Kotaku: The Sims

Electronic Arts Ditches Casual Label, Merges It With The Sims

Brian Crecente — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 09:41:44 MST

Electronic Arts is closing their Casual Label, merging it and their Hasbro partnership with The Sims Label, Electronic Arts confirmed to Kotaku this morning.

The publisher also confirmed the departure of Kathy Vrabeck, who was named president of EA Casual in May 2007. Vrabeck was the president of Activision Publishing prior to her stint at Electronic Arts.

The new Sims and Casual Label moniker comes two years after the publisher created a casual-centric label for their development studios.

In a prepared statement Electronic Arts explained the reasoning behind the decision and said that further announcements about EA Mobile, Pogo, Media Sales and Online Casual Initiatives will be coming in the days and weeks ahead.

We’ve learned a lot about casual entertainment in the past two years, and found that casual gaming defies a single genre and demographic. With the departure of Kathy Vrabeck, EA is reorganizing to integrate casual games — development and marketing — into other divisions of our business. We are merging our Casual Studios, Hasbro partnership, and Casual marketing organization with The Sims Label to be a new Sims and Casual Label, where there is a deep compatibility in the product design, marketing and demographics.

In the days and weeks ahead, we will make further announcements on the reporting structure for the other businesses in the Casual Label including EA Mobile, Pogo, Media Sales and Online Casual Initiatives. Those businesses remain growth priorities for EA and deserve strong support in a group that will compliment their objectives.

The decision to absorb the Casual Label into a variety of other studios within EA comes a week after Electronic Arts laid off 600 of their employees and told investors that they were posting a $310 million net loss for the quarter.

Earlier last month Rod Humble took over The Sims label, replacing Nancy Smith who was to be stepping into a yet-to-be named executive role at EA. Maybe it has something to do with this reorganization?

Rod Humble Becomes Sim Head

Mike Fahey — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:00:00 MDT

Now here's a name I hadn't heard much since the days back when I played Everquest like a crack addict! Rod Humble, the one-time head of the EQ studio at SOE has just been promoted to Senior Vice President and Head of The Sims label for EA. Rod, who has been with The Sims label since he joined EA in 2004, will be responsible for all things Sims-related, taking the place of Nancy Smith, who will be stepping into a new executive role at EA to be defined in the coming months.

“The Sims Label creates original entertainment experiences which are unique in the way they bring culture, interactivity and creativity together,” said Rod Humble. “It is a privilege to lead The Sims Label team as we look forward to new ways of surprising and delighting customers in this rapid growth time for interactive entertainment of all kinds.”

You go Rod! The Sims need more half-naked wood elves!

Rod Humble Promoted to Executive Vice President and Head of The Sims Label at Electronic Arts
Nancy Smith To Take a New Assignment on EA’s Executive Team

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) has promoted Rod Humble to Executive Vice President and Head of The Sims Label of EA. In this role, Humble will be responsible for The Sims Label, which develops and markets life-simulation games and online communities with an emphasis on creativity, community and humor. The Sims™ is the best-selling PC franchise of all time.

Former The Sims leader Nancy Smith will manage special projects for The Sims Label until she begins a new executive role at EA, to be defined over the coming months.

“Like Nancy Smith before him, Rod Humble has demonstrated strong leadership in defining EA’s The Sims brand as a stand-alone product label. Rod has great creative instincts, uncompromising quality standards, a deep connection with the player community, and most of all, the respect of the team he works with,” said John Riccitiello, CEO of Electronic Arts.

“The Sims Label creates original entertainment experiences which are unique in the way they bring culture, interactivity and creativity together,” said Rod Humble. “It is a privilege to lead The Sims Label team as we look forward to new ways of surprising and delighting customers in this rapid growth time for interactive entertainment of all kinds.”

Humble has been with The Sims Label and EA since 2004. An 18-year industry veteran, prior to joining EA, he was Vice President of Product Development for Sony Online Entertainment where he headed up the EverQuest studio.

This Is Why The Sims Movie Idea Is A Stupid Idea

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 06:20:00 MDT

The core idea of making a movie on The Sims is a solid one. Solid in the storied Hollywood tradition that The Sims is popular, and movies based on popular things make money. But the execution? So far, it sounds just awful. Most people have pointed to the "Weird Science was great...in the 80s" argument, and it's a valid one, but Newsweek's N'Gai Croal finds fault on a more fundamental level:

For Davis to take The Sims—the videogame equivalent of a soap opera or a telenovela—and turn it into yet another teen male high adventure story not only stereotypes videogames as being the province of boys alone, it also represents a missed opportunity to illustrate how this videogame in particular has illuminated the inner lives of girls, women and men alike.

Wait, there are men that play The Sims?

The Big Idea: Should a Game Whose Core Audience Is Teen Girls Become a Movie Aimed at Teen Boys? [Newsweek]

The Sims Movie Concept Explained

Mike Fahey — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:30:00 MDT

I hadn't heard much about the movie based on The Sims since it was announced last year, so I figured someone had seen the sensible side of things and called the whole project off. Not so! Producer John Davis gives classic 80's flick Weird Science a nod in the movie concept, which involves a couple of kids getting their hands on something called The Sims Infinity Pack.

"What they realize is that they can scan their world in, because this is the most life-like, real Sims game ever. As they are playing this, they are all of a sudden realising [that] what they are playing on the game is having an effect on the real world. So in effect, through the game, they are able to control their world. It's wish fulfillment, and obviously it turns against them."

Oh I see what they did there! The kids are playing The Sims, but for real! I'm with Luke on this one. If there isn't a scene with a man peeing himself in a room with no doors then it isn't The Sims at all.

