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I'M 19 YEARS OF age, tall, blonde, 38DD and available…….well the truth is I'm really middle aged, bearded and work on the wharf. Welcome to the world of the Sims Online.

Here is your chance to be somebody else and meet other people being somebody else in a totally made up world. If this seems all a bit scary add to the mix the ability to run a business, interact and develop friendships with other people and 'being' other people and you have a psychologists dream.

When the first Sims game hit the shelves it was treated as being a bit quirky but it quickly developed a considerable following (so considerable that it is now the #1 selling PC game of all time). It gave gamers the ability to be somebody else, to play "what if" with their lives and interact with computer generated people in an immersive environment.

In a nutshell you have a 'cyber pet' person who you can guide through life on a grand scale. This was enhanced further with add-ons such as The Sims Vacation, The Sims House Party, The Sims Living Large and our favourite The Sims Hot Date (You were such a beast! – Ed). The game is a lot of fun to play and one that has been further enhanced by player created tile sets and objects that have resulted in a very rich and detailed world. It was therefore the next logical step to take this world online and give all the fans the ability to play and interact with each other.

Some of the features in the new game are as follows:-

• Be who you want to be – Rich, famous, popular, powerful or a humble game reviewer.
• Meet, flirt and get to know other Sims through chat, instant messages and hundreds of new expressive gestures.
• Build your dream home, the trendiest boutique, or the hottest neighbourhood hangout around.
• Develop a network of friends, go into business with your housemates, or improve the neighbourhood.
• Choose from hundreds of outfits and thousands of appearance possibilities. Includes nearly all the faces, clothes, and objects from The Sims and the first four expansion packs.

To add to the experience a lot of work has gone into how Avatars will use their bodies and features to express emotions. With practice you will be able to convey quite a bit of the range of human emotions with just not speech but gestures and expressions. This opens a lot more opportunities for players to create depth and personality in their characters. Possibilities now include falling to your knees and worshipping another player, throwing up on their shoes or giving them a high five.

This game is going to be one of the biggest online experiences for 2003 and one that will develop and grow over time in more directions than perhaps even the designers thought possible.

The Sims Online is on track for a New Zealand release of January 16th - stay tuned for our full review!

Show me the screenshots!