We were very focused, if anything, on making a game for more casual players. Spore has more depth than, let’s say, The Sims did. But we looked at the Metacritic scores for Sims 2, which was around 90, and something like Half-Life, which was 97, and we decided — quite a while back — that we would rather have the Metacritic and sales of “Sims 2″ than the Metacritic and sales of Half-Life.

Oh. Okay.

Will Wright Reacts To Critical ‘Spore’ Reviews, Reveals Personal Playing Style [Multiplayer]

Clearly, there is very little probative value to this post, I just wanted to write the word DIKTAD (the name of a toy chest they sell). Three years ago my friend Ryan (Flying Squirrel, to those in the know), who now writes for the Sacramento Bee, went to IKEA with me to help me trick out my former shithole (rented for $1095 a month. Housing bubble? What is this you speak of? Rent is a rock solid investment that only appreciates.) We came around the corner and saw DIKTAD and that instantly became our new term of abuse for each other, like "Heat Stick" and "Grandma's Tongue." And now I bequeath it to you. Please call each other that in the comments.

The Sims 2 IKEA Home Stuff Trailer [Simprograms]

Ya know, it's just not funny in simi-realistic 3D. At all. Brian Ashcraft

South Park Sims [The Last Boss]

The now very legal Hilary Duff is making her first video game appearance in the upcoming The Sims 2 expansion pack: Pets. Duff and her Chihuahua, Lola, will be hitting stores in digital form on Oct. 17 in North America and two days later in Europe. The game is coming to PC as a pack and to the PS2 and, later, the DS as stand-alone games.

"I've logged hundreds of hours playing The Sims games, so I jumped at the chance to be in The Sims 2 Pets," said Duff. "I love creating Sims characters and guiding them through life, designing their houses and then blinging them out with cool furniture. Now, in The Sims 2 Pets, EA has combined two things I really enjoy —pets and The Sims!"

How's that any different from her real life? I mean couldn't she just hire a bunch of people to move shit around her house when she waves a stylus in the air or moves a mouse. See, I don't see why super rich people have to play the Sims. It's like slumming for them.

The project is called Teaching With Games and has the support of Take Two, EA, Microsoft, and the ISFE.

"I can definitely see the potential of using games in the classroom. It proved to be a great tool for motivating students and engaging their interest. I would like to use games for teaching in the future if the technical problems could be addressed," commented Claire Gemmell, a teacher at St John's School & Community College in Marlborough. The technical problems she's referring to involved licensing and copy protection issues that prevented some teachers from easily installing the software or running the games on school networks.

Games in the study included RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, Sims 2, and Knights of Honor.

I personally have been a proponent of regular old gaming (as opposed to educational games, which usually suck) as learning tool since I realized how savagely I fought to acquire the reading skills necessary to play adventure games when I was wee.

Games are set up to reward learning just as a basic tenet of play, so they're already ideal forms of teaching. What did you learn from gaming, my wee apelings, and how did it help you? Eliza Gauger

Study: Games Can Aid Learning at School [Gamedaily BIZ]

EA has teamed up with DTI Software, the company that made all of those abortive games I listed above, to pump The Sims 2, Poppit!, Word Whomp, Phlinx, Tri-Peaks, Solitaire, Harvest Mania, Tumble Bees, Great Escapes Solitaire and Turbo 21 to a slew of airlines.

EA's Tammy Schachter tells me that while The Sims 2 in-flight game will use existing art, assets and gameplay mechanics, the game itself will be built from the ground up for use in the seatback in front of you. Schachter points out that there are 20 different kinds of in-flight entertainment systems on planes, so that sounds like quite a challenge.

I just hope they figure out a way to wire in multiplayer support. Maybe this will be up and running when I fly back to Australia for my semi-annual pilgrimage with the family. Brian Crecente

This Sims 2 machinima documenting male restroom etiquette starts off with a rather standard defecation of the "Never stand directly next to another man at the urinal" prime directive. Worse yet, the makers seem to think that various toilet euphemisms are absolutely precious. "Yeah, yeah," I impatiently muttered, ready to close the tab. But then a breach of bathroom conversational etiquette leads to a zombie apocalypse, and the film suddenly becomes one of the greatest Sims machinima ever.

One thing they do not cover is when someone you know at the pub saunters up to the trough next to you and then gives you a hearty slap on the back, as if this were a "Hail Fellow, Well Met!" sort of communal moment. There is a string of unsolved murders by way of urine asphyxiation in Dublin with my DNA all over the crime scene because of this. Florian Eckhardt

The pets will be coming to the PS2, GameCube, GBA, DS, and computer. They also hit the PSP in November. Hit the jump for all of the details on the animals. Brian Crecente

EA Announces The Sims 2 Pets
Fans of the Popular Video Game Series Enrich The Lives of Their Sims With The Addition of an Animal Companion

For IMMEDIATE RELEASE

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - (July 27, 2006. 9 a.m. PST) - Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that the popular video game franchise, The Sims 2, is going to the dogs—and for that matter, to the cats, guinea pigs and birds too! The company is releasing The Sims 2 Pets on current generation console systems, handheld platforms and as a PC expansion pack. The Sims 2 Pets will build on the celebrated The Sims 2 experience that allows players to create and control digital characters throughout their lives while determining the outcome of their relationships and choosing their destiny. Each version will feature customized content tailored to the platform.

