We've corrected several issues in Open For Business.
News
21 Mar 2006 - 22:20
21 Mar 2006 - 22:10
We've updated the "Runs With Scissors" object to prevent conflicts with your Open For Business game.
21 Mar 2006 - 22:00
Enter the Open For Business Commercial Contest for the chance to win a new computer! The Contest ends March 24th.
17 Mar 2006 - 22:00
Don Laabs, Hunter Howe, Shannon Copur, and Lyndsay Pearson chatted with the community on Thursday, March 16th, at 3PM PST. The Transcripts are now live.
maxiskane (Mar 16, 2006 2:57:21 PM)
Hello Everyone and welcome to our Open For Business Chat! Today we have some of our fabulous game team here to chat with you. Don Laabs, Shannon Copur, Lyndsay Pearson, and Hunter Howe. The chat will last 40 minutes.
maxiskane (Mar 16, 2006 2:57:50 PM)
Before we start, I want to tell you guys that we're finishing up a patch for Open For Business and it should be out in the next week or so. We are still taking feedback about any gameplay issues you might be seeing. Please add the feedback with as much detail as you can to the feedback form here: http://thesims2.ea.com/community/qa_form.php We'll still be looking at issues after this patch is released and the more detail you share in the form regarding the exact steps you were taking and what was happening in your game when the problem occurred the better chance we'll have to reproduce it. I'd like to use this chat to talk about Open For Business and have our wonderful game team give you tips and tricks to help you play Open For Business. Ask away!
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 2:58:09 PM)
Hello everyone!
MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 2:58:22 PM)
Heya.
ComstockC17 (Mar 16, 2006 2:59:13 PM)
Is there anyway to keep your Sims happy while doing their business, it's super hard.
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 2:59:13 PM)
My favorite way personally is to keep an energizer in the back room of my business. I happen to love the energizer....
drakeandjosh14 (Mar 16, 2006 2:59:36 PM)
Ive heard alot about a secret security talent badge. Are you planning on releasing it in a future EP or is it hidden somewhere in Open for Business?
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 2:59:36 PM)
The security talent badge was not implemented in Open for Business. It's possible that it might be implemented later, but there are no plans.
lamyia50 (Mar 16, 2006 3:00:15 PM)
How do u restock items?
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:00:15 PM)
If you want to restock a chair or table you can click on the object and choose "restock", that will buy you a new chair at wholesale price to replace the one that you sold. If you want to restock a crafted item you have to have another copy of the SAME item in your owner's inventory, then click restock.
jrud42754 (Mar 16, 2006 3:00:15 PM)
I wanted to open a hotel in TS2 OFB but they won't sleep there or anythign like that, will there ever be a patch or anything to enable this type of business?
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:00:15 PM)
No plans for a hotel business.
Rosa (Mar 16, 2006 3:00:41 PM)
Hi guys thanks for chating with us 
I was wondering what business perks where your favourite/the ones you think are most useful?
MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:00:41 PM)
Well, if you're selling objects, the wholesale track of perks is an awesome way to make huge quantities of money. Other than that, I'm a big fan of the connections track (lots of free rel points, especially in the early rel levels) and rally forth.
RangerschickPlyr (Mar 16, 2006 3:00:54 PM)
mikeplay321 asked me to ask what happened the booths in the screen shots
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:00:54 PM)
Sorry, they were cut before shipping.
raye1 (Mar 16, 2006 3:01:22 PM)
Hello. I just want to say great game ! Very Challenging!
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:01:22 PM)
Thank you very much.
Calliegirl (Mar 16, 2006 3:02:09 PM)
If you take a community lot deed out of your inventory for display in your home does it affect your ownership status when you leave the lot?
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:02:09 PM)
No, all deeds can be considered to be copies. If you lose one, you can just order another one.
Juicebox 9 (Mar 16, 2006 3:02:27 PM)
I was wondering, where do you get the inspiration for your clothing? In the new ep, and NL, there are some rather weird outfits...and how long does it take you to make meshes, etc.?
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:02:27 PM)
We actually have some really creative skins artists that design outfits they'd like to have or something they've seen. We spend a lot of time looking around the internet and in fashion magazines to get inspiration.
SimMasterFrannie (Mar 16, 2006 3:03:15 PM)
what is the best perks if you are having a home bakery business?
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:03:15 PM)
I like the cash personally. The networking rewards are really helpful to get relationships started though too which helps your sales.
Dante (Mar 16, 2006 3:03:22 PM)
Restaurants don't seem to be very profitable. Any tips?
MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:03:22 PM)
Restaurants are hard, just like in real life. First, make sure you don't hire too many employees. That'll kill ya. Also, for the employees you do hire, try to make sure they dont have any unneccessary skills. If your server has a random Gold Cosmetology badge, you'll have to pay them more for it, etc. Specialists are key.
MrsMaraj (Mar 16, 2006 3:03:23 PM)
Can we get rid of Servo's fitness level? I dont like to make servos exercise.
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:03:23 PM)
Servo's brain has been programmed with a desire to exercise to make him/her fit in better with the humans.
MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:03:40 PM)
Also...make sure you make the highest level foods you know how - they have higher profit margins.
MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:04:25 PM)
ALSO...the most profitable businesses are family businesses. Hiring employees can be expensive. 
NightBlade151 (Mar 16, 2006 3:04:27 PM)
How did you guy come up with talent badges?Why didn't you use just the skills?
