I think EA or whoever just has to decide what they want the game to be. I am just too confused on what The Sims actually is lately.
The game can’t ever satisfy all these disparate markets: be watered down/“childish”, appeal to the demo of older players who want more mature/“innuendo” themes, be family play, service occults, integrate serious gameplay, make it unlimited sandbox storytelling, etc. all at once. Yes, a company may “lose” customers by honing in on a target niche. But by finally selecting and satisfying a target niche, they can ultimately grow their market.
