Landlords on Idealista are using footage from The Sims 4: The Next Level of Cheating
Unscrupulous landlords use footage from the popular game The Sims 4 to advertise non-existent housing on real rental sites, misleading potential tenants.
Virtual Real Estate
Unexpected announcement
Have you ever thought that you might come across a rental offer from a computer game? This is exactly what happened on the Spanish property rental site Idealista. A Twitter user with the nickname @Brujita__may discovered an unusual ad in which images from the popular game The Sims 4 were used to advertise an apartment.
Features of virtual housing
Surprisingly, the landlord didn’t even bother to take high-quality screenshots from the game. Instead, photographs of the monitor screen were used, apparently taken with a smartphone camera. In the pictures you can see a typical environment for The Sims 4: sofas, TVs, refrigerators. The bird's-eye view shots especially stand out, which is not typical for ordinary housing advertisements.
Price
For a virtual house in the Valencian city of Alborache, the landlord asked for a very real 425 euros per month. At the same time, the area of the “room” was indicated as 41 square meters.
User reaction
The post on Twitter caused a strong reaction. Commentators showed remarkable wit: someone wondered whether Simoleons, the game currency of The Sims, would be accepted as payment, while another suggested using cheat codes to get free housing.
Consequences
The user who discovered the ad did not stand aside and reported the violation to the Idealista administration. As a result, the fake photos were removed from the site.
Glossary
- The Sims 4 is a popular computer game in the life simulation genre
- Idealista - Spanish service for searching and renting real estate
- Twitter - social network for exchanging short messages
- Simoleons are a virtual currency in the gaming universe of The Sims
- Alborache is a city in the Spanish province of Valencia
Links
- https://t.co/wtaAc2kh3q
- https://twitter.com/Brujita__may/status/1820468035163205668?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
- https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-sims/landlords-are-so-drunk-with-power-theyve- started-advertising-apartments-made-in-the-sims-4-on-real-estate-websites/
Answers to questions
What unusual was noticed in the advertisement for housing on the Idealista service?
What details indicated that the images in the ad were taken from the game?
What characteristics were indicated for the virtual housing in the ad?
How did social media users react to this announcement?
What measures were taken after the fake ad was discovered?
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Discussion of the topic – Landlords on Idealista are using footage from The Sims 4: The Next Level of Cheating
The article talks about the unusual practice of some landlords using screenshots from the game The Sims 4 to advertise housing on the Idealista service. This raises questions about the authenticity of the advertisements and new ways to deceive tenants.
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Isabelle
Wow, wow! Did someone actually use screenshots from The Sims 4 to advertise an apartment? 😂 I wonder how many people fell for it?
Hans
This is simply brilliant! 😆 Imagine, you come to a viewing, and there is a green prism floating above your head. Isabelle, do you think there will be a pool without stairs?
Isabelle
Hans, exactly! And instead of the landlord - Grimmer. Although, to be honest, some real apartments look worse than in The Sims 😅
Pierre
Guys, what if this is a new trend in real estate? 🤔 Virtual tours of apartments in the game before real viewing. Sounds like a good idea for a startup!
Viktor
Some kind of nonsense. Previously, people rented apartments normally, without any computer toys. Where is the world heading? Just look, we’ll soon start living in the metaverse.
Maria
Viktor, don't be such a grump! 😊 This is just a funny incident. Pierre, it’s true that virtual tours could save time when looking for housing. Especially if the apartment is in another city.
Sophia
I would love to rent an apartment from The Sims! 🏠 It’s always so cozy and beautiful there. And if you don’t like something, you can simply move the furniture with one click 😄
Hans
Sophia, the main thing is not to forget to say 'gablargh' when entering! 😂 But seriously, maybe this is a hint that it’s time to update the photo standards for rental ads? High-quality photos would really help avoid disappointment when viewing.