Thursday 1 April 2004

New Poll

Written at 02:00 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

As usual we've posted a new poll again this week. The previous one was all about Superstar. You've voted and Musician is the most popular, followed by Fashion Model on second place. Actor is the least popular career which helps your Sims' fame, although it's all pretty close. Although some people like to be the Obsessed Fan. See this page for all results. The new one is about The Body Shop from The Sims 2. Its name recently changed from CaSIE to the Body Shop, but we want to know which one's your favourite. Vote on the right or on the latest poll page.

Body Shop now "Sim Duplicator"

Written at 03:04 by ChEeTaH - 4 comments.

We have just received the news that "The Sims 2 Body Shop", the tool to create Sims for The Sims 2 with formerly known as CaSIE, has gone through another name change. It's now called the "Sim Duplicator". Maxis has decided to change the name again, because the features simply wouldn't live up to the name. "The Body Shop was plagued by bugs and simply wouldn't work together with The Sims 2. We've tried our best, but can't do any better now. We've disabled most of the features of the tool now, unfortunately," says Lucy Bradshaw, Executive Producer of The Sims 2. The only feature the Sim Duplicator has now, is copying Sims. "It's still pretty good. You can mix heads with different bodies, and so still make very unique Sims". The reactions from the community about this news aren't very positive. Many people are complaining Maxis has promised a great tool to create Sims, and that even after delays of months (admittedly caused also by the move to a new location of Maxis), all they can release is a "crappy" tool with hardly any features. The team that worked on the former "Body Shop" has been cut down and is now only half as big as before. They are still working on fixing all the bugs that occured before, and hope to be able to release a proper Body Shop in the last quarter of 2004, so after the expected release of The Sims 2. However, sceptics are already saying that this will cause even more delays to both the game and the real Body Shop. We'll keep you updated. For now, make sure you read the "Read More" part for the complete e-mail from Lucy, because it contains quite a bit of extra (and important) info. Read More!

SimDay: Makin' Mischief / No 3D [Update]

Written at 22:40 by ChEeTaH - 7 comments.

This SimDay is a little small. However, there's big news about an eighth expansion pack for The Sims. Makin' Mischief will add more fun to the Sims 1:

"In the game, players try to play pranks on other Sims. Previous versions of the Sims have all involved managing your Sims in a way that keeps them happy and healthy, but Makin' Mischief turns this game-play on it's head, where players are rewarded for the bad behavior they can successfully heap on their Sim characters."

By anticipating to the needs of your Sims you can pull pranks on them like glueing them to the toilet seat. Exactly a year ago Maxis also announced the "PC Gamer Reviewer" expansion pack, which never saw daylight... Read the complete press release for more information.

[Update 22:15] Another press release is on the Sims 2 site. Maxis says they'll be removing 3D from The Sims 2 because "80's nostalgia is in really hot right now, and it's here to stay." Maxis wants to "explore that avenue a bit more, but from a technical standpoint." The Sims Blocky Shop will create your brand new Sims. Creating a 3D game is too hard for Maxis. Read the press release for more information.

Body Shop in May

Written at 23:09 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

We already published earlier that The Body Shop will be released 10 May. However Maxis has never officially confirmed that date. On the official UK site there is a bit of confirmation though. A news post about the Body Shop posted a couple of days ago, starts with "When May comes around you'll all be getting a taste of The Sims 2...". Time will tell if the program will really come out on 10 May, but it is a possibility that's now more confirmed. For the whole post on the UK site, click here.

Friday 2 April 2004

Chat Transcript

Written at 11:35 by ChEeTaH - 4 comments.

The chat with Lucy was quite a success, and gave some interesting info. The transcript has been posted, and here are some quotes:

GoldenGirl: "hey i have a question why did you guys cut out 3d?"
MaxisLucy: "Wondering if you got a chance to look at the calendar today?"

Farmfancy: "Do men get pregnanat from being abducted?"
MaxisLucy: "They sure can....felt like a great opportunity to have men share in that aspect of life:) Fun part is that this can introduce some alien genetics into the mix"

98568: "When willThe Sims 2 Body Shop be released?"
MaxisLucy: "We're closing in on Beta...so soon."

soccerbabe86: "is there going to be some kind of neighborhood index that allows you to just click to the neighborhood you want to go to? So you don't have to scroll through each neighborhood and go through the agonizing waits.. :)"
MaxisLucy: "Yes, you can select from a catalog of neighborhoods, each with a picture and a blurb about them."

