Recently in The Sims Category

The Sims 2 announces that pets will arrive in November 2006 ...

Electronic Arts today announced that the popular video game franchise, The Sims™ 2, is going to the dogs—and for that matter, to the cats, guinea pigs and birds too! The company is releasing The Sims™ 2 Pets on current generation console systems, handheld platforms and as a PC expansion pack. The Sims 2 Pets will build on the celebrated The Sims 2 experience that allows players to create and control digital characters throughout their lives while determining the outcome of their relationships and choosing their destiny. Each version will feature customized content tailored to the platform.

The addition of a new friend is guaranteed to enrich the daily lives of your Sims! Not only will players have the opportunity to choose from a variety of existing breeds, and hot designer mixes, but they’ll also be able to personally design their new friend with the Create-a-Pet feature. The ability to customize gives fans the opportunity to create their ideal pet by choosing their body shape, unique markings, even their pet’s personalities! With so many different animals to choose from, there’s no telling what unpredictable experiences could occur!

Players will also be able to teach their pet new tricks, take them for a romp in the park, outfit them with new pet accessories and even give them a job! As in real life, your Sims’ pet will require care and training. A neglected cat with an urge to scratch might claw up your new couch if you aren’t careful, and leaving your dog unattended near a freshly planted flower bed probably isn’t wise!

That sound you hear are sim fans jumping for joy! With me with them! Click here to read more.

While surfing around The Sims 2 website, I saw that Maxis has announced that the Glamour Life Stuff Pack will be released next month! Happy, happy, joy, joy!

Your Sims can now indulge in a glamorous life with this collection of luxurious furniture, fashionable clothing, and extravagant décor items. Create lavish homes furnished with the finest modern bedroom, living room, and dining room sets. Turn heads in the neighborhood as your Sims show off elegant gowns, red carpet formalwear, and cool casual styles at their next big soirée. Your Sims will live the high life with 60 new items including pop-art paintings, sectional sofas, a high-end stereo, fur coats, and more!

Check out these screenshots!

While reading the transcript from the latest chat over at The Sims2 site, I found out a couple of things that I wanted to pass along. One is that the patch for The Sims 2: Open For Business will be released within the next few weeks! The other is that skills correlate to how quickly and easily it is to earn a badge ...

• Mechanical for robot-making.
• Creativity for floristry.
• Charisma for sales.
• Logic for cash register.
• Body for restocking.
• Cleaning for cosmetology.

If you have any news to add, do it in comments. Also, if you want to read the review I did for OFB, you can check it out here. :)

Update 03/21/06 10:54 PM: The OFB Patch is now available!

Just weeks after The Sims 2: Open For Business hit store shelves, Maxis announces that it is releasing the Family Fun Stuff Pack for The Sims 2 in April 2006.

Add excitement to your Sims' family with this all-new collection of furniture, clothing, and décor. Decorate the home with an assortment of cool new furnishings, including upscale living room items and adventurous bedroom sets. Dress your Sims in matching attire for an amusing day out with the family. With 60 new items from castle beds to cruise ship replicas, your Sims now have more stuff for family fun.

I am so going to have to get this booster pack. Check out these screen shots to get an idea of what all you get. :)

I have finally gotten some storm-free time to play The Sims 2: Open For Business and I am in love! The game is much more involved, but I have been having a ball with it. I have had a couple of sims open home businesses and one even bought a commercial lot and extended his business that way.

What I Like:

• Elevators!
• Robots! And, they are integrated into your family.
• The new clothes are cool.
• More depth to the game.
• It is very realistic.
• I love that you can now lock doors.
• The new interactions are great.
• There are all kinds of stores you can open.
• You get a whole new neighborhood.
• I like most of the new furniture.
• Business can buy wholesale and set their profits.
• New objects! We always need new objects!
• You can promote an employee to manager and run the business via your telephone.
• You can buy and sell community lots and your sim profits.
• The toys for the kids are beyond cute!

What I Don't Like:

• More furniture would have been nice.
• There are some items you can only get if you build your business on a commercial lot. Home businesses can't use them.
• It is very time consuming.
• It would have been nice to have a new aspiration ... one to go with owning a business.
• You can't control your employees like you can your sims, unless they are a member of your household.
• Once you lock doors to keep customers out of your living quarters, your guests don't enter either.
• I was hoping for more car models this time around.
• Robots can go nuts and destroy your house.

Now it is time to play some more ...

