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News
25 Oct 2006 - 23:00
24 Oct 2006 - 23:00
Check out The Sims 2 Holiday line up!
20 Oct 2006 - 23:00
For a limited time, enjoy The Sims 2 Pets theme while playing Stack'em at Pogo.com.
Play FREE Stack'em Now!
Use your TheSims2.com username/password to play
19 Oct 2006 - 23:00
The Sims Resource has made changes to their free content and launched a new feature to add Challenges to your Sims 2 game.
17 Oct 2006 - 23:10
The Sims 2 Pets ships today for PC, PlayStation 2, and Nintendo GameCube.
17 Oct 2006 - 23:00
<blockquote>The final issue of the Pet Training Paper has been released!
<a href="http://thesims2.ea.com/about/ep4_trainer3.php">Read The Last Issue</a></blockquote>
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<h3 style="color: #FFFFFF;">The Sims 2 Pets Training Paper</h3>
<p><img style="float: left;" src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-about_3.jpg" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /><strong>Issue III</strong><br />
Welcome back to The Sims 2 Pets Training Paper! The Sims are expecting... a whole litter of little furry friends will enter their world any day now! Here's one last look at what's coming soon for all of your animal-loving Sims.</p>
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<p><img src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-title_litter.jpg" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /></p>
<p>We've got The Sims 2 Pets on all of your favorite gaming devices. There's something for every gamer, so check out these highlights to see the unique adventures and mischievous fun that each variation offers.</p>
<p style="font-color: #FFFFFF;">PC (In Stores Oct. 19th*)</p>
<p><strong>Puppy (and Kitten) Love</strong><br />
Your Sims can breed their dogs and cats and get a litter of scampering puppies or feisty kittens. These pets will inherit their parents' genes so you might get a pup with the father's tail and the mother's coloring or a kitten who is the spitting image of its dad. These adorable offspring will also inherit personality traits from their parents, so if Mimi is a cowardly dog, her pups might be too-unless they take after their father, Brutus!</p>
<p><strong>Working Like a Dog (or Cat!)</strong><br />
In the PC version, your Sims' pets can have careers. Is Lucky a gorgeous dog with a lot of personality? Launch her on a path to stardom by starting her on the Showbiz career path. Does Smudge always want to lend a helping paw? Set her up in a Service career. Is Z-nut really a tough, super-protective pooch? She's perfect for the Security career path.</p>
<p><strong>Friends for Life</strong><br />
When your Sims adopt a pet, they gain a lifetime companion. Their animal pals will age along with them as they experience all of life's great moments. Their pets will be there to share those events-and may even create some of their own!</p>
<p><a href="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-dogfetch.jpg" rel="lightbox"><img src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-pettrainer_dogfetch.jpg" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /></a></p>
<p style="color: #FFFFFF;"><strong>PlayStation®2,</strong> (In Stores Oct. 19th*)<br />
<strong>PlayStation Portable (PSP)</strong><br />
(In Stores Dec. 6th*)<br />
<strong>NINTENDO GAMECUBE™</strong><br />
(In Stores Oct. 19th*)</p>
<p><strong>A Walk in the Park</strong><br />
Create the perfect dog or cat, then have your Sims can take their pets for a stroll in the park. Meet other Sims and their pets, play a game of fetch, or just spend the day relaxing with the family dog or cat. Sims can also visit the town shops to buy fun toys and stylish accessories for their furry friends.</p>
<p><strong>Classic Sims Gameplay</strong><br />
Create unique Sims with their own personalities. Build and decorate their homes with thousands of design options. Then control their lives. Will they lead a happy life blessed with success or suffer misery and disappointment at every turn? Their stories are in your hands!</p>
<p><strong>Show off Your Pets</strong><br />
When you create a pet, you can give your friends a unique code so that they can use that same custom breed in their game**. With some creative tinkering, you can populate your friends' worlds with your own special dog and cat breeds!</p>
<p style="font-style: italic;">**Pet codes can only be shared with users playing on the same console platform. Only available on Playstation®2 and Nintendo GameCube™.</p>
<p style="color: #FFFFFF;"><strong>NDS</strong> (In Stores Nov. 2nd*)</p>
<p><a class="float-right" href="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-ds.jpg" rel="lightbox"><img src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-pettrainer_nds.jpg" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /></a><strong>Run a Pet Clinic</strong><br />
Set your Sim up in the local Pet Clinic. As the town veterinarian, your Sim will diagnose their pet patients, treat them or refer them to specialists, and even bathe and groom them to keep them looking their best.</p>
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<p style="color: #FFFFFF;"><strong>GBA</strong> (In Stores Nov. 9th*)</p>
<p><a href="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-gba.jpg" rel="lightbox"><img src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-pettrainer_gba.jpg" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /></a></p>
<p><strong>A Career in Pet Care</strong><br />
Your Sim can work as a pet walker, trainer, veterinarian, and more. As your Sim's skills improve, they will gain more of a following with the town's pet owners, collect special items, and unlock new pets.</p>
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<p><img src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-title_morebreeds.gif" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /></p>
<p>Here's one last preview of some of the breeds you and your Sims can play with, train, and love in The Sims 2 Pets. Customize pets personalities to shape how they might behave around your Sims. Remember, all pets are unpredictable so expect the unexpected! </p>
<div style="clear:both;"><img src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-dog_bullet.gif" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /><strong>Brittany Cocker Spaniel</strong><div style="width: 180px; float: right;">A long-legged hunting dog that originated in France. Cockers are natural retrievers who make good family pets. They are usually gentle, loyal, and playful.</div></div>