SimLovers: "Will different Sims have different weights/heights? For example, there are 2 sims of the same age and one is taller than the other...is that possible?"
MaxisLucy: "They do get fit, thin or fat, they get old and they can get pregnant. The height is age based but within an age they are of one height....we wanted to do more with this but there's lots to consider in terms of the interactions."

Little Blondie: "How long will the toddler stage be?"
MaxisLucy: "It is pretty short, we're still tuning this but right now we let them grow up to Children in about 5 sim days"

Elisir: "can you have mutiple roofstyles in on house and will the roof be autogenerated like in the sims 1?"
MaxisLucy: "Yeah, we made an auto-roof feature because it can be tricky to learn how to do this...there are lots of styles, tile, shingle and dormers and peak etc. Also chimneys"

TheSidDog: "Have basements been added?"
MaxisLucy: "we made a cellar in a house in one of the neighborhoods we are playing with, it is cool"

sims baby gurl: "can old people marry young people?"
MaxisLucy: "Elders can marry adults"

Andy: "Do sims still have the same Charlie-Brown-talking-on-the-phone-voice?"
MaxisLucy: "Simlish is big"

emz96: "LU-CY! Please Answer! Luc said that there was a glitch with weather b4, has it been fixed yet?"
MaxisLucy: "It is a big, tough problem....we have not ruled it out but we're figuring out if we can come up with a simple implementation plan for now..."

QueenKamisha: "Still adding stuff or just polishing?"
MaxisLucy: "we're still adding, about 1/2 team is on polish and bug fix and then we have some specail stuff we are adding for flaire in other places"

Many, many more questions have been answered as well. If you'd like to know more, read the transcript.

Saturday 3 April 2004

New Artwork

Written at 22:26 by ChEeTaH - 5 comments.

Maxis has sent us another e-mail this week (and this time it's real), with some small pieces of news. It's mainly about the move though. As we know Luc has left Maxis, but apparantly he is just one floor up from the rest of Maxis, "and is almost certain to put in a cameo appearance every now and then.". His new position at EA was totally unknown until now. His new role is that of "VP, Technology Fellow for EA" as Lucy tells us. Meanwhile Maxis has settled in their new place ("The Llama has landed"), and after a couple of days off they're back to working full-time on The Sims 2 again. The offices are being decorated with decorations, artwork and rhinos. Included was a concept art of the new digs of Maxis, which you can see below (click the thumbnail for a larger version). Finally, click "Read More" (or just read on if you're there already) to read the complete e-mail from Lucy.

Read More!

Thursday 8 April 2004

Bustin' Out (N-Gage) in May

Written at 01:22 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

The Sims Bustin' Out for Nokia's N-Gage will be released some time in May. Until now all that was known as release time was "Second quarter 2004", but the Game Page on N-Gage.com now says May 2004. An exact date is not given there, but GameRankings is put 11 May up as release date. This is the US date, the rest of the world will follow shortly after that (probably 14 May in most of Europe, although that's unconfirmed). We've updated the Countdown on the right with the new information.

New poll

Written at 02:00 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

Another week, another poll. Last week we asked you the question what you think of the name "Body Shop" instead of CaSIE or any of the other old names. And it turns out that the Body Shop (106 votes) is by far the most popular name, followed by CaSIE (36 votes). CAS and SACAS got the least of the 225 votes, with just 11 and 2 votes each. The 70 "I don't care" people ended up in the middle. You can also check out the exact results. This week's poll is about the new console version of The Sims. In his final community e-mail Luc Barthelet said a new console version is coming this fall. Tell us what you think about it on the right or at this page.

SimDay: New shots

Written at 18:56 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

There's not much real news this week at SimDay. The real new stuff is about The Sims 2: there are 2 brand new screenshots available on the official site. They're taken outside in the darkness, probably during a party. Make sure you check out those screenshots. Other screenshot news is about the 7 GameSpy shots we already reported about. Finally there's a bit about TheSimsChat. They will be holding a live quiz this sunday. If you want to win a GBA plus Bustin' Out, or a TSR subscription, then make sure you read all the information about it. That's all again for this week.

