I seriously doubt Will Wright will risk his career and reputation that way. I am pretty sure the game will be safe for the most part. It just all depends on what information you, the player, decide to share. But I totally understand people's natural concern. It's normal to feel that way initially, since this type of gaming is not yet the mainstream. I say "yet" because it seems to me that Will Wright is aiming for this style of gameplay to set a new trend.

Safe or not, I will still create an account using little or "fake" information about myself. I don't give out much personal information about myself over the Web (I'm looking at you, Facebook), so why should I for a game? Sure, the game's universe may shape itself around my interests or whatever, but I will still use a fake account to access those features just to lower my paranoia about being "watched" by the developers...

Also, will we, the players, be spammed by hundreds of messages from the developers about promotions of additional content we can add to our games, like how EA does for The Sims 3 on Facebook and/or Twitter? If so, then so much for not making accounts on those sites. I'll be spammed with messages about sales on overpriced, additional content I don't care to purchase, anyway...

Oh, by the way, I tried to remove my Will Wright Sim from my hard drive, and he started blinking! He's friggin' watching me now (not the real Will Wright, my Sim based off of him)!

Well, if I were to create a fake account, I'd still put my real interests at the very least. But I hear you about everything else. I guess we will have to wait and see how the game unfolds.

As for being spammed, I truly hope not.

Maybe they could fine you in the game if you do things wrong... I assume if it was an online deal, they could ban, fine, and watch you if they please, right? All while advertising and occasionally being down or whatever. Would it feature virtual price tagged items that can be purchased with real money, and all that nonsense?

Let's just hope that WW and EA do not mix.

Oh god... What if you forget to pay the bills and the repo man comes and takes your stuff?!!?!

If that is the case, I sure as h*ll wont be playing. I'm not gonna tell it my weight, and I don't want to sink as low as having to lie to a game about my frickin weight... or height for that matter...

Then again, many people would lie and make their avatars drop-dead beautiful. I don't mind having to tell any of those features with the exception of: full name, friends, family, job, school, and other equally or more personal information. However, I am pretty sure you do not have to fill this out or choose to share this information. Will Wright has to know that many people will not feel comfortable being required to do so. People lie about themselves on the internet all the time, and that is perfectly fine. I don't play games to find a romantic partner, so what difference does it make if I decide to play as a desperate housewife or a gorgeous male model? It's our right to do so. (Though, I tend to prefer that my avatar resemble me in real life, but that's just my choice.)

Well hopefully it's not so focused on meeting new people, as it is focused on... well, Sims-y stuff.

Also, what if someone is playing a toddler, and they go on, but their mom is offline, THEN WHAT?!

Oh God.... I never thought about it. How would that work?

Then your character may be taken by the Child Protection Services. No child left behind... when their parent is offline!

Well, I heard in SecondLife that for the children that you can adopt in the game, players actual play as the children in a more role-playing form. HiveMind could be similar to that. Heaven forbid that I decide to adopt a little monster who would ruin my gameplay experience. I'd ship him/her back to the cabbage patch.

I'm having a hard time imagining wanting to role play as a child online. How do you guys feel about that? Is it appealing?

So basically in HiveMind you create a virtual character of yourself, and role-play as yourself in a virtual world about yourself?

This game sounds like a flop. I know I won't be playing it. If I wanted to play a game about my own real self, I would live my own REAL life.

Do you have to pay child support if you get divorced?

How about if you had a child out of wedlock, and you and the other player don't live in the same house; would you (or the other player, depending on who has the child living with them) have to pay child support?

*gasp* DO WE GET OUR VERY OWN PLUMBBOB?!

^ Yes!!!

About the child support questions, I am not sure if they were asked facetiously, but I actually think they are very valid questions. How would that work if this game is indeed generational? The video shows babies and elders, along with young adults/adults. I do know that in SL, people have fun role-playing as children. They just chat youthfully, and they really do act as your own children with the way they chat and interact. But how would you even have these children? In SL, you adopt, since there is no way to conceive in the game (it's a 3D chat, for crying out loud). I would assume you'd adopt.

Or... perhaps it can be like The Sims Medieval in that when you have children, you do not use them. So, no one gets to role-play as children, and you are stuck with an Octo-mom version of yourself.

LMAO you guys are a riot, love the questions you ask

but anyway I'm still kinda confused. it looks the same as Sims except for it being all about you. still I'm excited for the idea of something new that is like the Sims
I will definitely be limiting my info. I probly won't even use my first name. I might pose as a celeb or something or maybe I won't because maybe that'll be lame and I'll just use their first name...idk

it'd be nice if you could have animals in this (or would that be pointless?) if I do actually end up playing as me I have to have my Pom...well at least if I don't get Pets


wait if this is an online game, how will Will Wright make money or will it be like Sims Online where you subscribe
or will it be like one of the other social games where you buy items for your avatar or whatever

If it will have a subscription, I hope it won't be too much. And I hope that there will be a free version that wouldn't be sorely limited.

Am I the only one who hates this idea?
I find it disturbing on so many levels I don't even know where to start!
Firstly the privacy issues, they say your info would be secure? Right...
Secondly a game about real life? I play games to escape from my real life, or at least to relax from the stress of my real life.
Thirdly, I am a tad concerned that if you merge a game with your real life where do you draw the line?
I mean I can totally see people making horrible decisions in RL and not taking it at all seriously because hey! It makes my game more interesting.
I think this will appeal more to younger people. It scares the beejeezus out of me.

I had a dream about a book plot with this name as a title :P
Thank you thread, lol, for giving me one disturbing dream XD

the only problem with this is that I am not really on FB.. enough. My wife actually plays the games there.. And uses my account to send herself stuff from the various games she plays.

As for twitter I have a pic up there and have no followers and follow only a couple of people that are in the same industry that I am. So I see this being a bust for me. Shame as it looks like it would be a lot more enjoyable to play.

well no one here likes the privacy issue, everyone that likes the idea apparently is using fake or limited info so maybe you could do that

second, isn't Sims about real life? it looks a lot like Sims to me so I don't think it will be that much more realistic to me