SimsVille canceled

This afternoon, GameSpot learned from a reliable source at Maxis that SimsVille, the company's upcoming game that blends life simulation with city management, has been canceled. SimsVille aimed to take The Sims players out of their homes and give them the ability to explore their neighborhood, which, according to Maxis, is precisely what the company is also trying to do with Hot Date, the latest expansion pack for the successful The Sims series. The Sims: Hot Date will essentially let players leave their homes and hang out in a downtown area, where they can have dinner, go dancing, and perform other social activities.

SimsVille had been in development for well over two years, and the game seemed to be on track for its projected release date of January 2002. Maxis wouldn't comment on whether the cancellation came from within the company or from Electronic Arts, Maxis' parent company. The developers that worked on SimsVille are now working on The Sims Online and other projects.