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:04:27 PM)
Badges provide a new goal for your Sims
bumblebeer0se (Mar 16, 2006 3:04:28 PM)
is there anyway to keep sims from buying things in your stores, like another sim family you own and you don't want them to buy that
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:04:28 PM)
You could try shoo-ing them away.
kollormnLOVESdemos (Mar 16, 2006 3:04:48 PM)
A lot of people have reported glitches...any plans for a patch in the near future?
maxiskane (Mar 16, 2006 3:04:48 PM)
We'll be releasing a patch in the next few weeks. A full list of issues it fixes will be released then. Keep sending in your issues in our feedback form. Thanks!
teadrinker (Mar 16, 2006 3:04:53 PM)
Can an elder start their own business?
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:04:53 PM)
Sure! They like making money and selling stuff just as much as anybody
Riversong77 (Mar 16, 2006 3:04:54 PM)
I always thought the game would be better with a Sims2 pet addition! And since Open for buissness is now out you could so have a Pet shop!!!! PLZ MAXIS CONSIDER THIS!!!
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:04:54 PM)
We do hear this a lot.
ComstockC17 (Mar 16, 2006 3:05:08 PM)
I installed my mascot kit and have yet to see the mascot. Is there any easy way to locate it?
MaxisMojo (Mar 16, 2006 3:05:08 PM)
After double clicking the mascot download, there should be 2 .sims2pack files (one with the mascot costume, the other with the sculpture), be sure to double click those 2. The sculpture should show up in the buy mode catalog, and the outfit should show up in the chose an business outfit selection and the Create a Sim. Hope that helps!
saresaunt3 (Mar 16, 2006 3:06:05 PM)
Any suggestions for my Sims I had before OFB on getting badges faster?
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:06:05 PM)
There is a correspondence between certain skills and the speed at which talent badges are achieved.
Guest (Mar 16, 2006 3:06:14 PM)
What was the strangest business you have opened? The Toilet/Gnome Emporium? Or perhaps the Flamingo Window Frame Depot?
MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:06:14 PM)
Zombie Rib Joint was my most memorable, probably.
Nightowl (Mar 16, 2006 3:06:53 PM)
When I put my deeds up for sale townies buy them with little persuasion, will this affect their finance, and will they own the lot if I marry them?
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:06:53 PM)
Selling a business to a townie is like selling it back to the neighborhood so if you married them they would not have the deed.
S2FrEK (Mar 16, 2006 3:07:06 PM)
First, I'd like to say thanks for making such great games. Love you guys! Now for my question. I'm making a commercial for the contest and I know that you need the Nvidia logo and the Made with The Sims 2 thing. Does the order of the 2 matter as long as we have them both?
MaxisMojo (Mar 16, 2006 3:07:06 PM)
The order of your logos does not matter for this contest. You will just need them both though.
mrsarmybrat (Mar 16, 2006 3:07:40 PM)
are there any hidden things in ofb that might take a while to find?
MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:07:40 PM)
I'm waiting to find out when you guys figure out what makes the flying pig show up.
NightBlade151 (Mar 16, 2006 3:07:58 PM)
How did you guys come up with talent badges?Why didn't you use just the skills?
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:07:58 PM)
We wanted people that had maxed out skills for their Sims to have something interesting to do with regards to increasing their Sims' abilities to do business tasks.
WlkSnake (Mar 16, 2006 3:08:15 PM)
Are there ways to earn badges without actually owning a business?
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:08:15 PM)
You can earn crafting badges on the crafting stations without having to run or own a business.
kcabsiyttik (Mar 16, 2006 3:08:25 PM)
If I make a sim eat cheesecake before they try for baby, how much chance will it add to my sim having twins?
MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:08:25 PM)
it pretty much makes it nigh-%100.
guccisims (Mar 16, 2006 3:08:40 PM)
Since mrs.Crumpplebottom is an object, can i sell her?
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:08:40 PM)
She's not an object! She has feelings too... *sniff*
simtard (Mar 16, 2006 3:09:02 PM)
It's cool that you guys got Depeche Mode in OFB! Any chance of seeing any Hilary Duff songs in future expansions? She's my fav!
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:09:02 PM)
Noted.
MaxisShannon (Mar 16, 2006 3:09:25 PM)
Hello!!
Justice3838 (Mar 16, 2006 3:09:59 PM)
Is there any other way to have your sims excel faster in the badges? I hate the cash register, because my sims are so slow.
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:09:59 PM)
Certain skills help certain talent badges proceed faster.
elejence7 (Mar 16, 2006 3:10:38 PM)
Why isnt their a food talent badge for bakerys and such?
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:10:38 PM)
We use cooking for that.
Coryashire2004 (Mar 16, 2006 3:10:43 PM)
any hints on future alternative lifeforms?
MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:10:43 PM)
Hm. No hints right now, but I'd love to read suggestions on the Suggest an Idea forum.
cvan1974 (Mar 16, 2006 3:10:47 PM)
Is there a way to keep Mrs.Crumplebottom away from my place of business she likes to hit on my employees ; )
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:10:47 PM)
You can try and distract her with the bowling alley...
xolilree92ox (Mar 16, 2006 3:11:48 PM)
Bowling alleys cost too many simoleons
MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:11:48 PM)
Perhaps a bar? Crumplebottom likes those, too.
Bon (Mar 16, 2006 3:11:52 PM)
I love my Servo!! 