Producer explains 'Sims' movie concept [Digital Spy]

Will Wright Prefers Really High Sales to Really High Scores

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 01:00:00 MDT

The build-up for this title has been immense — and the reviews are rolling in. There were those first Spore reviews, and yes, there were pros and there were cons. Many don't like that the gameplay for Spore really isn't all that complex. It's too casual, some say! What does Will Wright think of the reviews, though?

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]

The Sims 3 In Full E3 Technicolor

Adam Barenblat — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:00:00 MDT

Still The Sims, now with a shiny 3 after it. If you're interested in all things Simlish then you probably want to take a gander at the offical E3 Sims 3 trailer, sent over to our tower fresh this morning. What does this have, Sim faithful, that would make me want to drop whatever other Sims game I happen to be currently playing?

EA Signs Up Talent Agency To Bring Franchises To Movies, TV

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:00:06 MDT

The United Talent Agency and Electronic Arts have announced an agreement to help bring internally developed EA franchises to other entertainment media, including movies, animation, comic books and television. UTA, EA's "partner in crime", will represent the developer-publisher as it moves its IP into the "realm of large-budget motion pictures and television series." Let's hope that doesn't mean Madden: The Movie.

The EA-UTA deal is said to "significantly ramp up EA’s film and television slate" which currently consists of a "feature version" of The Sims, a MySims animated series and a Dead Space animated, direct-to-DVD feature. In other words, pretend to be surprised when the Army Of Two movie script leaks later this year.

Hit the jump for the full press release. We'll have additional details on all of EA's Comic-Con related announcements through the week.

Electronic Arts Signs With United Talent Agency

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced it has signed with leading Hollywood talent and literary agency UTA for representation in motion pictures and television.

UTA will help the company develop a comprehensive strategy for moving its intellectual property into the realm of large-budget motion pictures and television series. EA’s broad portfolio of titles includes top-selling franchises such as Army of Two™ and Need for Speed™ as well as eagerly awaited new titles such as Dead Space™ and Mirror’s Edge™.

“UTA is an ideal partner for us to bring the richness and story telling nuance of our popular games into other forms of media that give consumers more ways to experience these creative concepts,” said Patrick O’Brien, Vice President of EA Entertainment. “Some of our teams have already made steps to expand our games into other forms of media like online, social networks and print publication. This partnership will help us take these efforts to the next level and match each of our titles with the right artists, producers and financiers.”

“We view EA as an emerging entertainment force, not just because they are a great untapped IP rights holder, but because at their core they care most about how viewers respond to their stories and creative vision,” said UTA partner Richard Klubeck in making the announcement. “We’re excited to work alongside the EA team as they make this important expansion of their intellectual property strategy.”

The relationship is expected to significantly ramp up EA’s film and television slate, which currently includes a feature version of the popular The Sims™ game in script development at 20th Century Fox with producer John Davis and a MySims™ animated television series in development at Film Roman. EA is also in production with Starz/Film Roman on an animated DVD feature version of its new title Dead Space to launch with the game.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTSTM, EATM, EA SPORTS FreestyleTM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2008, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.67 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle, POGO, Army of Two, Need for Speed, Dead Space, MySims and The Sims are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Mirror’s Edge is a trademark or registered trademark of EA Digital Illusions CE AB. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

United Talent Agency is one of the entertainment industry's premier talent and literary agencies, representing many of world's most widely-known figures in every current and emerging area of entertainment, including motion pictures, television, digital media, books, music, mobile and live entertainment. Collectively, UTA agents represent a significant cross-section of today's most acclaimed artists and entertainers, including nominees and winners of Academy, Emmy, Grammy, Screen Actors Guild, Directors Guild, Writers Guild, Producers Guild, Golden Globe, People's Choice and Webby awards. The agency is also globally recognized in the areas of film finance, corporate consulting, branding & licensing, endorsements and the representation of production talent. The agency also operates UTAOnline, the first dedicated broadband representation division of a major agency.

The Sims 3 E3 Trailer

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:40:00 MDT

Freshy pried from the game's homepage, here's the first trailer for Maxis' upcoming top-seller-for-five-years sure thing, The Sims 3. And yes, it looks better, and the promise of a whole town is certainly a pleasant one, but every time they start to lure me in with those kind of deals, I hear one of them open their mouth, and all bets are off.

Hip-Hop Vids Remade In The Sims

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 07:00:00 MDT

Goodness gracious me. Never would have thought the internet would go and make a pastime out of this, but now that it has, what else can we do but run with it? Because, as rubbish as the idea of a bunch of Sims re-enacting hip-hop and R&B videos sounds, it's really not. It's great. There's nine more at the link below, but be warned, a lot of them aren't exactly work/child-friendly.

The Ultimate Argument Settler: The 10 Best Fan Made Hip Hop Videos With Sims Of All Time [Videogum, via Boing-Boing]

The Sims Is Not A Casual Game, Buster

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 08 May 2008 07:00:00 MDT

Forget what you've heard! EA does not think The Sims is a casual game. No, way, no how. Just listen to what EA's dedicated Sims division boss, Nancy Smith has to say:

I don't think of it as casual. We were one of the first games that started to attract a broad audience. We were one of the first games that bought in women... To some degree The Sims is more of a toy than a game. People want to create characters, tell stories and explore relationships in a way that is maybe different from their real lives.

So repeat after me: The Sims is not a casual game, The Sims is not a casual game, The Sims is not a casual game. Say it enough and, yes, maybe you too can believe.
The Sims Is Not Casual [casualgaming.biz via MCVUK]

The Sims & IKEA Are An Exercise In Tasteful Product Placement

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 05 May 2008 03:00:00 MDT

For all their squiddly-squaddly talk and propensity for dying in fires, nobody plays The Sims because of The Sims. They play it to design a house, then fill said house with loads of designer furniture. So this latest Sims expansion - Sims 2 IKEA Home Stuff - is a logical step. For both parties! Now, before fans worry over whether the Swedish furniture giant's range will be incorporated tastefully into the game, this bullet-point from the game's EA Store page should answer your question:

Indulge your Sims with an office that is sure to promote order and productivity with its elegant Vika Hyttan desk, inspiring Kila desk lamp, bold Helmer drawer unit, and Lack zigzag wallshelf.

