My views on The Sims Social

Sims social really gives me headache.. I mean literally. Before i could type this entry out, i was exploring the sims social on fb and then my mile headache for half of the day just got worse. I had to nap abit and get back to work now.

Before i conclude why it is giving me headache, i shall summarize what the presenting team said about the app yesterday in 3 points.

1) Success story.

Indeed, as quoted from the group's presentation, Sims Social has 10,679,619 monthly active users and perhaps, it just had 1 more - me. From the moment, i clicked Play Now, I was brought into a world that stimulates a real social world where my character is supposed to interact with my friends' characters. But of course, all on a virtual and controlled level.

The reason why the app has so many users should be partly due to the popularity of The Sims PC game in the first place. Of course, i guess it adopts many functions of the original game thats why the success are brought over to Facebook. Essentially, Sims Social's success can be largely attributed to its pervasiveness. Before its launch, gamers had to pay USD40 odd to purchase the game and that, hugely limits the number of people playing it. Once its out on Facebook, and its free, people spread the word, and the app becomes super popz.

2) Gamification

The Sims Social uses really smart game mechanics: constant reward system. As I just started playing, it gave me step-by-step guide on how to interact with every object in the room, what to do when my Sim gets bored and how to visit my friends' Sims. Immediately after every single step i follow, my Sim gain moolah, gold diamond coins, blue diamon coins, social points and bla blahblah. It's realy encouraging for first time users like me who don't play much games. The game is constantly reminding users to interact with any items in the room by giving pop notifications and even playing different kind of sound clips. The rewards, points and level ups are exactly the factors that keeps the user captivated.

I was shocked that my Sim could automatically do activities without me controlling it. This is a pretty smart way to make the user wanting to gain back control. To be honest, i was thinking if it is really true that people are playing games to feel that they are in power, esp these kind of role playing games. The world is making us feel powerless, so many natural disasters, wars, miscommunications.. Sims is like building the perfect world, all our dreams can be realized through our Sim. Too much sentimental stuff eh..

3) Bugs bugs bugs

YES. This is what super agree with the group. I am a pretty unlucky first time user: Opened up the game, it took 5mins to load and its still loading... Then i had to refresh and it finally worked. I picked a gender for my Sim and i let it generate a random character with abit tweaks of skin colour and there i go, i Japanese looking 109 Harajuku girl.

I liked how it always gives us so much choices. Yet it does not give us any choice when it decides to hang. Like for example, when i reach the invite friends page for the first time, i clicked the "cancel" button, it led me to another tab that has got weird codes all over. I had to refresh again.

Another eg of how buggy it is: i was trying to click add my friend as my neighbour, after i clicked send request, the main game screen remained greyed out. =.= so what the game wants me to do now, refresh one more time? if not for this review, i would probably have stopped trying to use the app altogether. Can they please fix all the bugs?

Extras.

As a designer, i can't help but to keep commenting on the UI/UX

This is something i noticed while waiting for 8 years for the app to load. It's really a cute way to reduce boredom while waiting. The caption below will keep changing to other cute phrases.

Somehow, the app required too much to be done on the user side? so many coins to click on!! (but after a while i realise they will be automatically added to the Sim)

Lastly, the playing canvas for apps on FB is already super limited and the control panels on top and below of the screen occupied about 1 third the space. I think its quite irritating. especially when users have to keep zooming in and out to get a better view of the house. A good app should reduce efforts on the user side.

**How could i FORGOT TO MENTION: the illustration is fantastic!! i love all the colors, the every detail of the avatars, cute icons for rewards. Every little detail about the illustration is keeping users addicted to the game. There's a lot we designers can learn from Sims Social and so many FB games out there. So many different styles of graphic designs and they are all successful in their own ways. I wonder when can i find mine.

Mobile

I think this kind of apps have a great potential on mobile platforms! People can use it on-the-go while waiting for a meeting to start, in the toilet, waiting for bus.. etc. Just like Tiny Tower, it is gonna be well-liked by people of different age groups! Coupled with in-app purchase, closing the loop on the mobile app itself, the game will be brought to the next level. However, we are not sure when mobile payments will come to Singapore. :/ Soon i hope.

So basically, Sims Social gave me headache for 2 big reasons: 1 its buggy. 2 it looks really addictive and i hope i won't be addicted to it despite it being buggy. LOL