could get around EA's copyright

They will just send them a take-down notice.   It makes no sense for EA to have their lawyers prepare a full on suit over such a small no (true) loss private server.   EA isn't in the business of losing money, haha, though sometimes it seems with their games.   You send a small take-down notice, if they don't budge then you file suit before doing any real work/wasting any significant time.   A little guy will fold in a heartbeat if suit is filed then EA will walk away.  Lawyers cost too much money, especially when you are a fortune 500 company.

All that is not to mention the fact that this one would be different than other WoW Vanilla servers.  If I understand this correctly, this company is not actually using the original (copyrighted) source code.  You can copy any game mechanic, look, feel, so long as you don't copy and copyrighted content such as logos, actual character for character code, and other legal property such as the term 'sims' or using the currency 'simoleons'.   The thing that gets these private servers in trouble is the fact that they are using the original files, source code, and of course logos, and other trademarked material, because it's not a fan copy of the game, it is a direct copy run on a private server.

MaxBacon

I remember that old thing, it didn't work out so RIP; I think too many scary variables are added the moment a kids game like The Sims gets online MP like that.

Excession

but will it have pooping?

Eldurian

MaxBacon said:

I remember that old thing, it didn't work out so RIP; I think too many scary variables are added the moment a kids game like The Sims gets online MP like that.

Honestly the scary variables are probably the majority of their customer base. I think in designing a Sims Online replacement that would actually succeed the sale of cutesy outfits for waifus would be your main money maker.

MaxBacon

Eldurian said:

Honestly the scary variables are probably the majority of their customer base. I think in designing a Sims Online replacement that would actually succeed the sale of cutesy outfits for waifus would be your main money maker.

It's mostly the community they'd had to cut gameplay stuff because it would feel weird to have babies and such with other people on a game most played by childs that would be the pedo's wet dream.

Reminded me of Habbo Hotel and the sex scandal that put their entire game in lockdown for months lol

cheyane

I always worry about these games and what people with unhealthy interest in kids can get up to. They must provide good tools and report function where parents who should be monitoring their kids who play these games can report the inappropriate behaviour immediately.

Sovrath

Daranar said:

Jemcrystal said:

nvm i see your link now did not see it at first

when is the last time someone got prosecuted for a private server?

copyright laws should not be toyed with

you are not going to get off the hook by telling the judge you are autistic/underage/computer_coding_prodigy

dangerous territory

making it free wont save/protect you

if this is real they need a lawyer fast - they need to get it copyrighted in their name - legalize it before EA sees what you have done - get advice to find out if it can be done or if EA still holds copyright - worst case scenario you might have to change the graphics to look like aliens/pigs/zombies/purple-people instead of human "sims" which could get around EA's copyright

They will just send them a take-down notice.   It makes no sense for EA to have their lawyers prepare a full on suit over such a small no (true) loss private server.   EA isn't in the business of losing money, haha, though sometimes it seems with their games.   You send a small take-down notice, if they don't budge then you file suit before doing any real work/wasting any significant time.   A little guy will fold in a heartbeat if suit is filed then EA will walk away.  Lawyers cost too much money, especially when you are a fortune 500 company.

All that is not to mention the fact that this one would be different than other WoW Vanilla servers.  If I understand this correctly, this company is not actually using the original (copyrighted) source code.  You can copy any game mechanic, look, feel, so long as you don't copy and copyrighted content such as logos, actual character for character code, and other legal property such as the term 'sims' or using the currency 'simoleons'.   The thing that gets these private servers in trouble is the fact that they are using the original files, source code, and of course logos, and other trademarked material, because it's not a fan copy of the game, it is a direct copy run on a private server.

hmmm not really.

We have lawyers on staff. That's what they do. We're already paying them. It's not biggie to have draft something.

We've done it before for smaller things.

Panther2103

Daranar said:

Jemcrystal said:

nvm i see your link now did not see it at first

when is the last time someone got prosecuted for a private server?

copyright laws should not be toyed with

you are not going to get off the hook by telling the judge you are autistic/underage/computer_coding_prodigy

dangerous territory

making it free wont save/protect you

if this is real they need a lawyer fast - they need to get it copyrighted in their name - legalize it before EA sees what you have done - get advice to find out if it can be done or if EA still holds copyright - worst case scenario you might have to change the graphics to look like aliens/pigs/zombies/purple-people instead of human "sims" which could get around EA's copyright

They will just send them a take-down notice.   It makes no sense for EA to have their lawyers prepare a full on suit over such a small no (true) loss private server.   EA isn't in the business of losing money, haha, though sometimes it seems with their games.   You send a small take-down notice, if they don't budge then you file suit before doing any real work/wasting any significant time.   A little guy will fold in a heartbeat if suit is filed then EA will walk away.  Lawyers cost too much money, especially when you are a fortune 500 company.

All that is not to mention the fact that this one would be different than other WoW Vanilla servers.  If I understand this correctly, this company is not actually using the original (copyrighted) source code.  You can copy any game mechanic, look, feel, so long as you don't copy and copyrighted content such as logos, actual character for character code, and other legal property such as the term 'sims' or using the currency 'simoleons'.   The thing that gets these private servers in trouble is the fact that they are using the original files, source code, and of course logos, and other trademarked material, because it's not a fan copy of the game, it is a direct copy run on a private server.

But it seems as if he said that while the game isn't using the source code or the same engine, it is using the assets from the disc. Which I'm assuming would be copywritten as they were developed by EA for the game.

EA does leave some private servers running for things that were shut down, like the Earth and Beyond private server that's been running forever. But for a game series that is currently active, even making something that isn't currently available anymore, is going to cause them to get mad. Simply because that could be potential customers for the newer sims games.