That's a no, then.
SIMS 2™ IKEA Home Stuff [EA Store, via Infinite Sims]

EA's Rod Humble on The Sims, Death and Potty Humor

Maggie Greene — Sat, 03 May 2008 14:30:00 MDT

Rock, Paper, Shotgun has posted a two part interview with EA's Rod Humble on The Sims, among other things — the first half of the interview covers a lot of (non-Sims related) gaming territory, while the second focuses on the Sims. On designing the death bits:

We have a lot of fun with it, so every expansion pack we come to the point where we're adding in some new death states. I remember in Seasons they were putting in the death state of being snowed to death. The person is in a snowstorm, and you see them trying to fight it and fight it, until the fighting slows down [laughs] and he just rolls over and gives up. It shouldn't be funny. But oh my goodness, it is. It's always about mean things happening in an amusing way. There's also a lot of potty humour in it, and we fully embrace that. I think that's a wonderful traditional mode of humour, and I still find it funny watching Sims pee themselves. I make no apologies for it. I think that's a classic genre and endlessly entertaining. [laughs] It makes chuckle just thinking about it!

It's a fun little two part interview, even if you're not a big Sims fan.

Dinner With Rod Humble: Sims Style Stuff [Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

Amazing Core Gamer Stuff Pooh-Poohed By Focus Groups

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:40:21 MDT

The concept was simple: A virtual dollhouse. Will Wright was coming off of SimAnt, and he was looking to do more. Wright at his team at Maxis began working on what would become The Sims, a game that play-tested so poorly that there were doubts it would be released. The game was and of course went on to spawn two sequels and countless expansions, creating a hundred million selling franchise in the process. It's must be very satisfying to be part of The Sims casual gaming juggernaut! Some people play The Sims and only The Sims. While the game's studio head Rod Humble says the best thing about working on The Sims is the "total freedom," he does offer us insight:

Another big challenge, from the development point of view, is that sometimes you think you've come up with a great idea. In my core gamer heart of hearts, I think I've created something amazing! But then we show it to focus groups and it's not as well received as I would've hoped.

Man, I would so pay money for an expansion pack of rejected Sims ideas. Good money, too.

The Sims: 100 Million Served

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 03:30:00 MDT

Hey, you like [insert your favourite franchise here]? Well, [insert your favourite franchise here] don't mean shit. Not next to the might of The Sims. Anyone who doubted Maxis and EA for releasing a game which simulated the more mundane aspects of everyday life, threw in some fashion design and amateur architecture then pumped out 1,543,769 expansion packs was going to succeed, boy, you backed the wrong horse. EA's Rod Humble has today announced that the series has sold over 100,000,000 units worldwide. That's one. Hundred. Million. And how are they celebrating? Why, with a free, exclusive outfit for your Sims, of course. No point straying from the course now, eh?

First Sims 3 Details: No More Pee-Meter

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:20:00 MST

March 19? We don't have to wait until March 19 for Sims 3 details. They're all over the latest issue of Games For Windows, who let us in on some of the bigger, more important changes, like:

The biggest change to The Sims 3 is that it takes place in a wide-open, constantly changing neighborhood — a much bigger sandbox, if you will, and a much more complex simulation. The town and park you see on the cover image to the right (click to enlarge) exist in the same seamless space as your Sims' household, and what you do outside your home now matters as much as what you do within.

Other changes come in the Sims' reporting of their moods - the maddening individual meters are gone, replaced by "discrete moods", which is supposed to stop the more obsessive-compulsive players from constantly worrying about pissing and eating and instead let them focus on the more enjoyable stuff.
The Sims 3 Revealed [1UP]

The Sims 3 Gets Teased

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:40:02 MST

Sure, we've known that The Sims 3 was coming as early as November of 2006, when EA essentially semi-announced the thing in an earnings report. We also know that EA is planning The Sims 4 and a gross of expansion packs over the next decade, but that's just based on common sense.

Looks like we may get our first real look at chapter three in the amazing Sims saga as early as March 19, just two weeks from today. That's according to EA's teaser site, which provides all the information you've seen in this very post, but it appears that Sim jewel icon rendering is going to be just stunning!

The Sims 3 Coming Soon! [EA]

Will Wright, Care Bears FREAK

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 04:00:12 MST

Yeah, we know Will Wright has talked about the Care Bears before, saying he'd like to see interstellar wars between Care Bears and Klingons. Totally understandable! But we had not idea he's so into the Care Bears. Like really into the Care Bears. When asked what would surprise people the most about him, Will Wright answered:

Probably my utter fascination with Care Bears. I could tell you more than you want to know about Care Bears. Oh, you want to know about Care Bears? ...Yeah, 'cause they live in Care-a-Lot, which is above the Forest of Feelings where the Care Bear Cousins live, which is above Earth... But the Care Bear Cousins aren't even Bears. They're like lions and monkeys and things, but they call them Care Bear Cousins. Yeah... They have these particle beam weapons in their stomachs, and when they get really upset, they fire this Star Wars thing. Yeah, they're cool.

Nice try, Will! You're gonna hafta do better. We are totally not creeped out.
Will Wright 'o' Vision [Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

The Sims Online Goes Free With EA Land

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:40:01 MST

While The Sims series has been nothing short of a mega-blockbuster hit for Maxis and publisher EA—well over 70 million(!) copies and expansions have gone out the door—The Sims Online didn't exactly win over the hordes of people who like living fake lives offline. The game stagnated just 11 months after its release, received no new updates and largely faded into obscurity.

