The inventors build it and perhaps everyone is skipping over it to get to the (possibly) more exciting Simbot. Personally I bought a Simbot (My Best Friend) and have more fun with the time machine. Its a rabbit hole type deal, they (the Sims) vanish, have adventures, you read about it but often enough they come back with money, or goods. I've gotten interesting books, paintings, a gnome, and most fun are the new outfits that get unlocked with your adventures! Sci-fi outfits from the future (think TRON outfits) midevil outfits (chain mail) from the past. Male sims only unlock male outfits, so you have to send you female Sims to adventure as well (though my female came back with "a young girl she saved from under the wheels of a wagon" - who looks suspeciously identical to my Sim!)
Anyone else have time traveling stories?