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2 Jul 2012 - 23:25

MultiTab 6000 (premium content for The Sims 3)

Oh hello all! Another review? They just keep on coming hey? Well I don't hear anyone complaining so… I'll just continue to do what I'm good at haha. This time I'm going to tell about and show the MultiTab 6000. Curious? Well then, continue to read!

The MultiTab 6000 is a tablet device! It can be used by every age group except babies/toddlers. So kids can use it too! It has a number of interactions, mostly book and skill related.

Young adult, adult and elder Sims can do the following:

Read Book on MultiTab 6000
Shop Online for Books
Listen to Tabcast
Play Online Social Game

Teens can do the following:

Read Book on MultiTab 6000
Shop Online for Books
Listen to Tabcast
Play Online Social Game
Do Homework

Kids can do the following:

Read Book on MultiTab 6000
Listen to Tabcast
Play Online Social Game
Do Homework

We'll start with Read Book on MultiTab 6000. This option enables your Sims to read any book they have in their household. This includes novels, skill books and recipes.

You can see your Sim's progress in the inventory, by hovering the MultiTab with your mouse.

Then there's Shop Online for Books. This cannot be done by children, but teens and up can buy books using the MultiTab. It works the same as when your Sims go to a bookstore. You'll get the same menu and all that. When you buy a book this way, you can still read the physical copy. You don't have to read it on the MultiTab, but you can.

One awesome new feature is Listen to Tabcast. A Tabcast is like an audio file allowing your Sims to skill by listening to it. Basically, it's a podcast, but I think I'm not really allowed to say this, because podcasts are linked to Apple in the real world.

Here are the Tabcasts your Sim can choose to listen to:

Charisma Tabcast - "No, YOU the Man!"
Cooking Tabcast - "Foodtastic"
Fishing Tabcast - "Angler's Alley"
Gardening Tabcast - "Make it Grow"
Guitar Tabcast - "Riffs, Picks, and Chords"
Handiness Tabcast - "Tool Talk"
Logic Tabcast - "The Emotion Free Zone"
Writing Tabcast - "Wright's Writes Rights Rites"

If you have The Sims 3 World Adventures, you will also have the choice to listen to a Photography and a Nectar Making Tabcast.

When listening to a Tabcast, your Sim will grab the MultiTab, plug in a wireless bluetooth like headset, put away the MultiTab and the listening/skilling begins. The amazing thing here is, that your Sim can do something else at the same time! So they can go for a run while listening to the Tabcast. But they can also choose to skill. But that can't be done, right, because the Sim would be skilling already by listening to the Tabcast? Well, your Sims can now skill two things at the same time by using the MultiTab! Isn't that awesome?! I think it's wonderful.

When a Sim is listening to a Tabcast, you can hear it in the background:

Rosie is listening to a Tabcast, while preparing a meal. So she is skilling two things at once:

Tired of listening to the Tabcast? Click the MultiTab in your Sim's inventory and choose Stop Listening to Tabcast, or just click your Sim for this option.

The Play Online Social Game choice allows all of your Sims to play a game on their MultiTab. A game that looks an awful lot like The Sims Social.

An option only available to kids and teens is Do Homework. This is just brilliant. I compared some of my Sims in the same household by letting them do homework at the same time. One Sim did it the old fashioned way, and the other Sim used the MultiTab. The beauty of the MultiTab is that kids and teens finish their homework quicker. And they get fun too. Instead of losing fun drastically like is the case with the old fashioned way of doing homework. The only thing I was sad about, was that Sim kids and teens were unable to choose to do their homework together through the MultiTab, nor could they ask for help from their parents. But that's okay. Because it's done pretty quickly anyway so.

When listening to a Tabcast, your Sim will receive a special moodlet for this:

Technophobe Sims should NOT use the MultiTab, obviously. I tried it with one of my Technophobe Sims and she went absolutely nuts haha.

Like with most items in The Sims 3, you can change the looks of the MultiTab by using Create a Style.

I always try to be honest in my reviews and I have a few things I need to say about the MultiTab. I absolutely love the device. Before I installed it into my game, I was a bit skeptical "What use is a tablet for my Sims", but I was wrong to think this way, because it's an awesome addition. However, I do think there are some things missing that really should have been there. Things like chatting, interactions between Sims who own MultiTabs, taking pictures (Sims can take pictures with their mobile phones, why not with the tablets as well) and finally I really don't get why grocery shopping hasn't been added as an option. I mean, if you're going to let your Sims be lazy and order books on the tablet, it would make sense to let them order other things as well, right? But that's just my opinion. It doesn't change the fact that it's great for skilling and homework. Sims have FUN with this object.

