Friday 11 January 2008

FreeTime Producer Tour

Written at 03:56 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

It's been some time since there have been producer tours for Sims 2 expansion packs. EA has reintroduced these tours though, and lead producer Bim Majekodunmi will be taking a trip through Europe showing FreeTime. Next Monday, the 14th, she will be at the UK EA office, holding her presentation at around 10:00-10:30am, after which follows a day of playing the upcoming expansion. Anyone who can make it to Chertsey (South west of London) in time can join, though places are limited (and possibly already full). See the UK site's forum thread for more details.

Those who can't attend may still post questions before Monday in another thread. EA will then try to make sure Bim answers the questions.

Although it is highly unlikely that anybody our team will attend (mostly due to the distance), we will attend an event on the 22nd of January in Amsterdam. We will then get the chance to meet Bim and check out the game for some time. Of course, if you do have any questions about FreeTime, let us know by e-mailing me. We will then try to get your question answered in a preview that will be published after the event.

Friday 25 January 2008

Rod Humble Interviewed

Written at 19:36 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

Back in December Rod Humble, head of the Sims Division at EA, was interviewed by CNet. He talks about how the division came to be, around the time of Nightlife, and what Humble does in his daily work. He says there's quite a lot of pressure on him, as every new design leap that the studio takes can be a success or a flop, though it will be looked at by a lot of people because of the famous brand that The Sims is. He also says how the fans is important to the studio, and their involvement in the development of expansion packs. The culture of the Sims studio versus the EA Sports teams is also discussed, and the Sims Division is also known as the "hippies on the second floor. As you may expect, Humble confirms a Sims 3 will be coming, though he doesn't say when it will be out. Read the complete interview for more details.

FreeTime - Media so Far

Written at 20:10 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

Most of you will by now have heard about FreeTime, the seventh expansion pack for the Sims 2. Although we have been a little bit behind on all the news about it, it's time to play catch-up for a bit. Thus we have collected all available screenshots and other things for you to find below (in the "Read more" area).

Other than all those screenshots and artworks, there are two videos: a trailer and a music video of Natasha Bedingfield's "A Pocketful of Sunshine." That track is included in the expansion, of course all in Simlish. Furthermore there are hobby magazines for all of the hobbies, of which at the time of writing 6 have been revealed. The first of seven comic strips has also been published at the official site. Finally, the official UK site has a fansite kit with some material (also shown below) as well. A Prima Guide will be released at the same time as the game.

FreeTime is expected to be released in the week of February 25th (26th in the US, 29th in the UK). Read More!

Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff Announced

Written at 20:33 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

FreeTime isn't out yet, and EA has already announced their seventh stuff pack. Although there is no press release yet, it is also no secret that Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff will be the next stuff pack, to be released in April. The pack is focussed on objects for - as you may have guessed - kitchens and bathrooms. Below you can find the (European) packshot, as well as some artworks of items from the pack, crafted by our colleagues from SimsNetwork. Click the thumbnails below to see larger versions, and read on for the official description and features list.

Read More!

FreeTime Exclusive Preview

Written at 22:17 by ChEeTaH - 1 comment.

We already mentioned that lead producer of The Sims 2 FreeTime Bim Majekodunmi has been touring through Europe to show the game. Last Tuesday she visited Amsterdam, and The Sims Zone was there to listen to what she had to say about the upcoming expansion pack. Many other fansites have already posted their reports from events held earlier, elsewhere in Europe, and you can find a list with links below (thanks to SnootySims). We also played the game a bit for ourselves, and are ready to give you details of what's coming to you next month. If you want to know more about genies and bottles, hobbies, lifetime aspirations and their benefits, and much more, check out our preview of FreeTime, with exclusive screenshots!

Take me to the FreeTime Preview! Read More!