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| By Brad Cook When is a videogame no longer simply a game but a phenomenon? When it’s as successful as The Sims. |
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 Make conversation at a downtown diner. |
Recently named the best-selling computer game of all time, this innovative “people simulator” has won over fans of all ages and shows no sign of losing them anytime soon. That’s because, as Sims creator Will Wright points out, “the game was designed from the outset to be highly expandable,” which increases the potential for more fun.
The expansion packs Livin’ Large and House Party provide a variety of ways for your Sims to have fun at home, and now Hot Date, coming soon from Aspyr Media, offers a chance for your Sims to get out of the house and build their romantic relationships with a night on the town. It features over 125 new objects, a downtown area, and new characters and social interactions that will help you put the spark back in your Sims’ romances.
You’ll find all the action downtown.
If you haven’t downloaded the Mac OS X patch for The Sims, do it now, because Hot Date was built to sizzle in Mac OS X. Thanks to protected memory, you won’t have to worry about other applications interfering with a night out in SimsVille. There’s nothing worse than another program interfering with a hot date that’s about to really heat up.
And Aspyr PR & Media Director Amy Torres notes: “[Mac OS X] gets The Sims running on your Mac without you having to make any adjustments.”
Can’t Get Enough
Ease of use has always been a major factor in The Sims’ ability to attract and keep a wide range of fans. Wright cites two reasons why the game is still popular.
“First,” he says, “the fact that the game is set in a familiar, contemporary environment allows anyone to approach the game and understand the basic interactions with the game world.
“Second, we tested the game extensively on non-gamers during development. This resulted in literally hundreds of minor changes and tweaks to the simulator and user interface.”
Unlike other simulators, The Sims has a simple, intuitive interface, and the fact that it mimics human behavior means anyone can relate to the gameplay.
“Mac gamers can’t seem to get enough of The Sims,” observes Amy Torres, Director of PR & Marketing for Aspyr. “[And] just when you think Maxis has thought of everything, they come out with something more fun and outrageous. The expansion packs are a great way to add new dimensions to the game and keep the fan base going.”
Line every street with quaint shops and restaurants.
The Depth of the Experience
In the case of Hot Date, there’s plenty of fun and outrageous stuff for your Sims to play with at home, such as the Niagra Love Tub or the Antique Terrestrial Globe. And when you build the SimsVille downtown area, you’ll have fun items such as the Slush Queen Ice Cream Counter or the Floral Concepts Flower Display to install in your retail establishments.
When you build a home for your Sims or add on to an existing structure, everything you do is paid for with your characters’ salaries from their jobs. In the downtown area, though, there are no financial constraints for erecting buildings and placing objects in them, so you should focus on what you think your characters will enjoy. Just remember, though, that everything they do downtown will cost them money, such as going out to eat or buying a few magazines.
“My favorite part of Hot Date is the depth of the simulated experiences,” says Wright, “especially the restaurants. It’s fun to see the whole customer, host, waiter, cook thing play itself out.”
The expansion pack also brings new dynamics to the way Sim relationships evolve.
Instead of one relationship score that determines how one Sim feels toward another, there are now two scores, daily and lifetime. This allows two Sims to get into a spat with each other and drive down their daily score without harming their lifetime score too much, which means the Niagra Love Tub will come in handy when it’s time to mend fences.
The Sims: Best Selling Computer Game
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There are also more than 40 one-on-one social interactions in the game, including various ways to greet or even fight another Sim. Hot Date includes a new Ask menu that allows your Sims to ask specific questions of other Sims. You can use it to find out what another Sim’s interests are, which is helpful when you’re on a date downtown. (For more information about dating, as well as the cast of unusual characters you may meet downtown, see the sidebar “Some Sims Like it Hot,” on page two.)
Some fun in the sun will help liven things up.
Don’t rush a budding relationship while on a date, though. Torres points out that “getting two Sims to build up a hot-and-steamy romance takes quite a bit of time and patience. Like my project manager said in frustration, ‘It’s just like dating without spending real money.’ I guess even on your Mac, dating isn’t easy.”
The Next Level
So now that your Sims have the opportunity to deepen their relationships, what’s next? Wright and his team at Maxis are currently getting ready to release The Sims: Vacation, which will feature a getaway spot called Vacation Island as well as plenty of new objects and characters. It will offer a chance for your Sims to strengthen their family bonds this time.
Wright also reveals that he’s working on The Sims Online, which will allow Sims from all over the world to interact in a huge online environment that he says is “a cross between SimCity and The Sims,” as well as The Sims 2, a game that will “take the Sims’ behavior to the next level.
Shop for groovy threads to use on your next date.
“This involves their internal complexity as well as their external representation, such as more detailed animation,” he continues. “They will also become more aware of what’s going on around them — glancing as a person walks into the room, for instance, their expression showing how they feel about that person.”
Aspyr hasn’t revealed its plans for more Sims games, but you can bet that their success so far won’t stop Mac gamers from sharing in the fun. In the meantime, head over to the online Apple Store, a Apple retail store, or an Apple authorized reseller near you and find out when you can add a Hot Date to your Sims’ lives.
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Looking for tips on the perfect Sim date? Wondering if Tragic Clown has a role to play in the downtown area? Then head over to page two.   
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