He doesn't have a gaming company, but he founded a think tank, called The Stupid Fun Club.

I wish EA asks for some ideas. That damn company clearly doesn't hear the fans...

Look at what i found.
Couldn't resist. Had to post.

Anyone starts that petition, I am signing it. I have heard so many complaints while lurking on this website and many others, even before I bought the game. Besides, it's always nice to have more than one nice-quality options for the same genre game; I'd probably buy both versions if the prices are reasonable and EA kicks its game up a notch. But what companies might you suggest? What company might be able to fit this in their line?

Also, I totally agree with needing features "to go beyond what the Sims currently offers in qualitative ways". No company will take us up on "well, make a game like Sims" or "make a game that's like Sims and listen to us" or something small like that. Probably stuff like "interactive jobs, no rabbit holes, more building styles" wouldn't suffice, either. However, something like city progression - transition of time periods onto the future, might be big enough to work off. I'm not sure. You can't have a petition made up of "more clothes, more furniture, more objects, more interactions" without something larger - more doesn't mean different and unique. More means mods and EA packs and store.

I think it's only a matter of time before someone better than EA releases a life simulator better than the Sims---it hasn't kept up with the times, in fact its lastest incarnation shows that it's degrading. But it still has a huge market, so there's money to be made here for *someone* who'll take the chance. As for what companies, and how a life simulator fits into their line, that's something other threads here have talked about already (like http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=527521 and http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=527493 and http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=525682 )

What you need is something that represents a level above the Sims. Something that is truly a life simulation. So think about how the Sims falls short on what's supposed to be its core goal, and then think about ways another game could do it better. For example, there's no reason that Sims couldn't actually *learn* from experiences---and communicate what they've learned to other Sims. "Joey electrocuted himself fixing his dishwasher---maybe I shouldn't do that." "Rotten food will make me sick---maybe I shouldn't eat it." And so on. These things are possible. And they'd make a game that would be a lot more fun than the Sims ever was, or ever will be.

This might sound crazy, but why don't we gather a bunch of simmers and make a game?

We have people who can code, people who can animate and design and create, people that can lead, people all around the world from all kinds of backgrounds that have all kinds of skills and abilities;

we could have a main "council" of people who would be in charge of different aspects of the game and who is in charge of what and then they would oversee people who would be in charge of smaller parts who then would oversee people who would be in charge of smaller parts and so on and so forth. This way, with enough people, we wouldn't need to put an insane amount of time into it individually and everyone would be able to put their own touch on the game

if we REALLY wanted to, we could make a game that has what we all want

made for simmers BY simmers

I'm sorry if that was rambely and made no sense and you completely hate the idea... It's just something that's been running through my head for a few days

We'll be better off putting together a well-written proposal for major game publishers than we'll be trying to do this ourselves. A worthy successor to the Sims is not going to happen in someone's garage.

Plus, think about how few modders there really were for the Sims 3: there's a combination of talent + motivation + time that is really quite rare. People who have that combo are wanting to be paid for it.

And no disrespect to Twallan or Pescado, or any of the other super-modders who made Sims 3 playable, but game development and design is a completely different thing from game modding. It requires skillsets beyond what modding requires. You'll need artists and designers and writers as well as programmers.

The dream of a fan-built life simulation isn't impossible, but it is a dream. It just it isn't practical.

What *is* practical is peddling this project to game publishers. They'll listen, if the proposal is coherent and it convinces them there are $$$$ to be made here.

Thank you for volunteering. Now, go forth and peddle.

We'll be right behind you.

Haha, no no no no NO. You're missing the point. This will have to be a community effort, or it won't work.

But hey, you seem to have a lot of time on your hands?

The best catalyst for change for a money hungry corporation is don't feed the corporate pig, starve it of your wallets, take control of your finances, show some restraint.

Honestly, I don't feel like a game project started on the idea, "let's make a competitor to the Sims" would be likely to result in a good game. I do think there is potential for fun indie games that are Sims-like, but simpler and cheaper, and if successful, could be built on and expanded, though it probably never would be a game with the polish of a triple A title like The Sims. And I expect that it wouldn't really satisfy the people that really just want a better Sims 4 either.