Area Man Concerned That Sim-Self Has a More Exciting Life

Area Man Robert Royale has been a big fan of The Sims, a game which simulates the activities of everyday life, since it was originally released in 2001. While The Sims is the #1 selling PC game of all time, Royale, 29, has had some unsettling feelings that his created sim-self actually has a more exciting and fulfilling life than he does himself. Robert the "Sim" maintains a successful job, goes out to various parties, reads books, plays sports, flirts with neighborhood sims, and basically maintains a balanced life. Conversely, Robert the man is unemployed and spends most of his time bumming around and playing PC games like The Sims in his room at his parent's home.

However, even these red flags haven't dampened Robert's enthusiasm for the Online release of SimCity 4, scheduled to hit the web in May 2003. "Unlike earlier games in the series" Royale explained, "SimCity 4 cities do not live in isolation from the rest of the world, they're part of an entire region. Each city a player creates will now become part of an ever-growing tapestry of municipalities that, once conjoined by transportation networks, can share and compete for resources. I find the possibilities very exciting."