Rating: 
Summary: I'm a Sim, you're a Sim, he's a Sim, she's a Sim...
Review: ...Wouldn't you like to be a Sim too? For those who have enjoyed the Sims throughout each expansion pack, Sims Online offers a great way to take advantage of all our favorite activities, find new ones, and meet fellow Simfreaks while we're at it! Some compare this to a glorified chatroom, and there is that ability, but how many chatrooms let you host a dancing party where everyone dresses in togas and silly hats, and where you can get skill points for riding a mechanical bull? And where you can make money by making pizza or bashing pinatas? When was the last time you entered a chatroom to share a four-person bubble "bong", fart, belch, weave drunkenly around the room, perform some smooth moves for the hottie in the corner, and chat in real-time during the whole thing? Yeah, exactly. And that's only a fraction of what Sims Online offers. This game almost forces you to be social, unless you want to spend the next few months building up a solitary empire. It takes a considerable amount of time to build up high skill levels in each skill, which is both an advantage (you won't have played the game out in a weekend) and a disadvantage (it takes literally all day to max out on a skill! Plus you have to maintain each skill against decay). While you're spending time looking for the busiest place to build your creativity or your mechanical prowess, you still take care of the regular stuff: eating, sleeping, bathing, going to the bathroom. Meanwhile, the quickest way to success is through sharing a property with roommates. Having roommates enables you to pool your money with up to 7 other people, allowing you to build the latest and greatest features into your property. This, naturally, results in visitors, which means money for each roommate. The more roommates you have, the more you can build and the more you can potentially earn. It's great to visit new places and see how each person has set up shop. Most property-owners are conscientious about providing all the necessities for "greening up", and most visitors are careful to show their appreciation through cleaning up after themselves, or leaving a tip in the tip jar. Every property is more interesting and more creative than the last, and Maxis continues to add new objects and capabilities to the game, leaving plenty of opportunity for continued interest. Currently, each account is limited to three Sims, any of which can be retired at any time, but each of which must inhabit different cities--you have your choice, but can't put two Sims in the same city. (Not for long, though--roads between cities are rumored to be on the way.) Even so, each city is full of inhabitants who are all busy building and planning, so there's plenty of opportunity to get to know your neighbor, find a roommate, or just work on making some Simoleans. So, in short--is Sims Online the groundbreaking game that will bring all and sundry? No; if you're not fond of the daily life involved in The Sims, you won't like Sims Online, because that's what it's about. But if you love The Sims and want an opportunity to take it to the next level and learn to build, run a business, and play an *active* part not only in all the hilarious Sim actions, but also with real people in real time, then this is the game for you!
Rating: 
Summary: Buyers Beware! This is an incomplete game
Review: Do not fall for the hype. This is an incomplete game that was released way too early. Its deceptively advertised to look like its
more than it really is. The user creative world consists of skill centers, dance clubs/discos, and occasional wedding chapel. There is no real economy, the players who were there from the beginning are the wealthiest. The only goals of the game are who can be the most popular and get the most wealth by exploiting all the job ojects and taking advantage of the new/novice players. Its not only boring, but what little gameplay is monotonous. Sim's skills and needs constantly wear out so you have to replenish them constantly by doing the same activities over and over and over. All in all, this is basically an animated chatroom with a few inside games so it can be called a game. And the roleplay consists of not only kids, but adults engaging in obnoxious, extremely childish behavior. The game developers have promised more playable content will be added but in 5 weeks, little has changed. And the band object you see on the box isn't even in the game. If you are looking for a game that is fun and creative you won't find that with The Sims Online. If you're more of a chatter than a gamer and can afford to pay for what is essentially a animated chat, then this game is for you.
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Summary: Sims Online is a living breathing software
Review: First let me assure you that things like skill decay, not getting into your own house and other complaints issued on this page have been dealt with. I have been a beta tester for over 2 months and the game has come a long way. It is the Sims with the added value of having real people instead of just artificial Intelligence. You make of the game what you want, one review stated that. That is probably the most truthful statement I have heard so far. Go for the money, the stuff you can buy, to be the most skillfull or have the most friends. Truthfully I play for the friends. Many of the Sims you will play with will become real friends!
Rating: 
Summary: Not very Sim-ish
Review: I believe "The Sims" taps into our control freak nature. Most of the fun of the game is being able to control the little Sims, build their houses, have them interact with others, etc.
The fun of the online version is completely dependent on other players. The money your Sim (and only one Sim) makes gets sucked up immediately. The "spend money to earn money" philosophy of the single-player version is abandoned. You can't build much of anything, much less furnish a place, and the buildings you find resemble HP -- party after party with no home life interaction like sitting down to dinner with spouse and kids.
