Welcome to The Sims 2! Part 21 - Special announcement!

Maxis is moving this week from Walnut Creek to Redwood Shores, and as it happens I am also personally moving to new endeavors. Since I have kept all of you in the loop on everything that happens at Maxis, I wanted to make sure you knew it first before any public announcement in the next few weeks.

My time at Maxis as been the most wonderful time of my life for I love the games we make and the individuals who make them. Everyone is so creative, smart and willing to do what it takes to make the best, that I will leave Maxis with unforgettable memories. Maxis is also the place where I learned to connect with you, the key leaders of a vibrant community that helps us make better games and an overall better experience inclusive of creators and leaders outside of Maxis.

Timing is always a challenge in succession planning, but I leave with the knowledge that Sims2 is in great shape and will be the most exciting game of 2004. I cannot wait to see all of you play "The Sims 2 Body Shop" in the next few weeks and see the deluge of content that will come from your talented artists. I am also excited that you will be able to play the game at E3 in Los Angeles in May and experience for yourselves The Sims 2 as well as see our new Sims offering for Console for the fall.

My next play is within EA and is a secret right now, all I can say is that it will take a few years to come out and it will probably involve the Sims and other EA properties in a completely new way. Ooops I am already saying too much.

Replacing me in my role of "General Manager, Maxis" is my friend of many years Neil Young. Over the past few years, Neil managed Ultima Online, Majestic and Lord of the rings among other things at EA. Lucy Bradshaw continues to be the Exec Producer of The Sims 2 and she will replace my weekly emails by her own prose about the details of the game and with new pictures of the game.

Thank you again for so many incredible years,

Love you all,

Luc Barthelet

"Forever Maxoid"