<div style="clear:both;"><img src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-dog_bullet.gif" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /><strong>Doberman</strong><div style="width: 180px; float: right;">This breed is usually very protective of their owners, making them an excellent choice as a guard dog.</div></div>
<div style="clear:both;"><img src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-dog_bullet.gif" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /><strong>English Foxhound</strong><div style="width: 180px; float: right;">Developed by mixing Greyhounds, Bulldogs, and Fox Terriers, this dog was traditionally used in fox hunting.</div></div>
<div style="clear:both;"><img src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-dog_bullet.gif" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /><strong>Greyhound</strong><div style="width: 180px; float: right;">The speedy Greyhound is one of the fastest dogs afoot, but it is not prone to high energy.</div></div>
<div style="clear:both;"><img src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-dog_bullet.gif" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /><strong>Pointer</strong><div style="width: 180px; float: right;">A muscular, athletic breed, Pointers are one of the most popular hunting dogs.</div></div>
<div style="clear:both;"><img src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-dog_bullet.gif" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /><strong>Puggle</strong><div style="width: 180px; float: right;">This new mix between Pugs and Beagles is one of the most popular "Designer Breeds" around.</div></div>
<div style="clear:both;"><img src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-dog_bullet.gif" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /><strong>Samoyed</strong><div style="width: 180px; float: right;">Outfitted with a heavy coat of fur, this breed has been use to guard reindeer for generations.</div></div>
<div style="clear:both;"><img src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-dog_bullet.gif" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /><strong>Bernese Mountain Dog</strong> (PS2 & NGC Only)<div style="width: 180px; float: right;">One of four varieties of Swiss Mountain dogs, this is the only one with long, thick fur that serves it well in cold climates.</div></div>
<div style="clear:both;"><img src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-dog_bullet.gif" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /><strong>Bichon Frise</strong> (PS2 & NGC Only)<div style="width: 180px; float: right;">Admired for his soft fluffy white coat, this lap dog was bred for French royalty and also boasts a background as a circus performer.</div></div>
<div style="clear:both;"><img src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-dog_bullet.gif" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /><strong>Irish Wolfhound</strong> (PC Only)<div style="width: 180px; float: right;">This sturdy, large dog is surprisingly capable of great speeds which it traditionally used in its work as a hunting dog.</div></div>
<div style="clear:both;"><img src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-dog_bullet.gif" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /><strong>St Bernard</strong> (PC Only)<div style="width: 180px; float: right;">Another Swiss breed, this dog is renowned for rescuing travelers lost in the snow, but the familiar cask of brandy around its neck is more fiction than fact.</div></div>
<p class="float-right"><a href="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-catjump.jpg" rel="lightbox"><img src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-pettrainer_catjump.jpg" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /></a></p>
<div style="clear:both;"><img src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-cat_bullet.gif" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /><strong>Birman</strong><div style="width: 180px; float: right;">Originally from Burma, this cat served as the sacred companion of Kittah priests.</div></div>
<div style="clear:both;"><img src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-cat_bullet.gif" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /><strong>Egyptian Mau</strong><div style="width: 180px; float: right;">This breed has the only naturally occurring spots of all domestic cats and also claims the title of the fastest.</div></div>
<div style="clear:both;"><img src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-cat_bullet.gif" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /><strong>Oriental</strong><div style="width: 180px; float: right;">Lithe and lean, the Oriental is the graceful cat cousin of the Siamese breed.</div></div>
<div style="clear:both;"><img src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-cat_bullet.gif" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /><strong>Persian Blue</strong><div style="width: 180px; float: right;">This silky-soft longhaired breed may not have originated only in Persia, but it is thought to have been one of the exotic commodities exported in camel caravans.</div></div>
<div style="clear:both;"><img src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-cat_bullet.gif" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /><strong>Ragdoll Fold</strong><div style="width: 180px; float: right;">A fairly young breed, the Ragdoll was developed in California in the 1960s and is characterized by its Siamese color point markings and long fur</div></div>
<div style="clear:both;"><img src="internal:sites/simsnetwork.com/files/news/2006/20061017-trainer-cat_bullet.gif" alt="The Sims 2 Pets" /><strong>Tonkinese Fold</strong><div style="width: 180px; float: right;">This cross between a Siamese and a Burmese is a sturdy, muscular cat with Siamese markings.</div></div>
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<div class="center" style="font-size: 85%;">* These dates are for North America. Please check local retailers for international store dates.</div>
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16 Oct 2006 - 23:10
"... the 'Sims 2 Pets' add-on is the best yet, and breathes a fresh breath of air into the best-selling game as it enters its third year."