The Sims 2: Open for Business will be hitting shelves February 28, 2006! Whooo Hooo! I cannot wait! TheSims2.com had this to say about the new expansion pack ...

Now your Sims can create their own businesses. They can design their own clothing boutique, beauty salon, florist, high-end electronics shop, bustling restaurant chain, or virtually any other type of business. Hire your staff as the business grows and put talented Sims to work making toys, running the register, crafting floral bouquets, giving sales pitches, or manufacturing robots. But watch out for slacker employees and be prepared to fire them on the spot. From clever tinkerer to master craftsman, develop your Sim's talents to best suit your business needs. Will they build a thriving business empire or become eccentric entrepreneurs designing the next big thing?

Don't forget to pre-order it now!

Well, I have spent the last two days simming like crazy and figured I would take a minute to tell you what I like and don't like about Nightlife. But, first ... if you are a member of TheSims2.com you can see my vampire story on the Exchange. If you aren't a member, becoming one doesn't cost anything. One reader said you don't have to be a member to see it. Let me know.

What I Like:

• The new clothes are nice.
• I love the whole vampire thing.
• I love the cars! It is SO ABOUT TIME!
• I love the new chemistry thingie. It is da bomb and makes making friends so much easier.
• Dating is cool!
• I love the Downtown area.
• Having garages rawk!
• If you marry a Grand Vampire ... you get money! Lots of money.
• Lots of new social interactions that are so kewl.
• New fun things for sims to do like the photo booth, hanging around at the bar, line dancing, bowling, and playing poker.
• When you have a good date, he/she will leave you cards and roses on your porch and in your yard ... with love notes.

What I Don't Like:

• Not enough new clothes.
• Need more objects.
• A new career choice would have been nice.
• Not much to this pleasure aspiration. They just want to play video games, take bubble baths, and go on dates.
• Previous dates become jealous when you are on a date with someone else.
• Jealous past dates turn over your trash can every day!
• It needs more car models.
• Vampires have normal babies. They need vampire babies that will sleep all day when they do.
• I figured there would be items to buy while shopping like on Hot Date, but so far I haven't come across them.
• There are only two Grand Vampires.

What do you think?

Today, you won't see or hear from me much. Sims 2 Nightlife is out. I got my copy last night. I will be simming the day away today. I may come back and give you a review. Depends on how much fun I am having. :)

Update: The weather has turned bad and we are having a good ole thunderstorm. I can't sim until that is over. I am going offline to pout. :(

Update 9/16/05 8 AM: I played for hours yesterday! After the storm subsided it was just me and the sims. My goal? To have a sim turned into a vampire. I succeeded! I will post more later, but look below for a pic.

As some of you are well aware, Sims 2 Nightlife will be released September 13!!! I am just so excited! Our sims will get to go out in groups and there will be cars they can drive. There will be all new socials, clothes, objects, and even vampires!!!

Gamespot has a review, so check it out. :)

I did something bad to my sims and I don't know what. I know it has to do with a house I installed, but I installed a few houses and I don't know which one caused the problem. But, now when I open my cheat window it runs all kinds of errors. I can still make cheats work, I just have a bunch of weird code in my cheat window.

If I have to uninstall my game and reinstall it, I am going to cry. Really. :(

I haven't been around much because I have been having a ball with The Sims 2 University. Oh yeah, it is fun. So far, I have sent Johnny and Ophelia, implanted one of the premade young adults, and created my own college student.

What I am lovin' ...

• I love that there are semesters, homework, research, and term papers.
• I love dorm living. It is just too cool.
• I love it that my simmies now have cell phones and mp3 players.
• The new fashions are nice.
• I love the new furniture.
• I especially love the sprinklers.
• I love the new careers and majors.
• The new social interactions are da bomb!

What I ain't crazy about ...

• Semesters go by too fast.
• It takes a lot more effort to become friends now, but the "hang out" option helps.
• Once you are accepted into a Greek House, you have to play all the sims in that house.
• Gameboys take up way too much of a sims time.
• Semester time does not pause when sims are away from the dorm.

Now, I am off to the dentist. When I get home, well it will be time to sim again! :smile:

Which is better ... Radeon or nVidia graphics cards? I want to get me a new card to play The Sims2 better but I have no clue which graphics card is best and I want a really good graphics card. I want one that can handle the 3D effects and let me play my game the way it was meant to be played. Especially without the dang thing crashing.

So which is best and will 128 MB be enough?