Sunday 1 April 2007

The Sims 2 Seasons: Heatwave or Clouded Over? - Part 10

Written at 03:28 by Andy - 0 comments.

In the tenth and final part of our review of Seasons, we look at the new careers, collections, a cheat and contemplate our conclusions on what we think of the 5th expansion to the series.

Read the latest installment right here! or go here to start from the beginning!

Penguin Bugs Due to Patch [Update - April Fools]

Written at 13:44 by ChEeTaH - 3 comments.

The patch for Seasons released yesterday has introduced a new bug. Usually the penguin introduced by the pack was more likely to come over during Winter. After installing the patch its behaviour has changed, and the creature will now more likely be seen during summer. The change in climate preference may not be obvious at first, but after playing for some time you will notice that the penguin prefers high temperatures over freezing ones. Besides all that, the penguin can also be adopted like any cat or dog, making it the most demanding house pet. Something dogs (if you have Pets as well) won't like: a pet dog will very likely constantly chase the penguin around, even if the latter is just trying to have a friendly conversation with the dog. A new patch will be released this week to solve all the problems, but until then Maxis recommends not to install the patch, as more issues may be caused by the radical changes the patch makes to some of the game's code. One of our members, Rosie, has given us a few screenshots made with the game, showing the summer appearance of the penguin. We have not yet spotted actual shots of the adoption possibility yet.


[Update 2 April, 16:10] Did we get you? Of course if you looked at the date, you would've known that nothing in the rest of this newspost is true at all. Yes, the penguin does appear during summer, but there's no bigger chance that it will during that particular season. Also, adopting penguins? Not in the Sims world. We hope you had a laugh, and if we did get you, better luck next year...

Read More!

Monday 2 April 2007

Stuff Packs to Mac

Written at 20:15 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

Aspyr, developer and publisher of the Sims series on the Mac platform, has announced that it will port the Sims 2 stuff packs to Mac as well. Starting with Family Fun Stuff, which is to be released this month, the other two stuff packs that are already out will be released this summer (Glamour Life Stuff) and fall (Happy Holiday Stuff). Although it hasn't been mentioned yet, it's not unlikely that Celebration! Stuff, which will be released on PC this week, will also make it to the Mac - though it's not yet sure when. More details can be found in the MacWorld story covering the announcement. Head over to our Mac shop to pre-order the first stuff pack now.

Saturday 14 April 2007

TSZ Back Online!

Written at 02:24 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

After the hard disk crash that our server suffered from last week, The Sims Zone is back again. Back-ups have been replaced, and everything is in working order again. A little data of the last few days before the crash has gone lost, but will be reposted. If you registered in those days and your account is no longer working, then try registering again. We'll be catching up with Sim Brother 5, the news and the usual things again from now on. We apologise for the long downtime, but hope you're happy we're back again as usual.

Sim Brother V - A New House for A New Series

Written at 05:26 by Andy - 0 comments.

Sim Brother is coming back for a 5th Series at TSZ, which begins in an hour.

To whet your appetites for the new season, we give you a preview of the new house that the housemates will be going into and a few hints about what might be in store.

You can find all about it in here!

Sim Brother V - Day 1 - Bring It On!

Written at 06:12 by Andy - 0 comments.

Let's go!

Sunday 15 April 2007

Sim Brother V - Day 2 - Let's Go To Work

Written at 02:00 by Andy - 0 comments.

Sim Brother V is now underway. These eight housemates are now entering their first full day and Sim Brother is about to show them that their stay will be not be the holiday camp that some of them were expecting.

It's all in here!

Monday 16 April 2007

Sim Brother V - Day 3 - Eggs, Bunnies & Tails

Written at 02:00 by Andy - 0 comments.

With the housemates missing Easter due to having been contained for a week longer than expected, Sim Brother throws a party for them. Find out what happened and also all of the other daily events in the house.

You can find it here!

Windows: Take 2 (and Recolors)

Written at 05:27 by Jendea - 0 comments.

I updated the We Like White Windows with several improvements involving the roof lines. If you'd like to redownload these, please copy over the originals, they will replace them.
Also, I posted three spiffy recolors in black, birch and teak. Enjoy. :)

Click on the picture to go directly to the recolors or you can find both the windows and recolors in my section under jendea

Tuesday 17 April 2007

Sim Brother V - Day 4 - Quarantine

Written at 02:00 by Andy - 0 comments.

A unexpected and virulent outbreak of "Bug Flu" has spread throughout the entire house. In the interests of health and safety, the Sim Brother house has been quarantined.

Find out how it happened, what steps Sim Brother took to contain it and how the housemates spent their day.

You can read about it here!

Wednesday 18 April 2007

Sim Brother V - Day 5 - Results & Recriminations

Written at 07:35 by Andy - 0 comments.