The addition of a new friend is guaranteed to enrich the daily lives of your Sims! Not only will players have the opportunity to choose from a variety of existing breeds, and hot designer mixes, but they'll also be able to personally design their new friend with the Create-a-Pet feature. The ability to customize gives fans the opportunity to create their ideal pet by choosing their body shape, unique markings, even their pet's personalities! With so many different animals to choose from, there's no telling what unpredictable experiences could occur!

Players will also be able to teach their pet new tricks, take them for a romp in the park, outfit them with new pet accessories and even give them a job! As in real life, your Sims' pet will require care and training. A neglected cat with an urge to scratch might claw up your new couch if you aren't careful, and leaving your dog unattended near a freshly planted flower bed probably isn't wise!

"The Sims 2 Pets captures the magic between pets and their owners," said Executive Producer Rod Humble. "A dog gnawing at his chew toy, a cat jumping at a dangled feather, a toddler stroking the chest of a big dog who sits by patiently—even a frisky dog getting caught rolling around in the trash. These special moments all come to life through the lifelike animations and artwork of The Sims 2 Pets. There is something delightful about your Sim, a little pet person, having a pet of their own. Pets allows players to tell more stories with their Sims and helps create more emergent anecdotes within the game."
The Sims 2 Pets will be available on the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, the Nintendo GameCube , Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS , and as a PC expansion pack* that builds on the original The Sims 2 PC game experience. A version for the PSP (PlayStation Portable) system will follow.

KEY FEATURES
All Platforms
Sims Have New Friends - Pets! Sims can share their lives with their new pets and add more fun to the Sims experience. From dogs, cats, caged animals and more, your Sims share new friends to experience life's precious moments. With so many different animals to choose from, there's no telling what unpredictable experiences could occur!
Create-A-Pet: Choose from dozens of dog and cat breeds or customize features for a one-of-a-kind pet. You can even modify your pet's body shape by choosing from specific colors and unique markings. Don't like the way they act? Change their personality - from smart and sweet to silly and sloppy - anyone can create their ideal animal friend in The Sims 2 Pets.
"Sit, Spike, Sit": Your Sims can encourage and discipline pets, training them to shake, roll over, play dead, and more. Unruly pets might dig in the yard, claw the sofa, or topple the trash. Thankfully, a little training can go a long way.
Classic Sims Open-Ended Gameplay: Create and control digital characters over a lifetime, setting their goals in life from popularity and romance, to fortune and family- their stories are in your hands.
Share unique Pet unlocks: Use special codes to share unlockable pet accessories, fur types or markings with other The Sims 2 Pets players.

Unique to PC*
Friends for a Lifetime: Your Sims' pets are members of the family and share all of life's great moments - whether it's kids training puppies, teens playing fetch in the park, adults watching TV with their cats, or elders enjoying a sunny day in the park with their long-time companion!
Create a designer breed: Your Sims pets have genetics, allowing you to create the latest designer pet, including popular hybrid breeds like the Labradoodle, Puggle and Schnoodle! Like what you've created? Register them to appear in Create-A-Pet as a unique pedigree!
Bring Home the Bacon: Sims aren't the only ones with careers anymore! Skilled pets can earn a living from three career tracks - Show Business, Security, and Service - and work their way up through five job levels.

Unique to PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube and PSP (PlayStation Portable) system
Stroll the Central Town Park: Take your Sims and their pet for a romp at any of the nearby park areas, or head to the Central Town Park which is a favorite of pet owners. While there, watch your pet play well with others while your Sim can meet others and socialize with fellow animal lovers.
Shop 'til you drop: Visit the adjoining Town Center, a great gathering spot for Sims that evolves over time. Once you've seen the latest styles and decided on a purchase, deck your pet out in the latest clothing and accessories around. From geek to chic and cool to casual, your Sim can customize their pet's look with one stop in the Town Center. It's sure to be the coolest pet in town!

Unique to Nintendo DS
Manage a Pet Care Center: Pamper, preen, and nurse all the neighborhood pets at your new Pet Care Center that you create and customize.
How Much Is That Doggie in the Window? In a pet store that you own and operate, you can help other Sims pick out the perfect pet. Earn extra Simoleans by selling the pet products that include the latest pet fashions and accessories!

Game Boy Advance
Give Your Sim a Career in Pet Care: Take care of the town's pets by being a veterinarian, a world-class pet trainer and more. Players can even choose from a variety of cat and dogs to adopt as their very own. Whether they are healing pets or just taking them for a stroll, there is always something to do in the pet-friendly town of Barkersville.
Toys, treats and tricks!: Sims can teach their pets cool and amazing tricks and then compete in the World Championships to be the best in show!