Saturday 10 April 2004

New screenshot

Written at 02:06 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

Another Sims 2 fansite, Sims 2 Blog, has posted a new screenshot of the in-game CaS. It shows a selection pane where you can pick a set of clothes for your Sim. Note that it's not from the Body Shop (formerly known as CaSIE), but where you actually create a Sim with personality etc. in the game. Hence this is most likely also not how it will look in the final version (there probably will be a window or something behind those curtains in the background). You can find it in this post.

Sporty Sims 2

Written at 15:45 by ChEeTaH - 2 comments.

Maxis has sent us three new screenshots which all have to do with the Athletic career. Join some Sims running or working out in a gym by clicking the thumbnails below. Here's a quote from Lucy (TS2 Executive Producer) about the screenshots:

"Spring is in the air, and that means it's time to shed those unwanted polygons! It's time to get on track - the Athletic Career Track, that is. In The Sims 2, you can keep your Sims fit and svelte by making them a career athlete. Dress them up in track-suits or leggings, and send them for a run, or have them pay a visit to the gym, and work out some aggression on the punching bag. Whether the goal is a shapely silhouette for that itsy-bitsy summer bikini your Sim has her eye on, or that flash new sports car you plan on buying with your career earnings, Sim athleticism is one of many ways you can achieve greatness in The Sims 2.

"Check out these great screenshots of Sims-in-training. Guess which one's my alter-ego!"

The Sims wins TMF Award [Update]

Written at 22:40 by ChEeTaH - 2 comments.

As if The Sims hasn't had enough awards yet, the most sold PC game of all times has received another one. In the Netherlands the game has just received a TMF Award for Best Game. TMF (The Music Factory, a music channel owned by MTV) gives away TMF awards every year for 9 years now. The show is probably the biggest annual music awards show in the Netherlands, and is broadcasted in over 40 countries this year. The public votes for the winners in all categories. The Best Game category is new this year, and besides the Sims, also Fifa 2004 and Need for Speed: Underground (both games from EA as well) were nominated, but in the end The Sims won.

[Update 23:45] Watching the repeat of the whole show, it looks like it wasn't just The Sims which was nominated, but The Sims Bustin' Out - that's at least what the clips showed (yet it was announced as just "The Sims"). René van der Woerdt from EA Benelux accepted the award on behalf of all Sims. He thanked everybody for all the votes. According to him it's "really cool to accept the first award of Best Game on behalf of Electronic Arts".

Monday 12 April 2004

New Donation File

Written at 01:07 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

It's been delayed a bit, but we have a new donation file for you again. If you make a donation you will now be able to download the Holographic Projection Entertainment 2.0, a unique object for your Sims. If you donate you will help out TSZ and the RGA financially. Without your donations TSZ cannot survive because the hosting costs are simply too high. We hope you will donate - we appreciate it!

See Advertising responsible for TS2 campaign

Written at 16:19 by ChEeTaH - 4 comments.

Electronic Arts has announced they've extended their relationship with See Advertising, which has taken care of the advertising of 30 EA titles in the past, but is also responsible for the media functions for the entire EA portfolio. See will continue to provide campaigns for EA Sports and EA Games titles, including The Sims 2. "We understand the company, its brands, its franchises and most of all, the people who buy and play their games. See appreciates the confidence EA has shown in extending this relationship," said See Advertising CEO Eileen Arbues. The two companies have built up a "very special relationship" in the past 10 years, which has resulted in countless campaigns throughout Northern America and Europe already. The relationship is continued, and that "guarantees continuity in the campaigns that built EA Sports and EA Games, two of the most powerful brands in the entertainment industry," said Carolyn Feinstein, EA's Vice President of Marketing Communications.

Wednesday 14 April 2004

TSO Still a Failure

Written at 00:22 by ChEeTaH - 9 comments.

The Sims Online has been doing worse than expected since the first months. Although EA has invested a lot of money in it ($300 million), some consider it a failure. Within 3 months after its release EA expected to have sold 200,000 copies of the game, while a month after the release only 80,000 people had signed up. At the moment there are only about 80,000 more subscribers than a year after the release - despite new content like pets, services and a lot more. EA expected to have 1 million players now, which means it's doing worse than their expectations. Some people say the biggest reason for the failure of the game is that it's not possible to have custom content in the game, something which has been held back by EA as they never allowed SafeTMog (by Don Hopkins) to be released. But TSO isn't the only game doing worse than expected, SMH has posted an article which talks about the stumble of PCs in the video game industry.