Special thanks to EA for letting me review the MultiTab 6000. My Sims sure had fun with this device. And I think this is the first item most of my Sims will actually own. My Sims love reading and skilling so… And how about you? Do you like the review? Do you like the MultiTab 6000? Are you going to buy this? Let us know! Download the MultiTab 6000 at The Sims 3 Store!

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2 Jul 2012 - 16:07

EA sent us this official SimCity Social trailer today. Enjoy watching it!

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Gamescom 2012?

1 Jul 2012 - 11:46

20120701-instagram-gamescom.jpg

Got this in the mail today. I think I'm going again this year.

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Sizzle Baby Pro Deep Fryer and Frost-Bite Pro Ice Cream Machine REVIEW

30 Jun 2012 - 21:23

Today I have a surprise for you! I combined two reviews into one. I was actually going to write two separate reviews, one for the Sizzle Baby Pro Deep Fryer and one for the Frost-Bite Pro Ice Cream Machine. The reason I'm combining them? Well just continue to read and you'll find out quickly enough!

Sizzle Baby Pro Deep Fryer

Like the name says, this is a deep fryer. It allows you to deep fry a number of foods:

Deep Fried Candy Bar
Deep Fried Corn Dog
Deep Fried Onion Fingers
Deep Fried Chicken
Deep Fried Turkey Leg
Deep Fried Fish
Deep Fried Cheese Sticks
Deep Fried Burrito
Deep Fried Bacon

If you have the Frost-Bite Pro Ice Cream Machine as well, and place this in your Sims house, your Sims can also make:

Deep Fried Ice Cream
Deep Fried Maple Bacon Ice Cream
Deep Fried Ice Cream Fritter

When you put both appliances in your kitchen, the game gives you 500 free Lifetime Happiness Points:

The Sims are serious home chefs and have completed the New Kitchen Appliance Series by owning a Deep Fryer and Ice-Cream Maker. They have all received 500 Lifetime Happiness Points.

You can either choose to deep fry and eat or serve. You can serve all the choices, except the ice cream, those you can only deep fry and eat.

Now to show you all the different choices! I created screenshots and videos of each different dish. All quite short videos, and my Sim is being a bit boring, so don't pay attention to her haha. Deep Fried Candy Bar

Deep Fried Corn Dog

Deep Fried Onion Fingers

Deep Fried Chicken

Deep Fried Turkey Leg

Deep Fried Fish

Deep Fried Cheese Sticks

Deep Fried Burrito

Deep Fried Bacon

For the fried ice cream, please see the Frost-Bite Pro Ice Cream Machine part below! A Sim can really get hurt by the deep fryer. No new way to die as far as I know, but my Sim was hurt a couple of times while preparing some deep fried foods. I wonder if this doesn't happen that often for Sims with higher cooking skills…

Frost-Bite Pro Ice Cream Machine

What to eat on a hot summer day? Well an ice cream of course! With the Frost-Bite Pro Ice Cream Machine your Sims can make ice cream at home! You were able to see Sims enjoy an ice cream in The Sims 3 Pets (when the ice cream van drove around town). But you no longer need The Sims 3 Pets to have a nice ice cream. When you first use the Frost-Bite Pro Ice Cream Machine, you'll see a couple of options:

Make ice cream
Have some ice cream (greyed out until you make some ice cream first)
Create new flavor

And if you have the Sizzle Baby Pro Deep Fryer as well, you'll also see these options:

Make Deep Fried Ice Cream
Make Deep Fried Maple Bacon Ice Cream
Make Deep Fried Ice Cream Fritter