Sick or cured, it is the last day for the housemates to complete their first task. It is also the first nominations for the house.

Find out how they got on in the task and find out who is facing the public vote and why.

You can read it right here!

Thursday 19 April 2007

Sim Brother V - Day 6 - Betting, Bubbles & Bass

Written at 08:40 by Andy - 0 comments.

Firstly, Dr. Phil gets psychological with the housemates today. Secondly, they all get put into "bubbles" and some of them get the chance to go bass fishing. We also get some hints from Simbrokes as to how the betting is going for the first eviction.

Check it all out right here!

Friday 20 April 2007

Sim Brother V - Day 7 - How does your garden grow?

Written at 04:00 by Andy - 0 comments.

We find out whether the isolation bubbles are effective enough in helping the remaining five housemates be healed. We find out from behind the scenes about how the directors react to crises like this. Sim Brother gives the housemates something to do that will last from now to the end of the show, and we also find out what could be the first season romance.

Today's report is right here!

Saturday 21 April 2007

Sim Brother V - Day 8 - Eviction Night #1

Written at 02:00 by Andy - 0 comments.

You have chosen to evict one of these eight people. Click here to find out who you chose.

Sim Brother V - Britney's Eviction Night Special

Written at 07:00 by Andy - 0 comments.

Britney is out!

54% of you voted her as the first evictee from the Sim Brother V house. Find what she had to say to Will about her time in the house, her relationship with fellow housemates and an idea for a new TV show for this Princess of Pop.

It's all right here!

Sim Brother V - Cat's Eyes 1

Written at 23:55 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

With Sim Brother V there's also a new series of specials. Just like we did last time we take a special look at the progress of the show. We follow the weekly events in the house, but take a different point of view, perhaps a more critical one, and comment on whatever has happened. If you forgot what happened last week, and want to catch up again, it's also a summary of all the events. So, without further ado, the first edition of Cat's Eyes is back.

Read Cat's Eyes 1 Now.

Sunday 22 April 2007

New Life Stories Downloads

Written at 01:03 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

While Life Stories news has been fairly non-existent since its release, there is something to mention about it. EA has released two new objects for the game: the ElectroDance Sphere and the Neonbar. Besides that you can download a total of 27 MP3 files with music from the game to enjoy when you're not playing the game. You need to be logged in to download the objects, plus you need to have your game registered. The MP3 files are available free of charge to anyone visiting the site. It's all available through the downloads page at the Sims Stories site.

Life Stories' Riley at MySpace

Written at 01:04 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

Following MaxoidMonkey a new Sim has joined MySpace. Riley, known for her leading role in The Sims Life Stories, has created her own page. You can become her friend, send her a message, or check out some of her details. All is available on Riley's MySpace.

Celebration! Stuff Mini-Game

Written at 01:05 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

Celebration! Stuff has been released a little while ago, and like many earlier mini-games there's a new one again for the latest stuff pack. Just like the Family Fun, this game lets you decorate a room with items from Celebration! Stuff. Once you're done, you can save the room as a desktop wallpaper. The game can be found at EA Output (previously EA Viral), and requires Flash 8 or newer. Check out the mini-game to play it.

IGN Seasons Guide

Written at 01:05 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

IGN has created various small strategy guides for the Sims 2 series. This also goes for Seasons, in which they discuss some of the main topics of the expansion. They start off by explaining the new things that are in the game, following by a gardening guide. This also includes PlantSimism and fishing. Finally the guide explores the Seasons and their purpose in the game, as well as the various weather types. While nothing new is mentioned, it may contain useful tips for playing the game. Read the guide (9 pages) for all the details. IGN Insiders also get the possibility of download the guide as PDF or to their PSP.

Seasons and Celebration! Stuff Chat

Written at 01:36 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

To celebrate the release of both Seasons and Celebration! Stuff Maxis held a chat last week about the two packs. Some interesting questions were answered. First of all, a second patch for Seasons will address issues with Sims spontaneously combusting while in the hot tub, as well as some temperature problems. Maxis is also looking in making it possible to hold weddings on community lots for a future expansion pack. Otherwise no real new details were revealed during the chat, though it is a fun transcript to read. Take a peek at the full transcript for all the details.

Sims 2 Deluxe Announced

Written at 01:42 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

Recently EA has announced The Sims 2 Deluxe, which in time will replace the original Sims 2 packaging in stores. Similar to the Sims 1 Deluxe version it's the base game together with an expansion pack. Not the first though, but the second this time: Nightlife. Besides that the pack will contain a bonus DVD, presumably the same that was in the original Sims 2 Special DVD Edition. The pack does not seem to contain any other exclusive content. Details can be found on the information page. Its price is that of a usual full-priced retail game, around $40 (£30). A release date has not yet been announced, though Amazon has it set for 8 May. A free shipping offer at the EA Store ends late May, suggesting it will be released sometime next month. The game has not yet been confirmed for European release either. Americans can already pre-order The Sims 2 Deluxe from our Sims 2 PC Shop.