But he seems a little scatterbrained.. I'll tell him to make some flower arrangements, and he'll randomly stop to "do chores".. which usually consists of going to make Baked Alaska. Is there any way to keep him on task?
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:11:52 PM)
Servo loves chores. You just have to keep an eye on him.
celesstar (Mar 16, 2006 3:12:10 PM)
I think you should make Sim merchandise! Plush social bunnies and plumb bobs for our human selves (maybe in gummi form?) and decals for our cars and stuff
MaxisShannon (Mar 16, 2006 3:12:10 PM)
Hahaha, I love those ideas!!
Gem (Mar 16, 2006 3:13:09 PM)
If a Servo makes another Servo and your Sim activiates it, will it show up as a child of the first Servo? And can a Servo couple adopt a child?
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:13:09 PM)
Activated servos do not have a family relationship with the activating Sim. Servos can adopt.
Bon (Mar 16, 2006 3:13:19 PM)
How do you get the reporter to give your business a good report? Does flirting help?
MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:13:19 PM)
It can. Improving their relationship with you can be a big help! Just make sure they have a good experience at your store (gain customer loyalty).
nolurk (Mar 16, 2006 3:13:41 PM)
What determines which employees are listed for possible employ? Is it just random or are there some other factors involved?
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:13:41 PM)
Random, but the program tries to give you a good mix of skills and badges.
maxiskane (Mar 16, 2006 3:13:43 PM)
The chat will last 40 minutes
Teresa (Mar 16, 2006 3:14:52 PM)
Hello Maxis : ) Thank you for such a great game and allowing custom content Question? will there be an official patch for OFB released anytime soon?
MaxisMojo (Mar 16, 2006 3:14:52 PM)
Yes, we are working on a patch for OFB and it will be released soon. Stay tuned!
swimfast3892 (Mar 16, 2006 3:14:54 PM)
My reporter hasnt even showed up yet and I have a rank 10 business. Is something wrong?
MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:14:54 PM)
The reporter shows up with a random chance each day. Sound like you did fine without their help!
jrud42754 (Mar 16, 2006 3:15:23 PM)
I see a lot of times my sales employees making my customers mad, I know the talent badge helps them but are their other things we should look at when hiring them, like their Charisma? Does this help the sales any?
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:15:23 PM)
Because sales takes more finesse, I like to have my controllable Sim take care of Sales and let the employees take care of the other stuff.
Guest (Mar 16, 2006 3:15:26 PM)
Any chance of making CowPlants be able to open business' with the patch?:-P Pleaaaaaase?
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:15:26 PM)
How could they run a shop? They don't even have feet and I don't think many sims would pay to be eaten... They make great shop decorations though....
cireking213 (Mar 16, 2006 3:16:06 PM)
are combo businesses feasible? i have an art gallery, but I disabled the restauran portion until my sims are more skilled
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:16:06 PM)
Combo businesses are indeed feasible.
JanewaysHeart (Mar 16, 2006 3:16:38 PM)
Are there any ways to get Sims to pay bills while they are at the mail box, rather than wasting an hour walking into the house and back out again?
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:16:38 PM)
I usually just stop them from going all the way inside the house, it's not the cleanest but it works I tell them to get the mail and after they grab it I cancel it. Then they can pay bills right there.
dowhat1970 (Mar 16, 2006 3:16:40 PM)
How do you keep Employees happy. The ball over their heads seem to get red really fast.
MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:16:40 PM)
Give them frequent breaks, make sure you pay them enough (if they learn stuff, they'll require more money, so give them a raise), and make sure you have need fulfilling objects available for them, in a break room if you like.
NightBlade151 (Mar 16, 2006 3:18:06 PM)
Should i try making double profit?(ticket machine + cash register)
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:18:06 PM)
It is possible so it's worth a shot
JesusFreakPaul (Mar 16, 2006 3:18:41 PM)
I know I'm asking a lot of questions, but I never know which ones going to be answered. I seen a lot of people are asking questions about badges. When you make families for the EP's, pre made families or "Maxis Families" as we fans call them, do you guys actually make them from scratch like us, or just use special prgrams and set everything up to ship?
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:18:41 PM)
We use special programs.
teadrinker (Mar 16, 2006 3:19:39 PM)
can you merge or takeover two separate businesses into one
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:19:39 PM)
No, sorry.
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:19:42 PM)
we use a lot of the "normal gameplay" to make families but we do have our own little set of tricks
ringothebulldog (Mar 16, 2006 3:20:02 PM)
I have a Sim neighbour who buys at least 3 plants every time he visits my flowershop, will his cash flow go down and his house filled with flowers?
MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:20:02 PM)
they'll go into his inventory and he will lose some cash, yes. There are rules that make it so this doesn't go out of control, though.
twoyys4me (Mar 16, 2006 3:20:03 PM)
If you have a store Manager, so you can remotely manage a business, do you also need a certain number of other staff?
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:20:03 PM)
For remote management you only need a manager.
RangerschickPlyr (Mar 16, 2006 3:20:54 PM)
what does the ticket machine do excatly?
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:20:54 PM)
When the ticket machine is on Sims will have to buy tickets to use any objects or socialize on your lot. They have to pay to be there. This lets you run a gym or nightclub...
Guest (Mar 16, 2006 3:21:00 PM)
I love how you made so many opportunities for unique businesses! I made an internet cafe just the other day THANKS SO MUCH!
