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LOS ANGELES -- Online gaming drew the spotlight at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) here last week, with announcements of about a dozen multiplayer online games as well as Internet-enabled consoles. But the field is apparently still feeling its way, with one early entry already out of the race.

Majestic, a critically acclaimed but experimental game from Electronic Arts, is one of the early casualties. The company officially--and quietly--pulled the plug on the online game in April.

The experience isn't slowing Electronic Arts, which unveiled at E3 The Sims Online, a Web version of its popular Sims line. It was among a handful of online games shown here in the wake of Microsoft unveiling plans to wire its Xbox, and Sony describing its online gaming strategy.

Majestic Suspended

The critically acclaimed Majestic was an unusual and potentially engaging game, playable online and off. Its fictional characters would contact players by e-mail, phone call, fax, page, and instant message to provide clues to progress in the game and solve the mystery of a complex storyline.

The company put Majestic on hiatus after September 11, out of concern about confusion over real and fictitious emergencies. Majestic went permanently out of service on April 30, according to an EA statement. Even its fresh approach to mystery sci-fi thrillers couldn't save it.

"While the game was a huge critical success, it was not as popular with players," according to EA. The company discontinued the service "to focus its resources on new, more popular content."

Sims Go Online

EA is still aiming at the Web, however. The Sims Online banks on the success of The Sims PC game and all its expansion packs--The Sims Vacation, The Sims House Party, The Sims Livin' Large, and The Sims Hot Date.

"EA is building a community for people to share their experiences," says Luc Barthelet, senior vice president of Electronic Arts.

The Sims Online is a virtual world where players can create a Sim re-creation of themselves or whomever they want to be. Players have a lot of freedom, making the experience rewarding, says Will Wright, the game's metaphorical cartographer.

Players own a virtual a piece of land, which they develop as they choose, building a house, a bar, or coffeehouse, for example. They can also build a network of online and virtual friends and enemies, explore digital neighborhoods, and "meet" other Sims through live text chat or instant messages.

"Sharing time with others makes the game more realistic," Barthelet says. The Sims Online will cost between $11 and $14 monthly, and requires The Sims CD-ROM (sold separately for under $50). The Sims Online is due for release in November in the United States and Canada.

SimCity Updated

In addition to exploring new virtual worlds, EA continues to refine its successful desktop line of Sim games. SimCity 4 is scheduled to ship this fall priced between $44 and $54.

Although SimCity remains on the desktop as a single-player game, EA offers an online community for SimCity fans.

A new SimCity feature called My Sim lets players import the Sims they've created from previous games. Tools in SimCity 4 lets players invoke godlike powers to sculpt mountains, gouge riverbeds, seed forests, and even impose natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions and forest fires.

One of the best features in the SimCity 4 is localized game play, says Emily Renner, senior product manager. It lets players interact with their Sims and the events happening in their city. For example, if a riot breaks out, police cruisers may be dispatched to quell the chaos--but results may be unexpected.

"This feature makes the game much more realistic," Renner says.

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