But EA is bringing it back. Free.

EA Land will now host the original The Sims Online content, bringing a slew of new features to the massively multiplayer online game. The team at Maxis is now allowing user created custom content, ushering in a new economy, and adding new web services and social networking tools. New Facebook apps and widgets are now available for anyone who wants to have their real life more depressingly connected to their Sim life.

You can read about all the new changes (in Comic Sans!) at the official site or read further for official word from the dev team.

What is EA-Land? [EA Land]

Dear Former Member of The Sims Online,
I would like to introduce you to EA-Land, an online world that is free-to-play, and based on a re-engineered The Sims Online architecture. Yes, FREE.

We have played The Sims Online together, my avatar is MaxisLuc (yes, I work for Maxis/EA.) I wanted you to know that at the beginning of last year, I assembled a team to improve The Sims Online. After months of ongoing hard work, we can proudly say that we have been successful and we have made this game fun again! I am writing to you because I would like to invite you to rejoin us in the game. You can come back for free right now by REACTIVATING your old account at this page http://ea-land.ea.com/register/free.php and then by downloading the game from the same link. Most likely, your Sim is no more, but if you come back to the game this month, you will get your earned privileges back (gifts, skill locks etc. in EA-Land) when we run our amnesty program at the end of the month. Today you can play for free in our test city called 'Test-Center 3', in a few days you will be able to also play for Free in the 'EA-Land' city.

EA-Land will host all of The Sims Online cities.

The Sims Online was made of 12 different cities (AlphaVille, Blazing Falls, etc..) and we are moving all of those cities inside EA-Land (this is called 'the merge' by the users!). We have a huge new map: it is 100 times bigger than the previous size of any city. We had to add a whole new zoom level to let users see it. The internet is faster now, so we have been able to let each house have more simultaneous visitors. A lot of new users are constantly joining us and we expect more. As you have played TSO before, I think that you ought to own your lot in this new land, and I want you to have the ability to grab the best location before we open the gates. As an EA-Land subscriber, you will be able to have several Sims in the same 'city' unlike in TSO where you were limited to one Sim per city.

RE-designed with Smart Users

We have a blog (http://www.tso-e.com ) where we explain all the things we are working on and the events we are running in the game. We also have a very active wiki web site (http://www.game-blueprints.com ) managed by the community where you can work with others to design the game. We have already implemented many features designed by the users! The stratics forum community continues to be very active. We have made some big changes to the game, and many more are coming over the next few months. It is difficult to say which of the recent changes are the most important as users have
different reasons to play the game, but let me tell you about the changes that I particularly like:

Custom Content

Users now have the ability to upload custom content. Like in the original Sims game, the goal is to let you customize the game completely, but in EA-Land you can see and buy the customizations of the other players! Players have already uploaded several thousands pieces of custom content. I suspect that by some time this year, all of the content of the game will have been replaced many times over by custom content. We started with the ability to upload bitmaps (easiest for the new creative users), then moved on to chairs and sculptures. You can now make your own portraits in the game and "skin"
objects like in Sims2 by using your own images. Because we are approving all of the content, this user content is safe to be viewed by everyone! We are working with the main user web sites that have been providing custom content to the Sims users for years (e.g. http://www.TheSimsResource.com) to make sure that their content will be made available in the game.

New Economy

We heard from the community that the economy was broken in TSO. That was true, too many users were billionaires, and the goal of the game was mostly about extracting money from Maxis. I can now say with satisfaction that we have fixed the economy on EA-Land. This took many features, from establishing a real estate market, where users can easily buy or sell lots to one another, and a dynamic object pricing market where the prices of objects purchased from Maxis is based on supply and demand, enabling stores and entrepreneurs to earn a living. We also enabled users to buy simoleans directly from Maxis. While there is no need for users to do so in the game (we give subscribers simoleans every week), it can help new users build their dream house faster with a simple paypal transaction secured by us.

Web Services and Social Networks

The internet has changed so much since the launch of The Sims Online in December 2002, we had to change the way we think about online games. We have opened the access to most of the in game information to the internet through web services. For example this enables you to add Google or Yahoo widgets to your computer (or iPhone! ) and see if your favorite lots or friends are online. We are providing you with privacy settings so you can decide if or which of your avatars will broadcast what information to the internet. Sims User web sites are already using this feature to create some amazing community sites. We also built avatarbook, to show how that information can be seen and connected to social web sites like Facebook © (login to the "avatar book" application at http://apps.facebook.com/avatarbook where you can search for MaxisLuc's profile page)

And there's more to come! We are looking forward to seeing you back in the game and having fun with us again!

Sincerely

Luc Barthelet,
"MaxisLuc"

PC Gaming Makes Peter Molyneux Sad Panda Face

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 04:00:52 MST

Last week, PC gaming made the Cliffster sad. This week? Fable 2 creator Peter Molyneux! About the state of PC gaming, he says:

I think it's a huge tragedy. I mean, you might as well say PC gaming is World of Warcraft and The Sims... The weird thing is everyone's got a PC, they're just not buying software for it.

Please PC gaming, don't make Peter Molyneux sad. CliffyB can handle it, but not Molyneux. Oh, no. So please.
Moly Despairs [GamesIndustry]

Will Wright on the Making of the Sims

Maggie Greene — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 14:30:38 MST

I do adore Rock, Paper, Shotgun - I actually got hooked with an article they published on the ghostly eroticism of The Sims - and last week, they put up an interesting interview with Will Wright on the making of The Sims. I'm not a Sims player myself, but regardless of your feelings on Will Wright and/or his games, it really is an interesting tale of game development. OK, the go get 'em tiger positivity is a little grating:

The Sims is the ultimate story of a triumph of a game designer: being proved right when almost everyone else thought him wrong. So what advice would he give to a fellow developer when considering trying to bring their own, unique, dream project into existence. "Never underestimate the value of persistence," he states, "Even with SimCity, I spent several years trying to convince people that SimCity would be a good game. Around that time it just seemed that it was a battle that could not be won. If you're incredibly persistent, and you really believe, then persistence can overcome any number of barriers."