One you've chosen to make ice cream, your Sim will pour in some ingredients in the top of the machine and then the machine starts mixing everything, while your Sim waits. I hope I'm right about this, but I think the machine randomly creates ice cream in various colors. I've seen white/creamy ice cream, green/pink ice cream, white with brown bits, green ice cream and a couple of other colors too. Which brings me to the next option. You can also create your own flavors with the Frost-Bite Pro Ice Cream Machine! I tested it, and I was able to create up to 5 different flavors. I love how you can give the flavors your own name. Unfortunately you cannot choose a color whatsoever, so if you name your ice cream Strawberry Cream the ice cream can still come out green. And if I call it Stracciatella it might still turn out pink. You get my point. But I guess that's funny as well. And confusing haha. One thing I didn't get though, is when I tried to enter Vanilla, the game said that name was already taken. But it wasn't entered by me. And when I chose to just make ice cream, I didn't get to see a dialog with default flavors. Did I miss something here? Well if you ever find out, let me know alright? Once you have created custom flavors, you can choose to make these in the Frost-Bite Pro Ice Cream Machine. You'll get a list of all the flavors to choose from. After you have created a custom flavor, you can hover the machine and it will show you the current flavor.

And when you want to remove a flavor, to make a new one, you just choose the Remove custom flavor option. You'll then see the same list of custom flavors, choose the flavor you would like to remove and click ok. That's it. It's that simple.

Anyway, here are some screenshots and videos of the ice cream (and some deep fried ice cream) being made: Deep Fried Ice Cream

Deep Fried Maple Bacon Ice Cream To make this sort of ice cream, a Sim first uses the deep fryer to prepare bacon. Once this is done, the bacon will be mixed with other ingredients in the ice cream machine. What comes out is a bacon ice cream. Now I love bacon but, this is too weird for me haha. My Sim loves it though!

Deep Fried Ice Cream Fritter

Curious to see what the appliances look like when they are in need of a good cleaning? Well take a look below!

To be honest, I'm disgusted by the idea of deep frying ice cream, or pouring anything deep fried into my ice cream. But my Sims sure love it! I would have liked it if we could combine some servings from the normal stove/oven with the ice cream. But we can't ask for everything… Oh yeah, my Sim seemed to be choking a couple of times. What's up with that? I don't know if this animation came with one of the new appliances, or perhaps it was always there and I just never seen it. But it was freaky haha. Thought for a moment my Sim would choke to death. No new ways to die, no?

Both the Sizzle Baby Pro Deep Fryer and the Frost-Bite Pro Ice Cream Machine are customizable like most objects in The Sims 3 game by using Create a Style.

Some moodlets my Sim received after using the Sizzle Baby Pro Deep Fryer and the Frost-Bite Pro Ice Cream Machine:

I would like to thank EA for letting me review these two awesome new kitchen appliances. I would have never thought The Sims Studio would create something like this. But I personally think that if we have laundry in The Sims, we should also have everyday appliances like the deep fryer and the ice cream maker. Of course, my Sims will not be using this every day, but it's a great addition to a modern kitchen. I would love to see more appliances like this in the future, especially if they match these ones. Do you like the review? Do you like the ice-cream machine and deep fryer? Let us know in a comment! And if you want to have these premium items in your game as well, head on over to The Sims 3 Store, where you can buy the Sizzle Baby Pro Deep Fryer and the Frost-Bite Pro Ice Cream Machine!

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The Hypnotizer REVIEW

28 Jun 2012 - 23:10

The Hypnotizer (premium content for The Sims 3)

Some time ago I received the Hypnotizer so I could write a review. I did play with it and made screens and videos. But before I could use them, the computer died, as you may have read in a couple of other posts. Small disclaimer in advance, I have a couple of UI images in English and some others in Dutch. Due to some issues I was unable to make screenshots of everything in each language, but you'll get the idea. Anyway, here it is. I finally managed to finish this mini review. Enjoy. And please leave a comment when you're done reading.

What is the Hypnotizer? Well it's pretty self explanatory. It's a device your Sim can use to hypnotize other Sims, or your Sim can choose to hypnotize themselves.

Once a Sim is hypnotized, another Sim can have the hypnotized Sim do a number of (sometimes embarrassing) Hypnosis actions.

Command to act like a chicken
Command to awaken refreshed
Command to dance
Command to fall in love with you
Command to forget inhibitions
Command to jam on guitar
Command to strike a pose
Command to wake up
Command total bladder failure

Sim Rosie is hypnotizing herself with The Hypnotizer! Viewed from the side.

Sim Rosie is hypnotizing herself with The Hypnotizer! As seen from behind the Hypnotizer

Another Sim is hypnotizing Rosie.

I made a video of each action. I could try and explain each action in my own words, but the videos just show it all. And it's funny! Some actions are the same every time you choose them. Other actions (like the dance command) has several animations. So be sure to try every command a couple of times to see what happens.