MaxisShannon (Mar 16, 2006 3:21:01 PM)
That is what is so great about The Sims. You can make anything a business, because it's your imagination.
kcabsiyttik (Mar 16, 2006 3:21:11 PM)
Any tips on making enough money to buy a community lot? My Sims never seem to have enough money.
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:21:11 PM)
Move your Sim into a lot with the bare living essentials (vacant lot with needed objects). Build a stripped down community to buy. As you make money you can improve both the home and community lots.
Iluvthesims2much (Mar 16, 2006 3:21:29 PM)
How man hours a day does it take to remotley run a business?
MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:21:29 PM)
Depends on the business rank. The phone call can be a few minutes at rank 10 and a few hours at rank 1.
SimInTheSun (Mar 16, 2006 3:21:36 PM)
I love the Electrono Ticket Machine, my Sims can sit on their butts all day and still earn major Simoleons!
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:21:36 PM)
Yeah, cool.
afstandopleren (Mar 16, 2006 3:22:01 PM)
how do you get a manager, what stats does the staffmember need to have?
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:22:01 PM)
You can promote an employee that has a total of 5 points in badges. Gold badges count for 3 points, Silver for 2 and Bronze for 1.
Guest (Mar 16, 2006 3:22:17 PM)
what is the fastest way to earn badges
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:22:17 PM)
Certain skills improve the rate at which certain badges are earned.
Evil Kite (Mar 16, 2006 3:22:41 PM)
What happened to placing objects outside of the normal lot grid, for example in the street. I kept trying it with moveobjects cheat and it doesn't work. How come? Did you guys remove that feature. Its a shame because I love adding lamposts and trees out there.
MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:22:41 PM)
I'm not sure why that changed! We'll definitely try to fix that.
SimsAnnon (Mar 16, 2006 3:22:52 PM)
Do Maxis people play sims?
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:22:52 PM)
I love the SIMS! I actually just bought Sims Complete (even though I have all of the packs) and have it on my laptop.
elejence7 (Mar 16, 2006 3:24:03 PM)
I do not earn any money while at home even though i have two managers, my business does so well but when im at home it says i havnt made any money, why is this?
MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:24:03 PM)
You need to check in with your business on the phone to keep up remote profits.
MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:24:27 PM)
Make sure that your recent visits to your store have been profitable, too.
MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:24:52 PM)
The amount you make is an average of your past visits displayed on the business panel, with some modifiers for you not being there, and how long you've been gone, and if you've checked in.
maxeysl (Mar 16, 2006 3:25:24 PM)
this new family fun pack come out, would we be able to sell those items at our shops? if so how would they work?...and also is there going to be like a pack with all the shoping packs in them just in case we miss one of them?
MaxisShannon (Mar 16, 2006 3:25:24 PM)
Yes, you will be able to sell them if you own OFB. They will work just like the objects that you own now.
Guest (Mar 16, 2006 3:25:32 PM)
How much time and effort gose into making each expansion pack? Dose it depend on the packs subject?
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:25:32 PM)
My first business was a home business that sold crafted flowers. It didn't do very well, so I made it my side business. Then we had a team contest to see who could get to level 10 first so I pulled out all the stops and set up a 24 hour Ticket Machine party house Sims would come over to my house to swim, soak in the hottub and play poker at all hours of the day, it worked out pretty well!
JesusFreakPaul (Mar 16, 2006 3:25:59 PM)
I'm thinking about having everyone in my nieghborhood who have tons of skills start all kinds of business, do you think they would be more succesful, or have just as much "luck" as someone starting out from scratch? (Pre OFB sims, they all have tons of money/skills etc).
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:25:59 PM)
All things being equal, Sims with more seed money and more starting skills will move along faster in businesses.
maxiskane (Mar 16, 2006 3:26:19 PM)
10 more minutes in the chat!
PuReAnGeLSims (Mar 16, 2006 3:26:25 PM)
I blame you all for got me so ADDICTED to sims2 *laugh* no no.. they are so awesome! I love them ALL equally.
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:26:25 PM)
Do you have nightmares and dreams about the Sims too!?
babyblu22 (Mar 16, 2006 3:26:49 PM)
will you have to buy the family fun pack online or can you buy it regulalry in the store??????
maxiskane (Mar 16, 2006 3:26:49 PM)
It will be available in stores too.
Misboller1 (Mar 16, 2006 3:26:54 PM)
DO you need to pen the store and then leave a manger in charge to check in on the phone?
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:26:54 PM)
You need a manager, but the store doesn't have to be open when you go home and call back in.
meluvsims234 (Mar 16, 2006 3:27:08 PM)
is it true employees can dress in whatever you decide for them, like force gorilla costumes on em?
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:27:08 PM)
Yes! and embarrassing your employees is encouraged
Juliadactyl (Mar 16, 2006 3:27:22 PM)
I think I've worked some of the skills which correlate with the badges. Mechanical for robot-making, creativity for floristry, charisma for sales, and logic for cash register? Am I on the right track?
MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:27:22 PM)
Yes, and body for restocking, and cleaning for cosmetology.
arndutcas (Mar 16, 2006 3:27:34 PM)
With future expansion packs will there be any new business options added to the current list? For example, if there was ever a remake of vacation would our Sims be able to open a hotel?
