Welcome to The Sims 2! Part 7

Hello everyone.

Sorry to be late, Friday was really busy.

It has been an action-packed week here at Maxis and we have a lot of exciting information to share with you so let’s get started.

Work continues here at furious pace on the official The Sims 2 website. The new website will contain the latest and greatest information, along with a special section just for our community. As we near launch, we wanted to give you a sneak peek of the site in development. Here is a preview of the front page:

Now for some magical news! For the past few months, we have been working on a top secret project, The Sims 2 Sneak Preview CD. It will be included exclusively in the next expansion pack for The Sims, Makin’ Magic. Here is the world premiere of the trailer for the preview CD:

Next up, new images from the game. Our artists are working hard on delivering the most realistic Sims you have ever seen in The Sims 2. Variety and style are two important considerations in this process. Here you can see some of the latest images of our The Sims 2 Sims:

As you all know, custom content is such an integral part of any Sims game. It is no different for The Sims 2. The production team is in the midst of creating a revolutionary Stand Alone Create A Sim tool. We are also looking for a more exciting name than SACAS. Please feel free to email us your suggestions.

Finally, I would like introduce a new feature of my emails, the FAQ section. In this section, we will try to address your most frequently asked questions. Here is the first installment:

How will aging of the Sims go?
Players will guide their Sims’ lives as they grow up. You will be able to guide them thru key life phases including baby, toddler, child, adult and seniors. In The Sims 2, actions will have repercussions, and decisions made when your Sim is a toddler, child or teen will affect their life choices and ultimate happiness as an adult. As your Sims age, they will collect a variety of memories over the course of their lives that shape who they are.

What types of objects (such as toys) are there for the toddlers?
We are working on a variety of toys for toddlers, including xylophone, teddy bear and building blocks.

Will teens be able to “play?”
No.

Can you see the neighborhood, or is it a grey screen again?
The neighborhoods in The Sims 2 will be much richer and more customizable. You’ll be able to import your own sculpted territories from SimCity 4 to shape the landscape of neighborhoods in The Sims 2. When you are in a lot, you will not see the grey background like in the first version of the sims.

Will there be attics and basements?
You’ll be able to create attics in The Sims 2, however, at this time we are not planning to add basements.

I hope you enjoy the latest information. Stay tuned for further details!

Cheers,

Luc