14 DAY TRIAL // One of the developers working on The Sims Social at the Playfish division of Electronic Arts has said that the game has been the most successful social game that the company has launched, with players spending more time on it than on any other product.
Since it was launched about 2 months ago The Sims Social has managed to draw in about 65 million players on Facebook, with more than 20 percent of them being totally new to the series and the rest fans who previously enjoyed another title in the life simulation series.
Tom Mapham says that the players are staying engaged with the game for about 15 to 20 minutes, returning at least three times every day to check on their character.
The developer says that most players spend money through microtransactions in order to maximize the actions that they can undertake during their playing time but also on beautiful looking items that can be used to customize their Sim or its house.
Mapham stated that the GDC Online event that, “Knowing your friends are in this world also playing the game makes it a place where you can share experiences and communicate with your friends, as well as exhibit yourself however you want to.”
He also says that players are interacting with each other at such a rate that the “woo-hoo” action, which signifies the fulfillment of romantic love in The Sims Social, happens once every second of every day.
The Playfish developers are analyzing about one terabyte of data every day in order to understand how players are using The Sims Social and then model the game to make it even more engaging with balance changes.
Mapham added, “We're certainly working very hard to build on this momentum and drive the audience further. I'm sure that if we drive more of that collaboration, we'll raise standards across the board and it'll make for a richer industry all around.”