But besides making my teeth hurt in parts, it's an interesting look at the process of getting a game into development from idea to production.

Making Of: The Sims [Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

The Sims Get More Casual

Mike Fahey — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 08:20:41 MST

In case the Sims series wasn't casual enough for you, EA today introduces The Sims Carnival series, a new line of casual games from the Sims franchise. Two new games are launching today on EA's Pogo.com website. The Sims Carnival SnapCity sounds like a Tetris-clone, with players assembling a city from falling colored blocks, while The Sims Carnival Bumper Blast requires you to shoot at The Sims-styled bumpers until you run out of ammo.

"We designed these pick-up-and-play games to be fun and entertaining, while still presenting depth in gameplay, long-term enjoyment and great value," said Rod Humble, Head of The Sims Studio. "Since The Sims Carnival SnapCity and The Sims Carnival Bumper Blast are available for digital download, the holiday shopper can avoid long lines and still share some fun with everyone on their list."

The two games should be available today on Pogo.com in a bundle for $19.99.

EA Introduces The Sims Carnival a New Product Line of Casual Games From The Sims Label Perfect for the Last-Minute Holiday Shopper
The Sims Carnival SnapCity and The Sims Carnival Bumper Blast — The First Two Titles From The Sims Carnival Are Now Available for Digital Download at Pogo.com

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—If you are still looking for that quick gift fix, The Sims Carnival™ is here to help with two family-friendly games just in time for the holidays. Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) announced Friday the launch of a new casual game product line from The Sims™ Label called The Sims Carnival. The first two games, The Sims Carnival SnapCity and The Sims Carnival Bumper Blast are both available for digital download starting today at Pogo.com. These two entirely new casual gaming experiences from The Sims Label are enjoyable and accessible for players of all ages. Because of the games' broad appeal, they are the ideal last-minute gift for The Sims player on your list.

The perfect way to add fun and flex your skills through the holiday season, The Sims Carnival SnapCity and The Sims Carnival Bumper Blast can both be found now on Pogo.com™ together as digital downloads for $19.99.

"We designed these pick-up-and-play games to be fun and entertaining, while still presenting depth in gameplay, long-term enjoyment and great value," said Rod Humble, Head of The Sims Studio. "Since The Sims Carnival SnapCity and The Sims Carnival Bumper Blast are available for digital download, the holiday shopper can avoid long lines and still share some fun with everyone on their list."

The Sims Carnival SnapCity is a city building puzzle game that is strategic and accessible. It's never the same city twice! In this skill-testing interactive experience, players are challenged to position falling, colored blocks in just the right places to assemble their own personal city in open-ended gameplay. Players can pick-up-and-play or experience greater level of gameplay difficulty, keeping them on the edge of their chairs. The Sims Carnival SnapCity features an array of industrial, commercial and residential neighborhoods to build a city...in a snap!

The Sims Carnival Bumper Blast will have the player blasting away for hours! The goal in this arcade-style game is to clear out all The Sims-styled bumpers before the shots run out. The player is challenged to master skill shots, score combos and bonuses, and go for the high score! With over 140 action-packed levels, The Sims Carnival Bumper Blast is the fun casual game that can be played time and time again.

Product Specifications
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Electronic Arts Redwood Shores
Digital Download Availability: North America only, starting Friday, December 21, 2007

The Sims Carnival SnapCity

Platform: PC
Category: Simulation/Puzzle/Strategy
ESRB Rating: E

The Sims Carnival Bumper Blast

Platform: PC
Category: Arcade/Strategy
ESRB Rating: E

Where Are The Christmas Games?

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 16:20:43 MST

Ian Bogost—of Persuasive Games, Water Cooler Games and Kotaku guest-editing fame—wonders in print via Gamasutra where the holiday-themed games are. Alongside a quick primer on winter, Christmas and Hannukah specific content, such as Christmas NiGHTS for the Sega Saturn and The Sims 2 Holiday Stuff, he explores the potential gain that publishers and developers could reap from throwaway titles that appeal to the holiday spirit. Sure, there are a few snow and ice levels thrown about, but no one's taking Christmas seriously.

It's a fantastic question, I think, as Hollywood has no fear trotting out the cinematic goods that have a very brief window of appropriateness. Right now, three holiday films—Fred Claus, This Christmas and The Perfect Holiday—are currently showing in the US top ten box office, but there's not much beyond timed events, downloadable clothing and quests that are holiday specific in games these days. Holiday era re-issues on titles that underperformed or could appeal to the pre-order shy might be something the industry should think about.

We're just about up to our eyeballs in Christmas cards from developers, but what about demos for already released games with a candy cane or two thrown in? One might think that with all that downloadable content out there, whether free or pay-to-play, it might make financial sense to toss in an elf or Hannukah Harry.

Actually, I won't be surprised to see 2K or Midway ship a Wii minigame collection next November. Any games that you can think of that would benefit from a holiday re-skin?

Persuasive Games: The Holly and the Ivy [Gamasutra]

Digs Wii, Xbox 360 "Collecting Dust," No PS3

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 06:00:07 MDT

It's a given that Will Wright is a PC guy. But where does he stand on the consoles? According to The Sims creator:

We've got an Xbox 360 collecting dust in the background, a Wii hooked up that we use quite a bit. I don't have a PS3... At the moment I can get better graphics on my PC than I can on the PS3... The only next gen system I've seen is the Wii — the PS3 and the Xbox 360 feel like better versions of the last, but pretty much the same game with incremental improvement. Bu the Wii feels like a major jump — not that the graphics are more powerful, but that it hits a completely different demographic. In some sense I see the Wii as the most significant thing that's happened, at least on the console side, in quite a while.