Thursday 15 April 2004

New Poll

Written at 02:00 by ChEeTaH - 2 comments.

As usual we have a new poll this week. Now The Sims Online has been released in the US and Japan, but is still more or less a failure, we're wondering if you think the game should be released in Europe after all or not. On the message board of Sims Online Stratics a group of European players is co-ordinating a campaign to gauge European interest. They hope to send the results to EA should they be positive, to encourage them to rethink the European release. Let us know what you think by voting on the right, or on this page. Last week we also had a poll, about the new console version which will be coming later this year. Opinions are pretty divided. 32% Will definitely get it, but 26% doesn't care as they don't have a console. 14% Just doesn't care, 12% will only get it if there are enough differences with the previous versions. Finally, 9% will probably not buy it until it's really good and 8% will "wait and see". In total 214 people voted. You can see the exact results on the results page.

Bustin' Out N-Gage Screens

Written at 21:24 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

IGN N-Gage has posted a bunch of new screenshots of The Sims Bustin' Out for the N-Gage, which is expected to be released in May. The screenshots show quite a few different things including gameplay with a sim walking around, but also some of mini-games in action. A couple of them also show the interface of the friends list or your Sim's inventory. It's definitely worth a peek, so go to the screenshots. Note that they're spread over 2 pages (that's how many new shots there are). The N-Gage QD, which will be an improved version of the current N-Gage, although not with much new technology, has recently been announced by Nokia. Bustin' Out was mentioned as one of the games mixing both variety and originality, and so it seems Nokia does find this game rather important (contrary to EA).

Saturday 17 April 2004

New interview and Body Shop Shots

Written at 15:45 by ChEeTaH - 1 comment.

Lucy Bradshaw has sent out her weekly e-mail again, and in it was an interview with Darren Futa, producer of The Sims 2. She said the following about it:

"One of the great joys of working at Maxis is the excellent teams of people that I find myself surrounded by each and every day. The sense of humor and fun that you find in our games correlates directly with the people who create those games. You can rest assured that even during the most intense development period, where everyone seems to be working 'round the clock, the antics and good humor of team members shines through in ways that raise the collective spirits of all and gets us through our long, arduous days.

"With that in mind, I thought it would be great to get inside the minds of some of the best and brightest of Maxis. The release of The Sims 2 Body Shop looms large on the horizon, and one of the individuals crucial to its development was Producer Darren Futa. I sat down with Darren and picked his brain on all manner of things, both related to The Sims 2 and The Sims 2 Body Shop, but also questions of a more personal nature. Read on!"

We've posted the interview in our interviews section. Lucy also send us the following screenshots of Sims you can make with the Body Shop. They're not the prettiest one, but they do show that you can make a sim look exactly the way you want. Click the thumbnails below to see the full-size screenshots.

Urban Sims coming to Consoles

Written at 16:30 by ChEeTaH - 3 comments.

When Luc left Maxis, he already mentioned a new version for The Sims on the consoles, which will be released later this year. Now IGN has posted some info about it. The current working title is "Urban Sims". Urban because your Sims will be able to go downtown in this new title. As with Bustin' Out, the game will be released on PlayStation2, GameCube, X-Box and GBA. The GBA version is again different from the others, and will be developed by Griptonite Games, which also made Bustin' Out on the GBA. Read on for a lot more information and screenshots... Read More!

Wednesday 21 April 2004

"Urban Sims" called "The URBZ"

Written at 20:39 by ChEeTaH - 6 comments.

As you know we already told you about Urban Sims coming to the consoles a few days ago. EA has released their official press release today, but instead of using "Urban Sims" as title, it will probably be called "The URBZ" (which is a working title). As said Sims will go downtown, but we will no longer know them as Sims. Instead, they will be called "Urbz". You will be taking them to new places and jobs where you can follow your Urbz around 24/7, even on the job. The game will have a completely new graphics engine, as well as a new character customization engine. You can dress your Urbz any way you want, and even give them nose rings or tattoos. The reputation (rep) is the most important. As your Urb's rep grows, and if you have an EyeToy for the Playstation 2, then your Sim can look like you. You just have to "download" a photo of you using the EyeToy to the game. The GBA version will, as said, be more like the GBA version of Bustin' Out. Read the press release for more information. Expect a lot more info about this sequel to Bustin' Out in May during the E3. The release is scheduled to be at the same time on all platforms in fall 2004.