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:27:34 PM)
We can't talk about future expansion packs, but we do like to make the various EPs work well with each other.
cvan1974 (Mar 16, 2006 3:28:30 PM)
What do you think was the best part about making OFB
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:28:31 PM)
When I first saw my neighbors standing in line with Shopping bags, it just seemed like a completely different game which was really cool. I think the best part is creating a totally different way to play.
venusdemilo (Mar 16, 2006 3:28:51 PM)
How do you make employees eat during breaks? At the electronic shop all she wants to do is play the pinball LOL.
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:28:51 PM)
She'll eat if she's hungry enough and there is food available.
catycatcat4 (Mar 16, 2006 3:30:25 PM)
do maxis pepps downlode cc by us players? or lots?
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:30:25 PM)
We actually do check out a lot of the awesome stuff online. We send out pictures to the team too, you guys make some amazing things
EgoBruiser (Mar 16, 2006 3:30:27 PM)
What are the minimum requirements to make a sim a manager? Does exceeding the minimum requirements improve how well the business is run?
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:30:27 PM)
A manager has to have 5 badge points, where gold=3, silver=2, and bronze=1.
Nightowl (Mar 16, 2006 3:30:53 PM)
Is it possible to ticket machine only for certain rooms? Like to enter the lot and shop is free, but you can only enter the gym section if you buy a ticket?
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:30:53 PM)
No. The ticket machine applies to the whole lot.
Vandilyn007 (Mar 16, 2006 3:31:58 PM)
Thank you for making the game a challenge at last. I like that I have to work to reach certain goals in my sims life spans!
MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:31:58 PM)
Good to hear it. I think a lot of Sims players were looking for a more challenging game experience, so Open for Business was (in part) a reaction to that.
olomaya (Mar 16, 2006 3:31:59 PM)
I have a question about managers, I have a manager running one of my businesses but yet whenever I call in to check on the business, I'm never making any money. What gives?
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:31:59 PM)
When you leave a business in the hands of a manager, the performance of the business during the last five sessions determines how much your remotely run business will make.
punkrockgoth1988 (Mar 16, 2006 3:32:13 PM)
I'm in the USA, do I have to order the Family Fun pack online like we did with the Holiday Party Pack? That was kind of frustrating...
MaxisShannon (Mar 16, 2006 3:32:13 PM)
I'm sorry to hear that it was frustrating! 
You will be able to purchase Family Fun in the store and online.
simgelf (Mar 16, 2006 3:32:23 PM)
Why do I get the message that my sims business hasn't made any money and my sim needs to go there when I have a manager on the lot. Isn't it the manager's job to make money for my owner sim?
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:32:23 PM)
Even with a manager you have to still visit your lot pretty regularly to keep it making money.
maxiskane (Mar 16, 2006 3:33:23 PM)
We'll just take a few more questions...
sarah_sim2 (Mar 16, 2006 3:34:07 PM)
What did you guys work for before maxis? Any dairy queen workers?
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:34:08 PM)
No dairy queen. I worked at Outback.
Guest (Mar 16, 2006 3:35:10 PM)
i find the game pretty hard do you think its best for me to get the guide?
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:35:10 PM)
Prima does a good job on the guides. It should help you.
SimsAnnon (Mar 16, 2006 3:35:28 PM)
do you prefer a home business or a community lot business?
MaxisLittleL (Mar 16, 2006 3:35:28 PM)
I like running a Home Business. That way my sims have all the things they need right there.
ringothebulldog (Mar 16, 2006 3:36:03 PM)
Is there a limit to how many businesses a sim can own? And will he be able to pass it on to his kids when he dies?
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:36:03 PM)
There is no limit to the number of businesses that a Sim can own. Yes, the businesses will pass on to the heir.
maxiskane (Mar 16, 2006 3:36:10 PM)
Thanks for chatting with us Don, Shannon, Lyndsay, and Hunter! Thanks everyone for coming!
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:36:23 PM)
Bye, bye, community!
maxiskane (Mar 16, 2006 3:36:57 PM)
Bye everyone. We'll be releasing a patch in the next week or so.
MaxisShannon (Mar 16, 2006 3:37:00 PM)
Bye!! Thanks for chatting with us!! You guys are great!!
maxiskane (Mar 16, 2006 3:37:14 PM)
Please still contribute your feedback to the feedback form. Thanks for your patience!
MaxisDon (Mar 16, 2006 3:37:18 PM)
MaxisLittleL says bye, too.
MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:37:25 PM)
Seeya. I'll be lurking in the suggest an idea forum of the bbs.
maxiskane (Mar 16, 2006 3:37:25 PM)
Bye everyone!
MaxisHunter! (Mar 16, 2006 3:37:33 PM)
byee!
16 Mar 2006 - 22:00
Add excitement to your Sims' family with this all-new collection of furniture, clothing, and decor.
15 Mar 2006 - 22:00
Catch the latest episode of The Sims machinima, "The Strangerhood".
14 Mar 2006 - 22:00
Play with the Sims while you IM with your buddies. To find the IMV, look in the Interactive Fun section.
13 Mar 2006 - 22:00
Three Sims players created movies using The Sims 2, and from more than 1,200 submissions were selected by the DC Independent Film Festival to be featured!
DC Independent Film Festival Features Movies Made With The Sims!