And at the moment, Will Wright spends most of his gaming time playing Advance Wars on his DS. Yup, Will Wright, Nintendo fanboy.
Will Wright Q&A [Guardian, Thanks DT!]

Master P, Seth Green Join Forces For Hip-Hop RPG

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 16:20:02 MDT

RPG development dream teams may contain names like Aonuma, Sakaguchi, Uematsu, Toriyama, Matsuno. Most, but not all, of these collaborations are mere pipe dreams; the stuff of fanboy fantasy. But according to the Hollywood Reporter, a new, unexpected development dream team may be brewing, bringing home the ultimate hip-hop role playing game. Seth Green, of Robot Chicken and Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame, and Master P, rap recording mogul, are reportedly working on Play The Industry, a Sims-like RPG that lets gamers simulate the rise to fame. I'll give you a few minutes to let that sink in.

Green's Stoopid Monkey Productions and ShadowMachine Films are in the planning and scripting stages for the game, due to hit some unspecified lucky platforms in late 2009. The game does not yet have a developer locked down, nor, I assume, a publisher.

But I'm fairly certain of one thing. If we're lacking in anything these days, it's hip-hop lifestyle simulations. Seriously. I think we really are.

'Industry' has a new player with Master P [Hollywood Reporter]

The 'Ghostly Eroticism' of the Sims

Maggie Greene — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 17:00:14 MDT

While the heyday of the Sims has passed, Kieron Gillen has posted a (lengthy) piece on 'Sex and the Sims' over at Rock, Paper, Shotgun - an essay that was supposed to be included in a project that was cancelled a while back. It's a meditation on (of course) sex and the Sims, but more broadly about connection and interaction with games. Well worth a read if you have the time, even if you're one of those people who never quite got the appeal ...

The magic of The Sims is that you are both in control and not in control. You can live out your fantasies, imprinting on these fictional characters, deciding what they'll do next, but you can't be sure if it'll all turn out okay. In the moment between ordering a Sim to kiss and seeing the response... that's where the erotic sparks. It's not the animation that's the pay-off - but that you were accepted, the seduction worked, they wanted you after all. And it's not that you've kissed someone, but you know who that person is due to having spent so much time in their simulated company. The Sims is sexy because it creates a complete naturalistic context for it to occur in.

The idea that video games are 'most enthralling when you're least in control' is an interesting one (the author points to the horror games, where the fumbling during the learning curve makes everything that much more terrifying and immersive) - and unlike career choices or bricking your Sim up in a room to die in a puddle of filth from starvation, romantic aspects of the Sims remain one area at least partially out of the player's control. It's an interesting theory, and one I'm willing to buy into at least partially.

ErotiSim: Sex and The Sims [Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

The Sims Credit Card Revealed

Mike Fahey — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 11:20:54 MDT

Back in April EA unveiled four prospective designs for the new Sims Visa card, promising amazing rewards and incentives to behold upon the reveal of the final design and subsequent laughing at of credit applications. Now the design has been finalized and the offers are going out to hopeful consumers everywhere. Flynn's crackerjack reporting was dead on, and design number 3 indeed came out on top, a tasteful green number showing the various people who you can trap in a doorless room until they pee themselves.

Highlights of the card include:
* No annual fee
* Absolute fraud protection
* Online access and 24-hour service
* Access to the MyConciergesm service, a unique personal assistance service
* Introductory 4.9% Annual Percentage Rate (APR)† for Cash Advance Checks and Balance Transfers through your first six billing cycles.* (subject to a 3% transaction fee, no less than $10)

Of course that introductory APR becomes an 18.24% APR after sixth months, which in my limited knowledge of credit doesn't seem all that great, but hey! It has Sims on it! Totally worth it!

The Sims VISA Credit Card Application [Thanks Kris!]

Western Game Makers Target Japan

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 02:00:55 MDT

Lock your doors and hide under your futons, Japan. According to Japanese financial news source Nikkei, Western game publishers are coming for your yen! While Electronic Arts makes buckets of cash in America, the global leader ranks up less than 10 percent of its sales in Japan. What's worse, EA shuttered its Japan studio earlier this year. Electronic Arts still continues to throw Sim City and The Sims at Japanese Wiis and DSes, hoping that they'll stick. Elsewhere, Microsoft has teamed up with Final Fantasy creator Hironobu "The Gooch" Sakaguchi for a handful of RPGs and also bundled its console with Namco created RPG Trusty Bell. Still, Japan is a tough market to crack — just ask Sony with its PS3. Zing!
Game Makers Target Japan [Rising Sun of Nihon]

Games Industry Needs Women!

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 19:20:06 MDT

As the game industry expands, it's necessary to find a demographic to actually expand to. While much is made of the percentage of online gamers being of the female persuasion, the video game purchasing demographic is still largely a boys club.

How to attract more women to pick up a Wii remote, a SIXAXIS, an Xbox 360 wireless controller? How about hiring some developers and producers that are, you know, women? That's the thrust of Tracy Rosenthal-Newsom's take as the senior producer at Harmonix says, "If you have a diverse team, you can create a game that satisfies a much wider audience than if you have a homogeneous team."

