Are 'The Sims' set to take over the web?

Computer game phenomenon 'The Sims' is set to debut online in a multi-player subscription-based format.

The multiplayer version of 'The Sims', set to debut on Tuesday, has been hailed as the first major test of whether subscription-based online gaming can appeal to a mass audience.

Executives at Electronic Arts (EA), the parent company of the game's creator, Maxis studio, which also created Sim City, have touted the game as vindication of the company's substantial investment in online gaming. And the eight million people playing the offline version of 'The Sims' provides a ready-made user base, which will guarantee success for the venture even if only a small percentage sign up.

To date, the top-selling online subscription-based game has been Sony's 'EverQuest', with an audience approaching 500,000 people who pay $13 (£8) per month to access the game's huge fantasy world.

The most optimistic 'Sims' boosters say the online game has the potential to draw an audience in the millions. EA executives have said they expect to have at least 200,000 subscribers paying $10 per month for 'The Sims Online' by the end of the company's fiscal year, 30 March 2003.

Executives have since backed off those numbers, as the delivery date for the game has slipped, but EA insiders and analysts still see a clear road for 'The Sims Online' to become the biggest thing in the developing world of online gaming.

David Cole, president of research firm DFC Intelligence, said: "To be a success, it really only has to appeal to a fraction of the users that play 'The Sims'. Whether that's five per cent or 10 per cent, the barrier for breakeven success is fairly low."

David Becker writes for News.com