Product Specifications
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Electronic Arts Redwood Shores
Ship Date: October 17th, 2006:
PlayStation 2
Nintendo GameCube
Game Boy Advance
Nintendo DS
PC expansion pack*
Ship Date: November 2006:
PSP (PlayStation Portable)
Category: Simulation/Strategy
ESRB Rating:"RP-T" (Rating Pending - Teen)

There have been several Final Fantasy/Sims 2 mash-ups, but this one has to be the most disturbing fun. Cloud and Sephiroth dancing with the dude in a cow suit to that Chocobo song is forever etched in my mind. Brian Ashcraft

The Greatest Chocobo Song [DnL]

Faux goth rockers Depeche Mode are lending their tune "Suffer Well" to the Sims 2, complete with a Simlish translation. Series creator Will Wright created the in-game language by combining Ukrainian and the Filipino language of Tagalog. The song's machinima-style music vid is available on EA's official site and tells the story of a forsaken robot. If DM is taking requests, how about a Simlish version of "Everything Counts" or better yet, "Somebody"?

More Here [GameSetWatch]

Hat Head fan Amanda Stanley used the Sims 2 to create a music video of the group's Gmail song. I love technology and most definitely technology used to enliven songs about technology.

Gmail Song Video [Video Google, thanks Wonderland]

The red phone in the Kotaku office just lit up and EA let us know that their insanely popular Sims 2 was shipping a week ahead of schedule for Sony's handheld. Now instead of Dec. 13, the realish-life simulator ships Dec. 7 (omg next week!). It is a little disheartening that one of the biggest PSP titles of the holiday season is one of the biggest PC games - from last year.

The Sims 2 should be hitting your Playstation Portable a few weeks before Christmas. Electronic Arts announced that the game has gone gold and will be hitting store shelves on Dec. 15.

The game will feature five new neighborhoods, 20 locations and tons of reasons not to bath, sleep or participate in conversations.

Aha! I never did find out whether it was me or the Sims2, but I installed it on two different hulky computers and in both instances it ran like a dog. I managed to have fun making Sim family members and then taking their toilets away, before the game juddered to a halt.

PSP now, it's a console, so it won't have any of those problems. I shall dust it off for this one. PSP Nation has the detail.

Got some more celebrity sightings from Saturday's Teen People Young Hollywood Party. It sounds like the Sims 2 Nightlife booth at the event was quite the place to see and be seen.

7th Heaven's Mackenzie Rosman was the first spotted at the booth, hiding behind her mom as they walked up to the game. After a little cajoling, she admitted that she's a longtime Sims gamer and jumped right in to Nightlife. Rosman hung out for about half an hour, checking out the game's new downtown and making Sim replicas of people she doesn't like in the Create-A-Sim mode then forcing them to marry off other ugly Sim creations.

American Dreams' Vanessa Lengies was the next celeb seen walking up to the booth with a friend. The Sim console addict had to spend a bit of time getting used to the PC version of the game, but once she found her feet she seemed to really dig the latest expansion pack. She ended up spending quite a bit of time making Sim versions of herself. Hey, if you looked like Lengies you'd do the same thing.

Siblings Cameron(Seabiscuit) and Andrea Bowen (Desperate Housewives) hit the booth next. Apparently Cameron is a huge Sims fan, testing the knowledge of the booth workers and asking about whether pets were planned for any future expansion packs. Both Bowens went into minor conniptions when they saw Nightlife had cars. After hitting the digital downtown of the game, the two spent some time at the bowling alley, clubbing, at a diner and then playing poker.

Finally, Meagan Good (The Cookout) was apparently too cool to actually step up to the booth, instead choosing to eye it from afar with the help of a hot Latina friend. The two checked out the video teaser of the game for a bit, with Good cheering when a black Sim hit the screen.

Saturday s Teen People Young Hollywood Party drew quite the crowd to the Cabana Club, most of them Sims fans. Paris Hilton, Hillary Duff, Lindsay Lohan, Wilmer Valderama and Ashlee Simpson all made the party, which was sponsored by Sims 2 Nightlife. The new PC expansion pack for Sims 2 is all about taking your Sim out for a night on the town, practicing lines and hooking-up.

Apparently, Duff is a huge Sims fan and Lohan was quick to pick up a copy for herself as well. Even Matthew Underwood (of Zoey 101 fame) is a huge fan, he even uploads his Sim creations to the official site. (His Angelina Jolie is a real stunner.)

I love the irony of a bunch of fake beautiful people playing with fake beautiful people. I wonder which group has better artificial intelligence?

Sims 2 Nightlife looks like its set to come out on September 15 in North America. The expansion pack will let Sims go out for a night on the town to blow off a little Sim-steam.

The pack also adds a pleasure aspiration to the mix and lets players go on dates with a new attraction system. New interactions include slow dancing, longing gazes and dip kisses. You'll also now be able to finally own your own car. While you can use it to get around town in, its also invaluable for dates. If you have a car you can invite your Sim date in for a good night kiss, and perhaps a little hot coffee?

Sims 2 Nightlife Dated [eToychest]