EA Shows Games Pre-E3 [Update]

Written at 21:12 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

EA is going to show some of their hottest games to the press before the E3 at 12-14 May. The press will be at the headquarters in Redwood City to watch Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault, Most Wanted (Need For Speed), Burnout 3, TimeSplitters 3, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth and, of course, The Sims 2. This is quite unusual, as EA has never shown their games to the press that shortly before the E3, which is the biggest game expo in the world. EA also refuses to confirm the line-up. EA also has not yet released their complete E3 line-up, although these games will all most likely be shown there. At least The Sims 2 is definite, and also the URBZ will make it to the E3. Thanks to WorldSims for this tip.

[Update 23 April 2004, 19:15] The original article at EuroGamer was posted at 19 April, and said the show would be held "tomorrow", i.e. 20 April (last Tuesday). Also, the new Need for Speed title is not called "Most Wanted", but it was announced as "Need for Speed: Underground 2" today.

Thursday 22 April 2004

New poll: The URBZ, Urban Sims or...?

Written at 02:15 by ChEeTaH - 1 comment.

Yesterday the sequel of Bustin' Out, The URBZ, was announced by EA. The first name that got through was Urban Sims though. We're wondering which of these names, or a selection of others, you like the best for this new game. You can vote in the new poll on the right or at this page.

Last week we asked about a European release of The Sims Online. The game has been released in the US and recently in Japan, but EA Europe has cancelled all plans to release it in Europe a few months after the original release. European players can now only play using an import version and a credit card. This lack of a release in Europe was reason for some members of the Sims Stratics message boards to start a campaign to let EA Europe know they should release the game. The poll we held here at The Sims Zone got 187 votes, of which over 50% said they want the game to be released in Europe too. This should clearly state there is interest in the game in Europe. If you want to see the complete results of the poll, check the results page. Visit our Poll Archive for more polls.

SimDay: New screenshot

Written at 14:27 by ChEeTaH - 1 comment.

This SimDay doesn't come with a lot of news, but there's more than last week (when there was no real news at all). The news is that there's one screenshot of The Sims 2 that hasn't been seen before yet, posted at the official site. It shows a female sim checking out a male one, probably near a swimming pool. Click here to check it out. One other thing has been posted, and that's the announcement of the URBZ. Nothing else is new on the official site.

URBZ Screens and Logo [Update]

Written at 21:12 by ChEeTaH - 2 comments.

Three new screenshots, one from the consoles and two from the GBA, of the URBZ have been published. You can see a typical city in the console shot, and the creation of a Urb (Sim) and a Urb in the city on the GBA screenshots. Besides that, the new logo for this game has also been made available by EA. These screenshots are the second set, following the screenshots from IGN last weekend. You can see the new screens by clicking the thumbnails below.

[Update 23 April 2004, 21:00] Our affiliate SimsZone an artwork of the game now. You can find it on their URBZ Info Page.

Friday 23 April 2004

The Sims 2 in September?

Written at 21:05 by ChEeTaH - 1 comment.

There have been a lot of rumours about the release date of The Sims 2 already. The latest one from PCZone said September, which is now more or less confirmed by EA. An exact date is not yet known and for now "second half 2004" may be more reliable than "September 2004". However, on the EA UK press site of The Sims 2 September 2004 is mentioned as street date. This date still is not definite and might still change. We'll keep you updated with more news when we get it, so keep visiting and check the latest news and the countdown (on the right) for the latest information about the Sims 2 release date.

Saturday 24 April 2004

Sims 2 Shots: Garden Madness

Written at 03:57 by ChEeTaH - 1 comment.

We've just received 5 brand new Sims 2 screenshots from Maxis. This time they're all showing green trees, plants, grass etc... As you can see even the gardens in The Sims 2 will look entirely different than what we're used to. You can make any creation limited by not much more than your imagination. The fifth screenshot is slightly different. Instead of showing an in-game garden, it shows a new neighborhood overview. On it there are also a few homes with nice gardens, but you can also see some bridging, a river, and roads. These are the kind of neighborhoods you can make yourself using SimCity 4, but of course a couple of them will already ship with The Sims 2. Click the thumbnails below to see all the screenshots in their full glory, and read more to read the complete e-mail from Lucy.

