Do you remember when?

I’ve gotten a BUNCH of emails for people complaining about the cost of Sims 2 and asking me to somehow wave my magic computer wand and make is so they can download Sims 2…for free.

First off, I paid for all of my various versions of Sims 2. I know it sounds bitchy, but why in the world would I give it to you for free?

Also, it would be illegal for me to redistribute my copy of Sims 2 to you. I’m sure you’re a really cool person and you help old people across the street and stuff but I’m not risking a fine or jail time for anyone.

Lastly, have you checked out the price of Sims 2 lately?

Let me back up.

You can get Sims game for $31.98 on Amazon.com. Every stinkin’ one of them.

If you’re aching for Sims 2 then you can get The Sims 2 Deluxe - Sims 2 and Nightlife - from 18.98.

Also, Maxis just released Double Deluxe which gives you The Sims 2, Nightlife and Celebration Stuff all starting at 30.98. [Prices include shipping.]

So, while I understand that for some of you guys 18.98 might seem like a lot of money, think of how quickly you could save up the cash.

That’s four Venti White Mochas at Starbucks.

That’s about four Quarter Pounders w/cheese and fries from McDonald’s.

That’s…well, you get the idea.

Save your money. Buy the game and start enjoying one of the most popular computer games created. I promise you won’t be sorry. And if you find a site where I can play Sims 2 online for free then let me know.

I think Fridays are great news days and today is no exception.

I was perusing the Sims 2 website and a cute little thumbnail caught my eye. I blew up the picture so that you could enjoy the news for yourself.

“Fun and drama await as your Sims discover apartment living - from getting along with new neighbors to meddlesome landlords, building their reputation to visiting new local hangouts.”

I don’t know about you, but I’ve spent countless hours since the original Sims came out trying to construct a workable apartment where everyone stays in their own cute apartment. Unfortunately, things never worked out the way that I wanted and University was about the closest that I could get.

Now, Sims 3 promises apartment living and I think that’s pretty groovy. I can’t wait for more information and some sneak peeks.

I just realized that I haven’t done a formal introduction and that makes me look like a bit of a looser.

Hi. My name is Amy and that picture above this rambling mess is my family. Well, kind of. The animals and husband are right but my daughter is actually only 15 months old. However, I didn’t feel like dealing with a toddler Sim when I created this lovely family.

I’ve been playing The Sims since the original Sims and have all of the expansions…though I’m really not quite sure what happened to all of them.

Sims 2 was a big step and I can’t believe that I used to love the original Sims so much.

I’m split on what my favorite Sims 2 expansion is.

University is pretty freakin’ cool since it allows you to live [or relive] your college days but I also really like Nightlife because of the cars. And then of course is Pets and Seasons. I really just can’t choose. Though some expansions have been “better” than others, each has added a new layer of play.

I got Bon Voyage yesterday [I know I'm late to the party] and I’m excited to see what new things it has to offer. You’ll notice that the clothes that the family is wearing are from Vacation.

My plans for Sim Gamer are this. I want to increase the downloadable content. I love finding really great custom items and Sims and I also love to share them. Of course, Sims news is a must, but news doesn’t happen everyday with this game. So, I’ll report it as I find it. The Architectural Challenge is kind of up in the air right now. I’m waiting on news about it myself, so you’ll know something when I do.

Each Wednesday, I participate in “Wordless Wednesday”. It’s a great way to bring new people to the site and if you guys have some stuff that you’d like for me to showcase of Wednesdays, drop me an email and I’ll happily oblige.

That’s about it folks.

Are there anythings that you would like to see more of?

Did you know that The Sims was almost NOT made?

According to Will Wright, in his interview with Rock, Paper, Shotgun, Sims “was referred to as “The Toilet game”. It was the game where you clean the toilet. We had a product review meeting at Maxis where we had to decide whether we’d publish this thing or not…and the executive said “No, let’s do [something else]”.”

Apparently Wright was one of the few people who realized just how great The Sims could be and because of that was one of the few who went to bat for the game.

Though Sims tested poorly with some age groups [14 year old boys] it’s main fan base is women - a whopping 60 %. And those women have bought The Sims and its various offshoots like it’s going out of style - snatching up somewhere around 90 million copies of the simulation game.

Since its “toilet game” start, The Sims has spawned 7 expansions as well as Sims 2, with its five expansions. [and counting]

I’m sure those kinds of numbers make Wright very, very happy that he fought for such an unlikely game.

Even though this is a bit off the subject of the Sims and the Sims 2, I thought it would be fun to take a look at one of Maxis’ newest games that’s a big upgrade from one of their oldest.  SimCity Societies came out just about two months ago and is the fifth installment of the SimCity series. 

In this version, you get unprecedented control to build your city and mold its character by choosing to focus on any mix of six societal characteristics: roductivity, prosperity, creativity, spirituality, authority, and knowledge.  Each type has its own unique class of buildings, benefits, drawbacks, and costs and many generate "specialty sims" that help regulate or confuse your city. 

The graphic detail is absolutely stunning and, once you figure out the details of how each window and control panel works, gameplay is relatively seamless even at high graphic levels.  Two drawbacks to mention: 1) The game often slows down when autosaving and its seems to do this about every 3 minutes.  2) Once you’ve built up a really substantial city, it’s a little difficult to maneuver through all the buildings and focus on their individual issues and functions. 

Overall, I think this is a great game that’s well worth the $40 or so retail price (on special now at Amazon for $31.99).  If you love the Sims and you love strategy-type gaming, you will get hooked on SimCity Societies.  Check out the official website here and some of the better screenshots below.

Read more

Check out the new Sims game The Sims Carnival Snap City.  It’s like Simcity and The Sims except with a twist:

From the creators of The Sims™ comes a unique city-building simulation game with a puzzle twist. Enjoy an entirely new Sims gaming experience as you build cities and solve puzzles in this innovative, casual strategy game!

Download a free trial of it here.

Tags: the sims carnival snap city, the sims 2, simcity

Here’s a new game, Sims Carnival Bumper Blast, put out by the makers of the Sims 2.  It looks a little weird but there’s a free demo available if you want to try it out before buying it over at Pogo.com.  I think the only thing "Sims" about it are the disembodied Sims heads, but check it out for yourself.

I think it’s some kind of shooting arcade game meets Arcanoid, but it’s not too clear from the screenshots.  What do you think?  Check out the screenshots after the jump.

Read more

You can now add The Sims On Stage to your iGoogle page:

This gadget plays the top 10 Karaoke performances recorded this week on The Sims On Stage, the online community where creative people entertain their friends and the world.

Check it out here.

Tags: the sims 2, the sims on stage, igoogle

I’m really sorry it took me this long to get these fabulous alien inspired contest entries posted.  It was a combination of being sick, travel and thanksgiving.  Anyway, here are the week 5 entries.  Remember the challenge was to make a home fit for aliens.

Check out the houses and then vote for your favorite on this post:

• Darkartemis831
• Fireglade
• Katu
• Simplode

Voting will be open until Monday December 3rd.

Tags: the sims, the sims 2, simsgamer architectural challenge