Electronic Arts Considers TV Version Of The Sims

Electronic Arts are considering an interactive TV show that would allow viewers to control the actions of characters in the manner of the highly successful The Sims series of games. According to vice president of marketing and sales for EA Europe, Jan Bolz, talking to Reuters: "One idea could be that you're controlling a family, telling them when to go to the kitchen and when to go to the bedroom, and with this mechanism you have gamers all over the world 'playing the show'." The proposed show would probably involve viewers voting on possible actions, in the manner of a standard reality show. The design of the show is still in the early stages but Bolz has confirmed that the company is in talks with several TV production companies. The deal appears to be being organized by Electronic Arts' European division, although localized versions of the show for North America and beyond are highly likely if it proves a success. The cross-gender appeal of The Sims, which has a female audience of around 60 percent, is seen as a major asset for any proposed TV spin-off, with Electronic Arts attempting to court as wide a mainstream audience as possible. As the company’s managing director of European publishing, Gerhard Florin, puts it, "We're not attracting 50-year-old people, but that's okay. It's a generational question. The world is changing and no one can stop it."