Summer's here, and it's time for a block party! Show us what kind of backyard bash you can throw for your Sims and their neighbors.
News
8 Jun 2000 - 23:00
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1 Jun 2000 - 23:40
Get the latest information on SimCity 3000 Unlimited performance concerns here.
1 Jun 2000 - 23:30
We have added a new tutorial to the SimCity 3000 Unlimited Tips and Tricks area to help you create your own details in BA Plus.
1 Jun 2000 - 23:10
Your Sim's den definitely needs this charming memento of the long-gone SimCity hockey team, the Flamingos. Download it today!
Flamingo Light
Hockey fans will surely miss the SimCity Flamingos, but their neon bar light makes a fine memento.
Download Flamingo Light (125 Kb)
1 Jun 2000 - 23:00
Last week's chat with Will Wright went very well - over 2000 questions were asked! Will didn't get to them all, but we have everything he said right here.
31 May 2000 - 23:00
Here is a special letter to all Sim fans world-wide.
This means you!
Go to Thank You on SimCity.com or Read Luc's letter on TheSims.com. Or you can click read more below to read the letter on our website.
A Special 'Thank You' to all Sim Fans Worldwide
Dear Sim Fans,
As you may have heard, The Sims has won the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' "Game of the Year" award. This is our industry's top award. I would like to thank Will Wright and The Sims development team for their incredible work and talent. I would also like to thank our fans who, from the beginning, trusted us and supported our game. Through your word of mouth, The Sims continues to be the top selling game around the world and it makes us really proud.
With the huge success of The Sims, we're planning on continuing to support the game with more free downloads from TheSims.com and a huge expansion pack to be released in early September. The Sims: Livin' Large is more than a collection of new careers, skins, and objects for your Sims to enjoy. Because of the technology used in The Sims, a number of the new objects we provide will add not only new graphics, but new game play as well. We gave the press a sneak preview of Livin' Large at the big E3 show. You can check out their reaction in the news section of TheSims.com
Also announced for the first time at E3 was our new game called SimsVille. SimsVille is a new game that combines the personality of The Sims with the city management of SimCity. We were showing an early version of the game at the show, but it captivated the audience at E3. In fact GameSpot picked it as one of the ten best games at the show. Check out the story here http://www.zdnet.com/gamespot/features/pc/e3_bestof. We hope to release SimsVille next year.
On top of all the projects we're working on, there is one we've just finished and shipped: SimCity 3000 Unlimited. This definitive version of SimCity 3000 features all the great gameplay of the original game plus several new features including two completely new building sets, thirteen challenging scenarios, a scenario creator, new disasters, customizable terrain, seasonal city events and a new tool for users to create their own buildings. Along with that we launched a new SimCity.com to provide the best possible upload and download capabilities for user creations..
The teams are all very busy working on new Sim games, and I will continue to update you all about our progress. Thank you again for making Maxis #1!
Luc Barthelet
Senior Vice President and Group Studio Head
Luc@Maxis.com
30 May 2000 - 23:20
If your German-style Cities are missing that special touch, check out the Hopfengarten Landmark. A genuine Bavarian beer garden is just what your Sims need -- so make sure you have plenty of public transportation and download this watering hole to enhance all of your favorite Cities.
30 May 2000 - 23:10
That's right! Aspyr is bringing The Sims to the Mac. Check out the latest info on the upcoming Mac version of The Sims!
30 May 2000 - 23:00
Will Wright will be interviewed by Sam Donaldson on ABCNews.com, May 31 at aproximately 9:15am, PST. Realplayer is needed for viewing the live Webcast.
26 May 2000 - 23:00
There is no doubt in our minds that Simsville, Maxis' latest addition to its venerable Sim legacy, was one of the best games of E3 and will be an important title to follow this year.
Click to check out the GameSpot article
SimsVille
Developer: Maxis
Publisher: Electronic Arts
There is no doubt in our minds that SimsVille, Maxis' latest addition to its venerable Sim legacy, was one of the best games of E3 and will be an important title to follow this year. The Sims has been a resounding success. Not only did it capture gamers' attention and become a chart-topper, but it also garnered critical praise. Yet, despite the game's popularity and quality gameplay, some players wanted to explore and control a Sims neighborhood, not just one household. That's where SimsVille comes into play.
SimsVille's tagline is, "Every town has a story.... What's yours?" In essence, the game will combine the SimCity series' macromanagement and The Sims' micromanagement styles. The focus of this hybrid is your town. So, instead of designing a family, as in The Sims, or a metropolis, as in SimCity, you will be able to create your own suburban town complete with different businesses, homes, and shops. In this municipality, your goal will be to fulfill your Sims' immediate needs: a roof over their heads, food, clothing, friends, and a way to make money. Managing a town's economy - and thus, its overall rating - will be your larger, more abstract goal.
At E3 the crowd in front of EA's game displays was at times quite large. But SimsVille was worth the wait. One of the biggest changes from previous Sim titles is that SimsVille features a 3D engine instead of a 2D-sprite tile engine. This will be most noticeable in the game's models, which may look 2D but are polygonal. The perspective is a familiar one. You will be able to see your neighborhoods in an isometric (3/4) view. The engine renders objects in this view. Recent screenshots really don't do justice to how nice the game looks or how smoothly the camera moves. In contrast to The Sims, SimsVille's camera won't rotate. Although this sounds like a disadvantage, it's really isn't, because you won't be placing objects in houses and looking in on your family. According to assistant producer Jenna Chalmers, SimsVille's emphasis is on community - so the game's perspective will let you see how Sims go about their business.
SimsVille also has a number of noteworthy details. For example, as you would select attitudes or personality traits for individual Sims in The Sims, these characteristics in SimsVille will generally apply to neighborhoods. Much as in a real town, some areas will be populated by dynamic, energetic citizens, while other areas may have lazy families with unkempt yards and floundering businesses with dirty windows. In addition, you'll be able to build businesses, restaurants, bars, and so on to attract certain types of families to your town. For instance, you might open some nice, upscale restaurants to draw in affluent families. Conversely, if your families can't find what they need in terms of work or entertainment, they'll leave for a city that has more to offer.
For those of us who loved the SimCity games' grand scale and The Sims' treatment of individual households, SimsVille combines the best of both to give a unique experience in town management.