Read More!

Knowledge Upgrades

Written at 04:10 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

The Knowledge Section has received a little upgrade again. This section has proven to be very popular, and so it's hard to guarantee that there are no posts that will not offend you are are against the rules. Hence we've added a new feature: reporting questions and answers. Using that feature, everybody can report to the team of The Sims Zone. Our team will receive an e-mail when you submit a report, and so we can guarantee a higher quality of the knowledge base. Of course this also depends on you! If you find any question or answer inappropriate, for instance if it contains a serial number, a link to a site offering illegal downloads, foul language, or anything else that is against the rules or offensive, you should report it to us. Also if a question is, for example, posted in the wrong category, you can report it so admins of The Sims Zone can fix the problem. We hope you'll find this a useful addition to the biggest FAQ in the Sims community, which is all thanks to you! Besides that, we've also fixed a few design problems, so things should look a bit better now. If you have any tips for us on how to improve the knowledge section, either e-mail me or post an answer to this question. We will then see what we can do.

Even More Sims 2 Screenshots

Written at 18:50 by ChEeTaH - 4 comments.

We already received 5 screenshots last night which showed the landscaping tools in The Sims 2, but a few more have been published as well. With the Body Shop coming really close now - probably just 2 weeks until the release - Maxis is promoting it big. The next newsletter will probably be about that again, as two new screenshots appeared on the Scoop page. They show how much you can customize your Sim again, and that you can make them as pretty or as ugly as you like. They're in a slightly similar fashion as last week. The third one comes from GamePro, and shows the in-game CAS. With that you can also customize Sims although not as much as with the Body Shop. You can see all screenshots by clicking the thumbnails below.

Sunday 25 April 2004

Scoop Newsletter

Written at 01:21 by ChEeTaH - 3 comments.

There seem to be problems with sending the scoop newsletter, and many people haven't received it yet. However, I've been able to find the text (with thanks to Fabian at our affiliate SimsZone.de and SimsStop.co.uk) online along with two new graphics, besides the two we posted earlier today. You can see them completely by clicking the thumbnails below. The first one shows the stars of the E3, the second one is a collage of the new office of Maxis.

The scoop itself is about the Body Shop, which has gone into closed beta testing this month. It's been released to a selection of fans who were picked (quoting Maxis from another source here) "based on past content creation efforts for Sims 1.x." The tool will be available for free download next month, but Maxis isn't giving an exact date yet. The latest rumour is May 10 which we're sticking to in the countdown, but that's not final yet.

The other part is about the E3 next month. The E3 is the biggest annual game expo in the world, held in LA. As we knew, The Sims 2 will also be shown there, and we'll be able to see some "truly realistic Sims. Exact details are not given, but 12-14 May is definitely a time to look forward to if you like to see and read Sims 2 screenshots, videos, interviews, previews and more. Of course we'll post about all the Sims news this E3 again, so keep coming back here for details. The next scoop will also contain some more E3 material. Read more to read the text from the newsletter.

Read More!

Tuesday 27 April 2004

Urban Chat

Written at 14:44 by ChEeTaH - 2 comments.

This Thursday there will finally be a chat again, this time about the recently announced The Urbz. If you'd like to know more about this title, then make sure you're on the official site Thursday at 3pm PST (11pm UK Time, or midnight in western Europe). It's not known who exactly from Maxis will be joining the chat, but there should be some members of the Urbz team.

Wednesday 28 April 2004

10 New Sims 2 Screens

Written at 00:19 by ChEeTaH - 4 comments.

EA has revealed 10 new screenshots of The Sims 2, along with a couple of old ones (which I won't put back here again). They contain some interesting stuff, like kissing Sims, jumping Sims, swimming Sims, Sims working out, Sims training for combat, Sims getting ready for dinner at the TV, and even a Sim being abducted by aliens. You may have seen a few earlier in either lower quality or in a movie, but they're posted new as (high quality) screenshot. You can view them all by clicking the thumbnails below.