Coincidence that games like Guitar Hero or The Sims, more female-staffed than your typical production, appeal more to women than, say, dude-fodder Gears of War? Probably not. Read on to see how the make-up of the industry is changing, and how it will continue to change, at MSNBC's report. Michael McWhertor

Wanted: Girls who make video games [MSNBC]

H&M Puts On The Sims

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 02:00:52 MDT

Swedish clothes retailer H&M and The Sims have teamed up to sell and promote crap. Good for them. There's a contest where they want you to use the The Sims 2 to create rather pedestrian outfits. There are equally pedestrian themes like "Party Time," "Skate Park" and "Street Wear" for what folks should be entering. This whole contest is too promote The Sims 2 H&M Fashion Stuff — an add on that lets players put their Sims in H&M clothes and design H&M stores. Yawn. No, honest, I'm actually yawning right now. Brian Ashcraft

Sims Hook Up With H&M [Official Site via Alice]

Amerie, Kelly Rowland Dig The Sims. Beyonce Doesn't.

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 06:40:56 MDT

Grammy nominated R&B singer Amerie (above) comes out as a big nerd and outs fellow singer Kelly Rowland. Good for her. We like nerds. Besides admitting to reading "science magazines," Amerie confesses:

I am addicted to The Sims. I live out a virtual life online. I think it's seriously cool, but I guess it's kind of dorky... I've got Kelly Rowland into it too, and now we hook up in the game. Beyonce tried to join us, but she wasn't into it.

Beyonce: singer, actress, The Sims hater. Brian Ashcraft

Amerie Likes Games [Contact Music, Thanks Funky J!]

Spore Explained To New Yorker Crowd

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 15 May 2007 16:20:09 MDT

This Will Wright talk turned interview from the New Yorker's "2012: Stories from the Near Future" went down at the magazine's recent New Yorker Conference. Online video of Wright's session now available.

Wright gives the literate, monocle-wearing New Yorker crowd a quick demo of the lifeform editor and provides the humorless attendees with an overview of Spore's progressive gameplay.

As always, the game looks amazing. Wright's discussion with John Seabrook is a fascinating listen, but I can't shake the feeling I'm going to enjoy following the development of Spore and soaking up Wright's game design philosophies than I am actually playing the thing. Michael McWhertor

Gaming: 2012 [New Yorker, thanks MC2009]

Sims Art Invades Chelsea

Brian Crecente — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 15:00:49 MDT

Stephen Totilo over at MTV points out that an art meets video games exhibit is taking over the Chelsea Art Museum through May 12.

The Sims: In The Hands of Artists includes more than 55 works by students from Parsons the New School for Design and includes sculptures, quilts, video, even that fake expansion back seen above.

The various forms the art took is detailed in Totilo's write up of the show. Take a look and then if you're in the area, stop by the exhibit, it sounds intriguing. Brian Crecente

GameFile: 'Sims' Art [MTV]

The Sims Get Artsy With Gallery Shows

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 20:20:45 MDT

EA is kicking off a series of gallery exhibitions showcasing the artistic talents of fans of The Sims as well as the many creative uses of The Sims 2 Movie Making Tool.

Titled "The Sims in the Hands of Artists" exhibition will run through the spring and summer at Parsons the New School for Design in New York City, Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles.

Artist can submit their work for inclusion in the show in the Open Art category (painting, sculpture, fashion design, etc.) or in the Machinima category and have a limited window in which to submit that work. Unfortunately, the first show has ceased taking new submissions, but interested parties should check out the official site to learn more. In addition to scoring worldwide fame (fame not guaranteed), artists will compete for cash prizes, so make it count. Michael McWhertor

The Sims in the Hands of Artists [EA via Cool Hunting]

A Credit Card For Your God Complex

fdemarco — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 12:00:00 MDT

I guess it was just a matter of time before EA's uber-popular Sims franchise started expanding outside the computer and game screens. But EA wouldn't be satisfied with stickers or action figures, oh no. They are going straight to the top by issuing a Sims credit card.

Currently on The Sims' website, you can vote for one of four designs. Not that I really want a Sims credit card or even care for The Sims in general, but in the interest of crackerjack reporting, I voted so I could see the results. Design number three seems to be the front runner with design number four making a close second.

There are no details yet on what the terms of the card will be, but the site promises "exciting rewards and offers for The Sims player community." Whatever these exciting rewards are, I hope they are tangible items and not some exclusive in-game super toilet so your Sims can pee faster. Did you ever notice how long it takes those little bastards to go to the can? Flynn De Marco

[Thanks, knukleur]

EA Snaps Up Karaoke Community Site

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 18:40:26 MST

Mega-publisher EA has bought out online karaoke community SingShot, described as a "web-based social networking platform" that allows " members to record their own renditions of famous songs, share their recordings with friends, rate and comment on other members' tracks, customize recordings with photos and videos, and compete in a variety of contests."

The SingShot group, a five person team, will join EA's Sims Division with their work contributing to "several different community projects" withing the company. I hope that means Tiburon will find some way to make John Madden record his legendary version of Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman" for Madden NFL 2009.

So, who wants to take bets on when The Sims 2: Karaoke Bar expansion pack will hit? I say December of this year. I now have a burning desire to go out and sing a little Thompson Twins in front of a drunken crowd. Michael McWhertor

EA Acquires SingShot Media

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced the acquisition of SingShot Media, a San Francisco-based online karaoke community. SingShot's web-based social networking platform allows site members to record their own renditions of famous songs, share their recordings with friends, rate and comment on other members' tracks, customize recordings with photos and videos, and compete in a variety of contests. The acquisition will help accelerate EA's efforts in community-building and promoting user-generated content through a unique music platform. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Upon completion of the acquisition, SingShot CEO Ranah Edelin and CTO Niranjan Nagar will enter EA in the roles of Vice President. Prior to co-founding SingShot, Edelin and Nagar were part of the core team at Listen.com, the company that built the award-winning Rhapsody digital music subscription service which was sold to RealNetworks. Since February 2006, Edelin and Nagar have built a team and technology focused on establishing and maintaining live communities. The five person SingShot team will join the EA Sims Division. The technology can be applied to several different community projects within EA.