Command to act like a chicken

Rosie is commanded to act like a chicken. Oh dear!

Command to awaken refreshed

Rosie has woken up refreshed.

Command to dance

Rosie is commanded to dance. Move those hips!

Rosie is commanded to dance, again. This is a different animation.

Third and last video of the dance command. Last one with Rosie being hypnotized anyway

Now Rosie has hypnotized the other Sim and is making him dance. Oh la la!

Command to fall in love with you

Rosie is commanded to kiss the other Sim. Since they are already in love, there is no actual falling in love taking place. But that's what would probably happen when two Sims not already in love hypnotize and use this command.

Command to forget inhibitions
I don't have a video of this command, but I tried the interaction and it just generates random hypnosis actions. So when you choose this, the hypnotized Sim will do the chicken, dance, pose et cetera. No new animations here so wasn't worth showing in a video.

Command to jam on guitar

Rosie is being hypnotized and commanded to play the air guitar!

Rosie is doing the air guitar again. Slightly different from the other video.

Command to strike a pose

Rosie is commanded to strike a pose. Tough Sim!

Rosie is posing again. Hurrrr!

Command to wake up

Sim Rosie is being hypnotized. And then she wakes up by command.

Command total bladder failure
I don't have a video with only this command in it, but I have a video where several commands have been given, and it all ends with the total bladder failure.

Rosie has hypnotized the other Sim. She makes him dance, kiss and finally she commands him to have a complete bladder failure. Of course that's when he wakes up. Awww. Poor Sims...

After some commands, your Sim might get one of these moodlets:

Rosie has hypnotized this Sim, and makes him dance, do the air guitar, pose, dance again and pretend to be a chicken. Then the other Sim wakes up. And he's not amused!

Now to be honest, I don't see myself putting one of these at my Sims' homes. It's really cool though if you have The Sims 3 Showtime and you have magician Sims. You can then put this Hypnotizer on your stage during performances.

I made three small videos while using the Hypnotizer on stage.

Rosie is now using The Hypnotizer in a performance in The Sims 3 Showtime. Exciting stuff! The first victim gets the command to act like a chicken!

The second victim gets the command to dance!

The third victim gets the command to pose!

Like most objects in The Sims 3, you can customize the Hypnotizer with Create a Style:

As always, I would like to give a special thanks to EA for letting me review this premium content. I think this is an awesome addition for people who own The Sims 3 Showtime, to use it on stage in the magician career. If you like it, you can buy it in The Sims 3 Store! Be sure to let us know what you think of the object, and of course the review itself! Thanks for reading!

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Watch the Diesel Stuff chat live!

26 Jun 2012 - 19:06

~~It has started!~~
The chat has ended, but you can still watch it here in case you missed it!

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SimCity Social: Ready to play?

25 Jun 2012 - 15:44

I was just busy with my work, when I took a little break and checked Facebook. Wrong! SimCity Social just went live and I'm already hooked! Join me today, add me as a neighbor if you like, and play SimCity Social!!

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The Not So Routine Machine REVIEW

24 Jun 2012 - 05:12

The Not So Routine Machine (premium content for The Sims 3)

Time for another (mini) review! A couple of months ago I received The Not So Routine Machine for reviewing purposes! Although I love these mini reviews myself, it wasn't a good time for me. I moved in April and am now in a half finished home haha. Also my computer died recently (has been repaired so it's all good now). Because of the move, it's really hectic and I barely have time to spend online. This week though I decided to take a break from all the decorating and stuff. So now I present to you, the mini review of The Not So Routine Machine! Enjoy! And leave a comment when you're done reading. I love to hear your thoughts.

So what's this machine all about then? In short: your Sims can improve their overall mood by using it. When your Sim has to go to work, the gym, a business/venue or a shop, your Sim can stand on this device and it will fill the needs one by one. Not just like that. You will see the Sim processing their breakfast, see them on the toilet and see them in a luxurious shower.

Sim Rosie is going to use the Not So Routine Machine. Where will she end up?

Sim Rosie has used the Not So Routine Machine. She chose to go to the gym and that is exactly where the Not So Routine Machine sent her.

Sim Rosie is using the Not So Routine Machine. You can see what the machine is capable of in this video.

Here is the male sim upgrading the Not So Routine Machine so it plays music! This increases fun while being refreshed by the machine.