As the others say, it is a glorified chatroom. The majority of relationships in TSO were formed early in beta-testing and to get in on a relationship, a house, etc. at this point will be very difficult. In other words, there's no fun to be had.
If you want a new Sims adventure, the only way to go is Sims2.
Rating:
Summary: Save yourself the agony, AVOID!
Review: I bought this piece of garbage and I can definitely say its
NOT worth it. This doesn't feel like I was playing an actual game, it seemed more like a giant Sim Chatroom with a few game elements inside so it could be marketed accordingly. And the gameplay it does have was extremely boring.
The only objectives are to become the richest and most popular and after you achieved that there is simply nothing else to do except to chat. I buy games for the purpose of having fun. This is NOT a fun game. Its boring, tedious, and shallow. And many of the users are using it as an outlet to express themselves in rather obnxious and creepy ways.
Had this game had what it advertised and was more complete, my review would be more positive as I have nothing against games of this nature. What I don't like is being manipulated into believing that this game was something more than it actually is. The truth of the matter is they released this game way too early because they assumed we'd all be happy to play it despite its incomplete condition. I don't like feeling this cheated. Save your money and send a message to the game developers that you won't by incomplete, substandard games.
Rating:
Summary: BEWARE!!!!
Review: I got this game for Christmas when it first came out and for about a year i loved it. Then once after a update that i had to download it i could no longer access my account. I conteacted tech support MANY times to NO avail. The told me the problem was on my end...but that wouldnt explain why i couldnt log into the game after i could get part way in. They even had me download and reinstall and what-not. BUT..i still could not get in. I tried for 3 months..paying the 12 bucks a month and not being able to play the game. I am not the only person who has had this problem either. Beware this game. Its very fun..until you can't play it anymore and cannot get tech support.
Rating:
Summary: BORING
Review: i have played the game for less than a year... and i am bored sick...i am not paying 10 bucks a month for a chat room that only people talk to certain people. than you get ignored. sorry not worth it in my opinion.
Rating: 
Summary: Helpful Truths
Review: I know a lot of people have seriously bashed this game and I must admit I really did expect a lot more but I will tell you the truths about this game so if you decide to buy it YOU really know what you are buying. Firstly, don't get the charter eddition because it REALLY isn't worth it. Ok now lets compare some things. The game really does not have an objective. I think it REALLY desperatly needs that. All you do is socialize, make money (VERY SLOWLY), and build a home. It really is basically a avatar chat. I mean you get to have room mates, you get to build a h ome. I think the game is fun but it definetly needs some upgrades that I assume will be made eventually :-) ...
Rating: 
Summary: Sims Addict
Review: I LOVE this freaking game. It is ridiculous. People who are looking for pre-made downtown areas and jobs and cookie cutter people are just not seeing the point! It is a totally user created world! Every other Sim out there is a real person, so you may not like them all, thats part of building the social network! As far as jobs, yes there are the sometimes mundane job objects. . . but the best way to make money is to build a creative property and entice people to visit and interact there. As the game grows, downtown areas will be built naturally where there are masses of established properties. And, these established properties will "hire" other sims to entertain and perform services. Do you really want your sim to just dissapear to a job where you don't know where he is and can't control what he's doing like in the regular sims? No, we are building a mini-economy here and jobs surface in situations according to need just like the real world! If you like a challenge, are creative and like to think outside the box, you will LOVE The Sims Online!
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Summary: I'm a Sim Freak!
Review: I'm not your typical gamer. I'm 30 something, married and with a toddler but I love the Sim PC games and play them with a passion. So when the Sims Online team back in Aug '02 asked me to help Beta test for free, I jumped at the chance. Luckily I have Cable Internet because I don't know how the dial-up people do it. I love playing the game, I love to interact with people all over the world and have made several friends too. It's amazing how many married women with children I have met playing TSO! But unfortunately, as with any game you become bored with it. And that's where I am now. My character is a Millionairess, and I don't see the point of sitting there reading and working out for hours on end to gain skills which in the end help you earn money. Been there, done that already. So I have created my own games within the games. Like Hide and Seek and the Amazing Sim Race which mirrors the Amazing Race on CBS but you play in Singles vs Pairs. But mostly I just visit my friends and help them in their houses by keeping up the conversations, clean, water the plants, etc. I bought the Charter addition because you get 90 days free.... So if you are going to play the game for 3 months, why not get the extra benefits with the Charter? Then you can decide if you want to cancel before they start charging the [monthly] fee.
I don't see how anyone can judge the game in just one month. What else is great is that Maxis is constantly improving the game by adding features and objects. So I will hang around a little while longer to see what else they have coming out.
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