The Sims 2 Pets Review
by Libe Goad
Keep the cute, but lose the allergies and shedding, for a near-perfect pet simulation worthy of adoption.
Scientific research has shown that pets help people lead productive and well-rounded lives. In fact, the evidence has been so strong that the government subsidizes outreach programs that place pets with senior citizens, and doctors have been known to prescribe pets to depressed patients.
Knowing all that, it makes sense that a little furry Prozac should get injected into 'The Sims' -- the best-selling life-simulation game that lets you create and take control of virtual humans (who, like us, grow unhappy without proper love and affection). Instead of having your Sims call neighbors in the middle of the night for a quick social fix, they can just play with their cat, dog or bird for an easy status boost.
The new Sims expansion offers a nice variety of ways to adopt a critter. Players can use the house phone to call up the adoption agency and have one delivered, adopt a neighborhood stray or buy one at a pet store.
While it's nice to have options, it was the most rewarding to start from scratch -- create an entirely new family that includes pets or buy one from a store. This way, just as game lets players custom create human characters, pets can be created with almost as much customization -- including everything from predetermined breeds (including hip mixed breeds like Labradoodles and puggles), coat colors, minute facial and body details to the animal's overall personality by way of an astrological chart with predetermined characteristics. There are so many options here that it's safe to say that outside of using a taxidermist to keep Fluffy around forever, this is the best way to reanimate a childhood pet for your own slightly creepy enjoyment.
It was surprising to discover that only cats and dogs can be customized -- birds and hamster-like "womrats" only come in six varieties. It's not a major letdown, except for any amateur ornithologists hoping to create their own new breed of feathered friend.
After being created or adopted, the pets move into your house with the human Sims. Like real pets, they have basic needs to be tended to -- which may not be the easiest task for a beginning Simmer. Like regular Sims, pets must be fed, entertained and trained -- and all of this requires some dexterous multitasking, since the actual human Sims themselves are already like little pets and also require constant monitoring to make sure they go to the bathroom, eat, build friends and enhance job skills. Hell, most actual humans have a hard enough time meeting their own needs.
Unlike most real-life animals, Sims pets can actually be sent to work to contribute to the family purse. Dogs and cats can be hired as pet detectives or for commercial work and players can choose to have their cat or dog bring home the bacon while they spend their days playing 'SSX 3' and watching Jerry Springer reruns. Better keep the pets happy though, or, like other Sims, their bad attitude will earn them a pink slip faster than they can chase their own tails.
Outside the job factor, furry friends in the game are a surprisingly realistic portrayal of real-life pets -- especially when it comes to the bad behavior. Untrained cats and dogs will indiscriminately leave puddles on expensive living room carpets and will bite and rip up pricey furniture without a thought. At one point, one of our cats started ripping up a brand-spanking-new couch -- an experience so upsetting that it was hard not to reach for the spray bottle filled with water and shout, "No! Bad kitty!"
Fortunately, the game lets you hire trainers to keep Fido and Fluffy in line for a small fee. For families with big aspirations and extra cash, this is the way to go. Otherwise, training pets takes up a fair amount of a Sim's time -- also like real life -- and that time's usually better spent on self-improvement.
A few pet-related items have been added to the inventory -- including bowls, pet beds, chew bones, a catnip toy, litter box, bird and womrat cages, etc. There's also a few pre-made pet stores and parks that can be added to the neighborhood and visited later. Though, compared to other expansions this new inventory seems a bit on the light side; it would have been nice to see more options in each of these categories. No self-cleaning litterbox? No self-walking dog leashes? Don't forget that in real life, people can (and do) send their beloved critters to big bucks doggy day care centers, so extravagant pet accessories aren't too far-fetched.
EA plays the celebrity card and got Hilary Duff and her Chihuahua, Lola, on board to help promote the game. Duff appears as a playable character -- you can dress her and force her to interact with other pedestrian Sims. It's an amusing pop culture addition to the game, but hardly a selling point for anyone other than her teenaged fans or semi-perverted guys. Music-wise, the Pussycat Dolls and Flaming Lips contributed to the game by singing their hit singles in Simlish, which is cool, but ground already trod by acts like the Black Eyed Peas.
For anyone who's already addicted to the 'The Sims 2,' 'Pets' is an engaging add-on that keeps the game fresh. Who knows -- adding a virtual menagerie of pets to a Sims family just might offer the same mood-enhancement as a real-life pet, minus the shedding and allergies.
16 Oct 2006 - 23:00
Decorate your MySim page with the latest Pets theme!
13 Oct 2006 - 23:00
Click here for samples of the Pussycat Dolls, Flaming Lips and Aly & AJ songs in Simlish!
12 Oct 2006 - 23:20
Pets is just around the corner so we wanted to give you one last dose of new screenshots. The PC, NDS, PSP, and GBA sections have all been updated with new screens for your viewing pleasure.