I dunno, maybe the ratings board giving TS2 a "teen and up" rating was the eventual kiss of death. Very young kids played it, and it could have been due to that rating. OTOH maybe young kids played it because they watched their mommies playing it and wanted to play it too.
At any rate, there are people out there who actually call The Sims "a teen game". NO. It was rated by the ratings board for "teen and up"!!! There is a big difference, but maybe this had an affect on Maxis, too. They seem to have had a tendency since TS3 to put some kiddish things in the game, and with TS4 it seems their making the game for kids 6 or 7 years old. Yes, there were goofy things in TS2 but in many cases it was more tongue in cheek & innuendos that appealed to adults. But you can't convince me that Maxis knowing that very young kids play their game doesn't influence their decisions.
I realize that not everyone will agree with this post, especially those who started playing at 6 or 7! (wink, LOL) But something went wrong somewhere along the way. This used to be a game that appealed to a wider age range. And of course that doesn't mean that older people can't like the new games but I think older fans are getting more and more marginalized, especially if you're not into cutesy or cartoony sims.
Just my 2 cents, for what it's worth.
¢¾ Receptacle Refugee ¢¾ ~ Where are we going, and why am I in this handbasket!? ~
Laura's Legacy