Rosie is using the Not So Routine Machine.

Rosie is being fed by the Not So Routine Machine.

Time to empty that bladder!

Shiny toilet!

I wouldn't feel safe hanging above a toilet haha!

Well this is awkward. As you can see, the Sim is sitting in the middle of the room. If other Sims are in the room and you tell your Sim to use the machine, he or she will shoo the other Sims. A separate room wouldn't be a bad idea.

I'd look annoyed as well. Or is she just making a funny face because of a number 2?

As far as I know, kids and younger cannot use it. And therefore, it would not be an option to only have this machine around instead of a regular toilet, shower and kitchen stuff for the daily routine. Not only would it be too expensive for starter Sims (the machine costs §15.000), but it can't do everything for everyone.

Another Sim is using the Not So Routine Machine. He tries to go to a community lot. The Not So Routine Machine does improve the Sim's mood but it's night so the Sim is brought back home instead of to the community lot.

I had some great laughs while using it. Besides the toilet/shower/food supplies, Sims with the handiness skill can also improve the machine. They can make it unbreakable, add speakers for fun or make it teleport your Sims anywhere. Very cool.

The downside with the whole teleporting thing, is that you can only go one way. For the way back you have to grab a cab, car, bike, whatever. But you cannot teleport back without using the machine. And since the machine is at home, teleporting at home from home would be… well stupid haha.

Another thing that bothers me a little is that you can only use these functions if you go another place. You cannot just have your Sim use it to get ready for the day, if they spend the day at home. I get the idea of the object but it would have been a nice addition to choose to get "refreshed" yet still stay home haha.

And then there is Dreamscape. Dreamscape? What's that? Well. Dreamscape is a fantasy world, VR if you will, where Sims travel when they are tired, while using the Not So Routine Machine. They then don't go to their destination immediately, but stay in this Dreamscape world where you are presented with these chance cards. Initially I though my Sim needed a lot of logic to be able to do the "quests" in Dreamscape. But I had another Sim with logic level 10 and she just kept going wrong with the first try. So it must really be 50% chance or something. And one of my Sims just happened to get everything wrong haha. If Sims get it right, they end up with something to take home to the real world. Once they leave the Dreamscape, they are teleported to the place you initially chose to go. If the Dreamscape visit went well (not being thrown out at the first chance card) the Sim will probably have enjoyed it and they energy level will go up. If the visit to Dreamscape failed, your Sim will most likely hate or dislike it and not want to go back, plus their energy level won't have increased at all. When your Sim is in Dreamscape, you can hear a lullaby like song that is in fact quite dreamy yet mysterious.

Rosie is now entering Dreamscape.

Dreamscape vortex.

Thunder in the Dreamscape?

Well that was an interesting experience. Rosie doesn't look amused if you ask me.

My male Sim is tired, and decided to use the Not So Routine Machine. What happens is that he is pulled into a VR world called Dreamscape. The dialogs might be hard to see, but in Dreamscape you get several chance cards.

Sim Rosie gets a whole routine but is tired, so she enters Dreamscape. While going into Dreamscape, the Not So Routine Machine breaks. Luckily for sim Rosie, this doesn't affect her visit to Dreamscape, or her return.

Sim Rosie came back from the Dreamscape, and as you can see, she did NOT like it.

One of my Sims tried to go to a community lot a couple of times. But the place was closed so my Sim kept being thrown back into his own home haha.

You can fully customize the Not So Routine Machine like any other object.

Like most (electrical or plumbing) objects in The Sims 3, the Not So Routine Machine can break. But if you're handy enough, you'll be able to fix it as well.

I like this object, love the fact that you can customize it and that it makes it so easy for Sims to improve their moods. However there is a downside to this object. Sims have to go somewhere in order to use it. And although I love Dreamscape and would like to play more with that in the future, some people may not enjoy that their tired Sims are drawn into this VR world when they should really be going to work or some place else. But those are minor problems and remember, Sims are going to do unexpected things anyways so. Just enjoy.

Below are some dialogs and other UI elements seen while playing with the Not So Routine Machine.

Special thanks to EA for letting me review the Not So Routine Machine. I don't think I'll let all my Sim families have one, but some might end up using this. Especially handy for Sims that always run out of time before work.

Buy the Not So Routine Machine at The Sims 3 Store now!

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