EA Games is awarding the newest Sims 2 expansion pack, Open For Business, to the movie directors that were selected for the DC Independent Film Festival. More than 110 films were screened all over the nation's capital in the eighth annual DC Independent Film Festival held March 2nd thru March 12th. Three movies created using Sims 2 were selected from more than 1,200 submissions. The Sims 2 movies officially selected by DCIFF were created by: April Hoffmann, André Lopion, and Michelle Pettit-Mee working with Kheri Batal.
Watch the Sims 2 films officially selected for DCIFF:
- "The Awakening Episode 1" by April Hoffmann - Fansite with Movie : MySim Page
- "Me and Myself" by André Lopion Fansite with Movie : MySim Page
- "A Different Song" by Michelle Pettit-Mee and Kheri Batal - Fansite with Movie: MySim Page
Five other directors selected by DCIFF produced movies with other games. These directors will receive copies of the Sims 2 game to encourage them create their next movie in the Sims world.
9 Mar 2006 - 22:00
Do you have the mettle and tenacity to excel in the workplace? Find out by playing The Sims 2 Open For Business mini-game!
6 Mar 2006 - 22:10
Open For Business is getting rave reviews!
The Sims 2: Open for Business Expansion
By Dave 'Fargo' Kosak
Though complicated, Maxis strikes again with another deep and well-conceived extension to the Sims universe.
Pros:
Tons of business possibilities; lots of fun new items; deep gameplay
Cons:
Adds complexity to core game; slow-going at first; requires other expansions to get the most out of it
Standing at an electronics workbench, a Sim wipes the sweat from his brow. Later on, he'll open his electronics store and sell the robots he's building to his neighbors, but before he calls in his employees he has to create his merchandise. Across town, his sister is running a gym out of her house. She works as an athlete by day and opens her gym when she comes home at night. Sometimes she schmoozes with her customers to get them to stay longer, and sometimes she just goes to bed while they pay her for every hour that they stay. Easy street? Not really -- building your own business in The Sims: Open for Business is a real challenge, but in the end it's worth it for all but the most casual of players.
Open for Business continues a great run for Maxis and EA. While the expansions to the original Sims were hit and miss, so far each of the three packs released for Sims 2 have been well-conceived, with each adding significant content to the core game. While we definitely have some reservations about Open for Business, ultimately it passes the test: It provides a ton of player-driven content and gameplay with the same style and humor that makes the franchise such a riot for casual or serious players.
'Miss, I think you would look good in this car.
And your money would look good in my wallet.'
We should note that for GameSpy testing purposes, we played the game with all three expansions installed. If you've just bought the original game and you're looking for what to do next, we'd consider Sims University a must-have. Open for Business works best in tandem with NightLife to give you more business options; we wouldn't recommend grabbing the latest expansion until after you've purchased NightLife. The content from each expansion builds on the earlier games almost exponentially.
What's New?
Where the NightLife expansion allowed Sims to go out on the town and party in clubs and restaurants, Open for Business allows Sims to build and run those same nightclubs and restaurants. Your Sims can also create small home-based businesses or retail megastores, either building their own merchandise via new workbench items or buying things wholesale to sell at retail prices.
Basically, it's possible to take any community lot idea you have and turn it into a business. Want to make a bowling alley? Buy a bunch of lanes and charge admission. Want to build a home and garden center? Arrange a bunch of plants and garden gnomes on your lawn and start selling. Want to run a nightclub? Start blasting music and serving drinks. If you have NightLife installed the types of business you can run grows: Car lots! Poker halls! Fine dining! The real strength of this expansion is how it opens the door to create just about any business. You can also hire and manage employees to do the work for you, and even managers who can manage your properties for you while your Sim is away. See our special SimPrentice series for details of all the new features.
125 new items are available, most related to the types of businesses you can run. New items include an array of small robots capable of doing chores, a series of toys that can be built at a workbench, cash registers to ring up business, and a makeover chair allowing you to perform cosmetic overhauls on your neighbors. New building tools include elevators, shelving, and risers.
How to Succeed in Business by Trying Real Hard
Open for Business actually delves fairly deep into the minutia of running a working business, which is both the expansion's strength and its flaw. Until now, Sims 2 has been pretty easy and self-explanatory. Need to go to the bathroom? Click on a toilet. The University and NightLife expansions made going to college or going out on dates look as easy as a sitcom. But running a business, the way it's implemented in the game, is not so intuitive.
For example, to start a business, you go to your telephone. To hire employees, you use the telephone (or talk to them in person). To open or close your business, you need to buy an "open/closed" sign, which is hidden in the "Decorations" part of the buy mode. To see the status of all your employees, you use a little tab at the top of your screen, but to manage them individually, you have to click on the individual employee. To get employees to come to work, you click on the open/closed sign (not the telephone). To buy merchandise at wholesale prices, you have to click on a special lock-shaped icon at the top of the screen. Confused? It all works, and eventually you'll do it all with ease, but there's a learning curve here that sets this expansion apart from the simplicity of the core game.
Using workbenches, you can build your own merchandise.
Next up, there's "Talent Badges," a whole new game mechanic jammed onto the original game. Sim Talents include things like flower arranging, sales, restocking, or running a cash register. This system is developed separately, but it's also related to a Sim's skills: Supposedly every talent has an associated skill, although without the manual you'd be hard-pressed to figure out which goes with which. Does the robot-making talent use logic or mechanics? Talents are developed through experience (the only way to learn to use a cash register is to use one day after day), but there's no status bar allowing you to see how it's coming along. It would've been nice if job skills were worked into the game without adding a whole new, separate (and sometimes confusing) system.
