EA: Sims Social is not on "life support"

Electronic Arts has firmly countered claims made by Business Insider that The Sims Social is "on life support", instead arguing that the game is a success and will continue to see content updates and maintenance for some time to come.

The original article, which cites a source close to the game, says that Sims Social is being handed to Playfish India, which will "keep the lights on" until the game can be retired gracefully.

EA denies that, instead reiterating that the title is supported by a transatlantic team of 75 staff which will continue to keep it current.

"The misinformed article stating that The Sims Social is on life support couldn't be further from the truth," EA said in a statement to Venturebeat.

"The Sims Social continues to be EA's top social game, supported by a dedicated team of 75 in the U.K. and U.S. and will see a robust and steady stream of new game-expanding content as it continues to build upon its thriving community and drive continued success. We have no plans to walk away from a very successful game based on one of the most popular brands in video game history."

It's undeniable that Sims Social has been losing players. The game's MAU has dropped from a high of 66 million to just 15.8 million today and EA has slipped from holding second place on Facebook's social developer leaderboard to forth.

However, a fight back plan is on the cards. CEO John Riccitiello told investors that a new social title is on its way this quarter. Behind that game is thought to be an up and coming executive, Catharina Mallett, who has risen swiftly through the ranks of the company's social development arm.