Nancy Smith, Executive Vice President and Group General Manager at EA commented, "We are thrilled to bring the SingShot team into EA. They are tremendously talented, technically adept and true experts in developing user-generated communities through music. We see a bright future for the technology and each of these individuals within EA."

For more information about SingShot Media, please visit: www.singshot.com

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for videogame systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS , EA , EA SPORTS BIG and POGO . In fiscal 2006, EA posted revenue of $2.95 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

Electronic Arts, EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS BIG, and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Scrubs Star To Present Wright With Hollywood Award

Brian Crecente — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 13:00:17 MST

Word on the street has it that Sims addict and Scrubs star Zach Braff will be presenting Will Wright his Vanguard award from the Producers Guild of America this year.

Why is Hollywood so enamored with the Sims, don't they live that game?

Variety wrote up a short piece aboutthe award Wright will be receiving and the developer's reaction to the news. (Of getting the award, not having Braff hand it to him.)

The Vanguard Award was once given out to people who used new technologies to change the way they made movies, like James Cameron and Pixar, but then it became a way to recognize Internet execs. This time around the chair of the association said they wanted to honor someone from the video gaming industry and their first choice was Wright.

Wright says he's happy to see that Hollywood is starting to recognize gaming.

"There has been this idea of convergence that is really happening, but not just in the ways everyone thought, like with interactive movies and videogames based on movies," he notes. "There has been a lot of influence on techniques. CG animated movies were in some sense pioneered by the games industry way back. And now people are using the technology in games to make movies through machinima."
Even in making "Spore," he says, he's very consciously being influenced by movies. As players acquire the ability to travel through space, he says he's looking to integrate allusions to some of his favorite science-fiction films, such as "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "The Day the Earth Stood Still."

...

"Creators in movies and TV are storytellers, but I think of myself as a story enabler," he says. "When players talk about what they do in games, they never mention a great cutscene or the plot. It's the unique things that they did with their own free will."

...

"Now that savvy consumers are becoming producers in all types of media, the social dynamics of games and movies and TV are overlapping more and more," the "Sims" creator observes.

I think Hollywood is getting scared, that's what I think. Brian Crecente

Hollywood Org Honors Vidgame Producer [Variety]

NPD: PC Sales Up, WoW Dominates

Brian Crecente — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 16:49:22 MST

The NPD Group just released their numbers for computer game sales. According to their numbers PC game software sales saw an increase of one percent over 2005, up to a little more than $970 million.

Factoring in the mammoth console sales, that means that the game industry raked in close to $13.5 billion, an 18 percent increase over the previous year, and a 15% increase over the previous record achieved in 2002.

While World of Warcraft topped the list for top PC games, The Sims truly dominated, taking up half the spots on the list. Here's the complete run down sorted by rank, followed by title name, publisher and release date:

1: World Of Warcraft*
Vivendi
Nov-04

2: The Sims 2
Electronic Arts
Sep-04

3: The Sims 2 Open For Business Expansion Pack
Electronic Arts
Mar-06

4: Star Wars: Empire At War
LucasArts
Feb-06

5: The Sims 2 Pets Expansion Pack
Electronic Arts
Oct-06

6: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion*
Take II Interactive
Mar-06

7: MS Age Of Empires III*
Microsoft
Oct-05

8: The Sims 2 Family Fun Stuff Expansion Pack
Electronic Arts
Apr-06

9: Civilization IV
Take II Interactive
Oct-05

10: The Sims 2 Nightlife Expansion Pack
Electronic Arts
Sep-05

*Includes Collector's Edition

Brian Crecente

Hot Lesbian Kissing (In Games)

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 16:40:07 MST

I don't see nothin' wrong with a little bump and grind. It's even less wrong when that bumping and grinding is taking place between two lovely ladies. When two lovely ladies aren't available, two bitmapped or polygonal ladies will have to do.

Digital sapphic-inclined discriminators now have a list of the seven best girl-on-girl makeouts and liplocks, courtesy of GamesRadar, the only outlet willing to tackle the question "Are The Sims girls getting freaknasty hotter than the girls of Mortal Kombat?" The answer, by the way, is "Yes."

Sure, crudely constructed virtual girls mounting other girls isn't going to "do the job" for most of us, but in a pinch, it's all you have. Did I mention there's video? Michael McWhertor

The Top 7... Girl-on-girl kisses [GamesRadar]

Will Wright To Appear On Colbert Report

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 20:20:01 MST

That Stephen Colbert must really like video games. And not in a "carefully developed joke character idolizing our current administration" sort of way, but with real genuine appreciation. We already know he loves the Wii!

We got a heads up from our friends at EA today that Will Wright—of Sims and Spore fame, natch—will be making an appearance on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report this coming Monday, December 4. I'm not sure if Stephen will be interviewing Will or not, but it sounds like it.

Put it in your Google Calendars! Set your Tivos! Get the Jiffy Pop ready! This is appointment television. Michael McWhertor

Miyamoto Makes Time Asian Hero List

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:20:51 MST

TIME Asia has published a special anniversary issue, chronicling 60 Years of Asian Heroes. Guess who made the list? If you picked Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Bruce Lee, or the Dalai Lama, you guessed right.

If you picked Nintendo's chief game designer Shigeru Miyamoto you also get a cookie.

The Donkey Kong and Legend of Zelda creator made the short, esteemed list and was honorably profiled by Simscreator Will Wright. The feature, along with Will's glowing praise of the "Walt Disney of electronic gaming", is available online.

Other things I learned from the feature include discovering that Freddie Mercury (aka Farrokh Bulsara) is Parsi and that Chinese actress Gong Li is smokin' hot at 41. The more you know... Michael McWhertor

Shigeru Miyamoto: The video-game guru who made it O.K. to play