These little problems jump out only because the rest of the game is so straightforward. Once you put your mind to it there's nothing here that you can't figure out, and the game's certainly enjoyable once you do. But Open for Business might turn off some of the more casual Sims 2 players, despite the depth of play it offers.
Takin' Care of Business
As for running a business itself, the game has a great balance. It's easy to start a business, but hard to have a successful one. Of course, once a business takes off and gets a life of its own, it can really bring in the big bucks. Building a successful franchise in Open for Business is a lot more difficult than, say, having a dream date in NightLife, but it's way more challenging and rewarding. To paraphrase John F. Kennedy, "We do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard."
For starters, it takes serious capital to get a business off the ground. The most basic of businesses will require a cash register or ticket machine. And even at wholesale prices, buying a shelf full of merchandise to sell costs a lot of money! It's much easier to run a business if another family member is working a regular job, so at least some income is guaranteed.
Then you have your employees. It's possible to run a business yourself, but difficult to handle the cash register, the merchandise, and the sales all at once without getting a bunch of angry customers on your hands. That's where hired Sims come in: they'll show up for work and take care of things for you. Employees get paid every hour, so you want to have a stash of cash on hand to make sure they don't riot. Of course with the right employees it's possible to live the dream: your Sim sits on a couch eating potato chips while other Sims run around, sell stuff, restock your shelves, and collect your money.
As you'd expect, running a business is a mini-game with its own set of rewards: as you make customers happy, you gain business ranks, and you earn your choice of perks. These include lower wholesale prices, motivational tricks for your employees, or networking skills that give you an instant relationship bonus with every new Sim you meet.
Does it work? Is it fun? Yes! Here's how it all falls down during actual play: you scrape together enough money to open a tiny business with a couple products, and you run the place yourself while people trickle in. You work your Sim raw trying to make ends meet, tweaking the prices just so, and hoping to keep customers happy. It's pretty painstaking. But then, you cross some sort of threshold, and it all starts to pay off. Maybe you get a good review in the paper, or you find just the right Sim to handle sales, or you have enough money to keep the shelves full, and suddenly your business is crawling with customers. There's no shortage of things to do or money to make. It's difficult, but incredibly satisfying.
Open for Business might not appeal to everyone, but it's immensely deep for an expansion pack and worth the work you put into it. It's almost like a whole new game.
Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto...
It's worth noting that Open for Business has the same playful touch that lights up the whole series. For example, an early toy you can make at the toymaking bench is "Sir Bricks-a-lot," which is basically ... a brick ... with a face painted on it. Sims can not only "Play" with Sir Bricks-a-lot, cooing to it like a baby, they can also teach it to do tricks.
The Sims universe is filled with its share of goofy monsters (ghosts and aliens from the original game, zombies from University, and vampires from Night Life). Open for Business continues the tradition by adding robots to the mix. Once you build a robot at the workbench and turn it on, it becomes a part of the family, complete with its own wants and needs. Robots can fall in love or get married. (I didn't get to test if they can have kids...) Robots start with full mechanical, cooking, and cleaning skills, as well as the desire to randomly do chores. It's funny to be sitting around and suddenly your robot starts baking you a pie.
Your plastic pal who's fun to be with.
Robots don't age, and they don't sleep. Instead they use power over time, and can only recharge by standing outside and shutting down while in the sunlight. It's important to keep robots in a good mood since otherwise they'll go berserk and wreck the house -- having one in the family is a game in and of itself. Dress your male robot in "formal" clothes and it'll put on a tuxedo jacket and a rubber human mask that looks hysterical with its big robotic eye sticking through the fake face. Like all great Sim games, Open for Business is wild enough that you'll sometimes just sit there and chuckle at the bizarre situations that crop up. Like when your robot starts freestyling for tips.
The final verdict? It's a little sloppy in the implementation, but overall a solid expansion to a great franchise. By itself Open for Business may not be a must-have, but paired with NightLife, the two packs together will probably add hundreds of hours of gameplay to the series. Running a restaurant, building a trendy nightclub, creating a megastore, opening a cozy little coffee shop -- these kinds of challenges will keep you entertained for months to come.
The Sims 2: Open for Business
Get your entrepreneurial spirit revved up for this latest expansion to the massively popular Sims franchise.
By Adam Pavlacka
When it comes to traditional gaming, The Sims 2 has always been outside of the box. By design, it's a game that isn't: A true sandbox title that gives players the ability to guide virtual characters through life and love without ever bogging them down in real world difficulties. Now the latest expansion, Open for Business, dabbles with complexity for the first time. It's a departure that is both fun and challenging, but also risks alienating casual players in favor of dedicated fans.
Up until Open for Business, "work" in the Simverse simply consisted of sending your sim off to a mystical place for a set number of hours each day. Where they went and what they did was relatively unimportant--it was out of sight, out of mind. With Open for Business, you can not only take your sim to work, but you can start a business from the ground up.
To facilitate the commerce system, Open for Business adds three types of stores to the Simverse: Pay Per Item, Pay Per Use, and Pay Per Time. By using one of these three models you can create virtually any type of retail store. For example, Pay Per Item is the traditional retail model, such as a flower shop. Here, you need to worry about purchasing inventory, stocking shelves, and selling items to the customers. Pay Per Use stores are service oriented, such as a salon, while Pay Per Time stores are places like nightclubs which charge visiting sims by the hour.