Sim Brother V - Day 9 - New Task, New Housemate

Written at 18:00 by Andy - 0 comments.

Britney has gone and there is a new task to keep their mind off things, but the house is not going to be low on numbers for long. A new housemate joined them today and he is the type of guy who takes no prisoners.

Find out about Jack's first day in the house and their first day without Britney.

It's right here!

Monday 23 April 2007

Sim Brother V - Day 10 - Questions of Sport

Written at 05:00 by Andy - 0 comments.

Today, Mia's Maulers and Harry's Royal Hotspurs have their first match where they had to know all of the facts about the World Cup 2006 from the mural that was provided. You can find out in today's report how they got on, you can find out who lost their temper and also find out how Sim Brother handled it.

It's right here!

Read More!

Tuesday 24 April 2007

Sim Brother V - Day 11 - Memory Pennants

Written at 02:00 by Andy - 0 comments.

The two teams go head to head over the gruelling Memory Pennants part of this week's competition where Harry's team needed to do well to stay in the competition. Find out how the two teams performed and also find out which two housemates got sights of more than they were expecting.

It's right here!

Wednesday 25 April 2007

Sim Brother V - Day 12 - Let's Kick Bag!

Written at 03:31 by Andy - 0 comments.

It's the final day of the three part World Cup Competition in the Sim Brother house and it all boils down to two games of Kickybag. The losing side knows that they will be facing the public vote and although Mia's side go into today with a few points lead, nothing is certain and everything is to play for.

All this and more is right here!

Friday 27 April 2007

Sim Brother V - Day 13 - The Piranha and a Rift

Written at 00:33 by Andy - 0 comments.

Dr. Phil goes out on a limb and defends the underdog, we find out the latest from Simbrokes and see whether the housemates can get on well enough as a group to get themselves a party.

Check it all out right here!

Sim Brother V - Day 14 - Party & Democracy

Written at 03:30 by Andy - 0 comments.

Find out about what happened with the rest of the party, see which two pairs of housemates have got better acquainted, find out what these three are so startled about and also find out what sinister plans Sim Brother has for the house tomorrow.

It's all in here!

Saturday 28 April 2007

Sim Brother V - Day 15 - Eviction Night ... NOT

Written at 02:00 by Andy - 0 comments.

It's a two part report tonight.

Introduced by Will, find out about the new temporary abode for the person who is leaving the main house tonight. Find out how the housemates spent their day and ultimately find out who they think is leaving the house and also who you did choose to evict and will be getting an uncomfortable surprise.

Read all about it!

Sim Brother V - Day 15 - A New Home for Johnny

Written at 02:30 by Andy - 0 comments.

Johnny is the housemate with the fewest votes and he has been evicted ... so they are being led to believe.

In the second part of tonight's "Eviction that Isn't" and introduced by Will, find out how Johnny reacted to finding out that he had not really been evicted and how he settles in to his new accommodation.

Read all about it!

Sunday 29 April 2007

Sim Brother V - Cat's Eyes 2

Written at 00:55 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

After the second full week of Sim Brother V, it's time to analyse what happened again. Time to look back at the past few days and see why some of the things happened. How's the competition between the housemates, after a task splitting the house up in teams? What's rebel Jack doing in the house? How will the false eviction impact the contestants in the upcoming weeks, as well as the stress that the house causes? After all, the housemates are packed together for many days, without getting any alone time except when in the diary room. Cat's Eyes is back with a second show of the season, following Sim Brother as closely as possible.

Read Cat's Eyes 2 Now.

Sim Brother V - Day 16 - The Day After The Night Before

Written at 17:48 by Andy - 0 comments.

With the housemates unaware of Johnny hiding in the gardens and assuming he has been evicted, find out how they are adapting to life without him, find out about Jack's crusades, Johnny's secret missions and also what is making Hilary look so shocked.

It's right here!

Monday 30 April 2007

Sim Brother V - Day 17 - Stealth & Surprises

Written at 08:23 by Andy - 0 comments.

It has been a busy day in the Sim Brother house. Did Johnny complete his mission before dawn? Did he managed to stay hidden all day? Has Jack managed to antagonise his fellow housemates any further? Also, has anyone noticed Johnny's picture is still up?

With a sudden climax, find out about all of the goings on in the house right here!

Sim Brother V - Jack's Eviction Interview

Written at 09:00 by Andy - 0 comments.

You voted him out on Friday and now he has his moment with Will and what a moment it is.

Although only in for eight days, he has made a lasting impression on the house. Find out what he had to say, find the tip of the iceberg on who he is taking action against and find out how he conducted himself before the cameras were turned off.

It's all here!