Thursday 29 April 2004

The URBZ: Site Launched

Written at 01:04 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

Maxis has launched the official site for The URBZ, the sequel to Bustin' Out coming to the consoles later this year. On this site you can find a couple of new screenshots for both the console and GBA versions. Besides that, Maxis also presents us the "Crew", i.e. some of the characters in the game. The press release and some general info, like a feature list, can also be found on the site in the "Details" and "411" sections. Although a "No Flash" version is there, it only shows the press release. So to enjoy the site and to see the new screenshots, you must have the Flash Plugin installed. If you visit the site and you don't have it yet, you will be asked to install it. You can find all of the mentioned things, and probably more in the future, at URBZSims.com.

New Poll

Written at 02:00 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

Another Thursday, another poll. Last week we asked you what you think of the recently announced name for "The URBZ". As you might know it's still a working title, and we gave you the choice of a set of possible names for the project. 224 people voted in a week time, of which 55 (25%) chose "Urban Sims". That name is also the most popular, followed by "The URBZ" (44 votes, 20%) which again was closely followed by "The Sims in the City", the current subtitle of The URBZ (38 votes, 17%). Another 38 people didn't have a clue what the poll was about, while 18% couldn't choose between the names or would prefer a name that's not listed. The other options were "The Sims 24/7" (15 votes, 7%), "The Sims Lifestyle" (9 votes, 4%) and "Downtown Sims" (7 votes, 3%).

As said we have a new poll again this week. The behaviour of Sims is programmed by humans, but we wonder how smart you think your Sims really are. You can vote on the right or at the latest poll page. More old polls and their results can be found in our archive.

The Sims: How do you play yours? (Part 1)

Written at 04:29 by Andy - 0 comments.

"The Sims" is a game that can be played in so many different ways. This is the first of a series of articles on some of the many styles I have found how people enjoy this game that we know and love.

Firstly, I take a look at the Traditional Style!

Might you find your style in there?

SimDay: New screenshot

Written at 22:51 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

It's a new SimDay, which means new Sims stuff. It's not so much this week (again) though. The only real new thing is a new Sims 2 screenshot. Besides the 5 we posted last weekend, this new one also is about a garden. It holds the name "A Zen garden is a great place for a first date," which says it all. You can see it at the official site's screenshot page. Also, don't forget tonight's URBZ chat at 3pm PST, 11pm in the UK and midnight in most of Europe. That, and the launch of URBZSims.com, is all for this SimDay.

Coming soon: The Add-on Handler 0.4.0b

Written at 22:59 by ChEeTaH - 1 comment.

A lot of hard work has been put in The Add-on Handler the past few months, and now it's close to being finished. Version 0.4.0 beta will be released some time next week, and will have many new features. As you may have guessed, after the hunt for translators over a month ago, the program will now be available in several languages. However, not everything is entirely translatable, and so it could be that you notice a few English texts where even I would rather not see them. Unfortunately there's not much I can do about that at this point. Furthermore, quite a few bugs have been fixed, including some on the serial numbers page. The program can now also handle bigger FAR files, and so strange "Invalid Folder" messages shouldn't appear as often anymore. But, most importantly, a brand new feature has been added: the "Export List" feature. As it says, this exports a list of all the custom content you installed, to a text, html or xml file. It comes with a template for each of these, and using the comments you'll never have to search for your downloads again. Just make sure you put where you found the download in the comment when installing it (which is already possible in version 0.3.0b), and you'll see that in the list. If you put a web address there, it will even be possible to hyperlink it. This way you can solve all your problems with finding back your downloads after reinstalling, or you can just send your list to your friends so they can see what custom content you have installed. Currently the development is in its last phase and it should be completed pretty soon. Expect it in about a week time, or just a few days more.

Friday 30 April 2004

Away for a few Days

Written at 09:02 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

As of today, I'll be leaving home for the weekend, which means I'm not able to update this site. Until monday the rest of our team will keep you updated with all the latest Sim news and info. So keep visiting, and see you in a few days!

The Sims 2 Designer Diary #7

Written at 23:24 by Stash - 0 comments.

GameSpot has posted part 7 of the Designer Diary of The Sims 2. This time Lucy Bradshaw focuses on making movies in The Sims 2. The article has some interesting information and sheds some light on the history of The Sims photo albums, and the idea of adding movie making to The Sims 2. To read the Designer Diary, click here. The article also comes with a new video that shows off the movie making feature, which is very cool.