Open for Business has a surprisingly open-ended system, allowing you to create a home-based business or open a store in a separate location. Either way, you still have to worry about hiring employees, buying (or making) items to sell, convincing customers to buy, and hoping that those who are happy with their purchase will come back again. Though the depth is to be commended, the early stages of launching a business take quite a bit of micromanaging if you want to be successful.
One of the major new features is the talent system. Talents are work-related skills that help make sims better businesspeople. When hiring employees, it's a good idea to review their talents in order to find a good fit for the job. For example, if you are running a beauty salon, hiring sims with a cosmetology talent will be to your advantage. That said, sims can improve their skills by doing things over and over, so when you find a solid employee, keep them happy.
Management is more than just nurturing good employees though. Sometimes you get a bad apple and if that happens, it's time to give them the pink slip. Just like in real life, firing an employee causes a lot of negative feelings, so be careful when hiring friends to work in your shop.
The new workbench is a novel addition as it allows you to craft items for sale in a store. Some of the items you can create include toys, robots, and flower arrangements. Crafting takes more time, but yields a higher profit margin than buying finished products wholesale. As your store grows, you gain the ability to negotiate lower prices and better deals with your suppliers. What starts out as a local Mom and Pop shop can eventually become the Wal-Mart of the Simverse.
Another new item is the robot that acts like a clone of the Sim that turns it on. The robot can help around the house and work longer and harder than a normal Sim, but eventually it has to recharge by standing outside in the sun. All in all, there are more than 125 new items in the expansion pack.
If Open for Business has any faults, it's that not everything is as intuitive as you would expect. For example, you cannot simply set working hours -- you have to manually open and close your store. You've also got to send employees home after work. If you have a home-based business, your customers don't respect the distinction and will happily wander into your TV room and plop on the couch or explore your bedroom.
There's also the issue of how it works with the other expansion packs. By itself, Open for Business is fun, but it really is designed to work with a game that already has Nightlife installed. Without the second expansion, you can't open a car dealership and your selection of nightclub and restaurant items is severely limited.
Despite these issues, Open for Business is sure to appeal to the long time Sims 2 players out there. The economic model is robust enough to keep things interesting and the complexities of running a business will keep players hopping. If you don't yet own any expansion packs, University or Nightlife would probably make a better choice, but for someone who already has it all, Open for Business is going to add hours of new play time to your favorite game.
The Sims 2 - Open for Business
By Karen Chu
Now I ain't saying she a gold digger...
Cornelius' sister, Pumpernickle Hobbes, ain't a gold digger -- sure, she's jonesing for champagne wishes and caviar dreams, but she's determined to make legit heaps of simoleons on her own. After getting an education (and consequently, four years of clinging to the sorority-house "punch" bowl), and frittering her prime early twenties away at numerous dubious night-spots, Pumpernickle is tired of her raucous lifestyle and dead-end job as a smelly university mascot. Luckily for her, The Sims 2: Open for Business is around the corner, acquainting the Sims world with entrepreneurship, capitalism, and robots.
One part "Insert-Noun-Here" Tycoon, one part good ol' RPG power-leveling, and one part intensive Sim-style micromanaging, Open for Business is proving to be the deepest, most complex, and most complementary Sims 2 expansion so far. It's a big hoorah for hardcore managerial savants, but it's a giant buzz-kill for casual gamers. While a large fraction of players like to jerk up the sandbox dynamics by trapping their Sims inside a moat or making couples "woo-hoo" in hopes of popping out babies like Orville Redenbacher's, Open for Business' well-meditated and algorithmic gameplay requires more brain-cranking and less slack-space for twisted gimmicks. As much as Maxis keeps up the random Sims-style humor with new items like Sir Bricks-a-lot (The Sims' version of a Pet Rock) and ageless servant/lover robots that Sims can build, the process of running a business in-game is no laughing matter. OK, maybe there's some laughing.
One of Open for Business' underlying themes is its glorious ability to customize the hell out of everything, allowing players to be creative but still feel balanced and at ease with the stricter gameplay. The four business approaches (buying and reselling for a profit, creating and selling products, charging admission for a venue, or charging Sims for using an item) can all be mixed and matched in accordance with how much effort you want to put in -- or just what tickles your fancy. While running a yuppie eatery utterly drained my noodle because I overhired my staff and underbuilt my kitchen (among other things), Pumpernickle's quaint toy store/beauty salon got the thumbs up from the hipster crowd. Pumpernickle made her big bucks establishing client loyalty by charging Sims for makeovers (another customizing plus!) on her salon chair, as well as selling toys she perfected over her workbench by power-leveling her toy-making skills. Sims can now train in talent/skill sets and can only build those up through experience&meaning creating something over and over until you're good enough for an upgrade. That's a lot of staring at the screen -- and a lot of Sir Bricks-a-lot, folks.
For future oil tycoons and CEOs, Open for Business can stand alone. For Sims 2 content-junkies, it shacks up nicely with University and Night Life, despite Business' more immense potential to smoke your brain into burnt-carbon oblivion. The game lacks the whimsical feel of playing a "Sim God," but it definitely makes up for it by bringing out your inner Donald Trump in well-conceived entrepreneurial gameplay. It's a tougher -- and leaner -- game than its older expansion-pack siblings, but isn't starting your own business all about being the toughest and leanest?