Mysims
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EA spills the beans on MySims Kingdom for DS
Ever since MySims Kingdom was revealed, we've been patiently awaiting details regarding the title. Now, we've got a bit more to go on, as EA lets us know what this game is all about. It is "a story of adventure, discovery and exploration to help King Roland and his subjects revitalize the Kingdom." Okay, sounds simple enough.The DS version of this game, specifically, will offer several different mini-games and very much resembles Animal Crossing. EA's Rod Humble (is that not an awesome name?), whom heads up The Sims division, said MySims Kingdom will contain "rewarding quests, building houses, bridges or even making contraptions powered by electricity or water." It sounds like the title will have a lot of customization options, however we wonder if it won't be the simple little game that EA promised it would be back at launch. Is this not getting to be a bit too big for a casual title?Be sure to hit up our gallery below for first screens from the game.%Gallery-22825%[Via Joystiq]
EA details MySims Kingdom for Wii, DS
While we'll admit that The Sims was never more than a stone's throw away from being an all-out casual series anyway, EA will continue to dress the franchise in casual attire in MySims Kingdom, the sequel to last year's 3 million unit selling MySims. Shipping this fall worldwide for the Wii and DS, the game was first announced earlier this year as one of a handful of new dumbed down casual-themed takes on The Sims. However, EA today released the first details about the game, calling MySims Kingdom "a story of adventure, discovery and exploration to help King Roland and his subjects revitalize the Kingdom."The gameplay, which once again sounds more than a little like Animal Crossing, will center on exploring and developing a kingdom through The Sims-style customization, with the DS version adding emphasis on mini-games as players try to turn aside a rival evil king. Adds The Sims studio head Rod Humble, MySims Kingdom will include "rewarding quests, building houses, bridges or even making contraptions powered by electricity or water." The game eschews much of the larger franchise's sandbox appeal for backstory, leaving us waiting for until next year's The Sims 3 before we can know the joy of deleting the ladder from the neighborhood pool.
Wii's third-party million-sellers revealed
Ah, how we all knowingly chuckled when Sega predicted it would sell four million copies of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games across the Wii and DS. Like a drunken, rowdy friend boasting of sexual conquests that never actually occurred, Sega's strutting came across as the stuff of fantasy.And then the news came through. They'd sold five million. D'oh!We were reminded of our misplaced Mario & Sonic cynicism again today, after That Videogame Blog listed the third-party games that have shifted one million units on the Wii. Sure enough, the plumber and the hedgehog taunted us from the top of the pile (with 3.4 million sales), while Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (1.8 million), Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (1.6 million), Rayman Raving Rabbids, Sonic and the Secret Rings, Carnival Games (all 1.2 million), and Red Steel (1 million) sat beneath it.Helpfully, author Ashutosh Chhibbar has also listed those titles that are nearing the magical seven-digit landmark, with Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, MySims, or LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga just needing one last push.
Plenty of MySims to go around: two new titles announced
Apparently EA's strategy of releasing games with the word "Sims" in the title is paying off. Citing the success of the MySims games on DS and Wii -- to the tune of $100 million in revenue and 3 million copies -- EA Casual's Kathy Vrabeck revealed two more games in the spinoff franchise to be released on Nintendo systems. No details have been released for either game except the titles (MySims Kingdom and MySims Party) and release schedules. Kingdoms is planned for an October-December release, while Party is scheduled for early 2009. We're pretty sure we can guess what MySims Party is, but Kingdoms? We're hoping for a medieval-themed MySims. Wouldn't it be awesome to design your own cute lil' king and then outfit his castle with tapestries? Yes, it would.[Via Joystiq]
MySims franchise to stick around on the Wii and DS
For all of you who enjoyed MySims and would like to taste some more, EA Casual Entertainment president Kathy Vrabeck wants you to know that EA has no plans to call it quits with the franchise. In fact, they're going to be dumping more money into future projects on both the DS and Wii.First up will be MySims Kingdom, hitting the DS and Wii this year (sometime between October and December, Q4). Also, EA plans on producing MySims Party, which will also hit the DS and Wii, which will arrive much later, sometime in Q1 2009. EA also revealed SimCity Creator, however platforms were not discussed.Hooray for third-party support. eh?%Gallery-4109%[Via Joystiq]
Best of 2007: Worst attempt at a cash-in
During 2007, lots of companies realized that the Wii was doing good. Perhaps, too good. So, they scrambled to make games that they could port or "enhance" for the Wii, or other games that were made to take advantage of the console's adopters who were new to gaming and thus susceptible to spending money on crap games the unique capabilities of the Wii's controls scheme, causing a slew of cash-ins on the console that didn't necessarily bring anything new to the Wii other than another game sitting on the shelf. So, let's look at those games and you tell us what the most shameless and useless game of the lot is.
EA celebrates UK MySims release with useless, expensive stuff
To commemorate the British release of MySims, EA commissioned some apparently famous fashion designers to come up with some crazy junk as part of the MySims Capsule Collection. The four items are all intended to serve dual purposes, and embody "the core attributes of the game - Self Expression, Customisation, Creativity and Collectability."The item descriptions should give you all the information you need to make informed decisions about whether or not you want these items. For example, the House of Holland MySims Pouch Tee is a t-shirt with a pouch for a DS. It also uses a big-slogan style that you may remember from "FRANKIE SAY RELAX" or Wham!'s "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" video. Also, two of the four items are Wiimote bags. Bags-- for your Wiimote.[Via GoNintendo; image via Kotaku]
Wii Fanboy review: MySims
We've had a love affair with EA's MySims since the game was first announced. The overall look of the Sims spin-off is so charming that it turned out to be irresistible, especially with all those shots of the new chibi sims engaged in adorable activities. But looks are only one part of the equation -- the real question for any reviewer to address is: does it stand up under scrutiny? MySims certainly has its flaws, and the numerous comparisons to Animal Crossing have not been off base. However, it's not nearly the clone that it seemed from select screens and video footage; MySims stands alone as its own game. But is it one you want to own? That may depend on what you like in your simulations.%Gallery-4109%
WRUP: Whole lot of choices edition
This week shows the release of several new titles, some that many have been looking forward to and some that have been just about invisible on the radar. There's a couple different games to choose from for the gamer looking to get their feet wet in some new waters. So, will you be picking up something new to play over the weekend? If not, what will you be playing?
MySims improves just in time for release
GoNintendo offered us an updated look at the DS version of MySims, and we must say that we're pleased to see such vast improvements. The few review scores that are in so far are all over the place, however, so the jury is still out on whether or not the updated graphics will be enough. If you're picking up the DS version, let us know what you think! The updated screenshots are in the gallery below, along with some older shots for comparison. %Gallery-3498%
DS releases for the week of September 17th
No rest for weary wallets this week -- but is that really a bad thing? Our sources say no, though it can certainly be hard to find fundage for all the DS games that catch our eye. Good thing they're cheap! 7 Wonders of the Ancient World AniMates Backyard Basketball Digimon World: Dawn Digimon World: Dusk Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights Master Jin Jin's IQ Challenge MySims Namco Museum DS Nancy Drew: Deadly Secret of Olde World Park Sonic Rush Adventure Anything catch your eye this week, or are you saving up for later releases, or still hurting from previous weeks?
Wii releases for the week of September 17th
Last week's lack of releases has really been corrected this week as there are numerous titles available to play that encompass several different genres. So, there should be something for everyone this week. Personally, we're interested in checking out Dewy's Adventure and MySims. Cosmic Family Anubis II Fishing Master Dewy's Adventure MySims Mercury Meltdown: Revolution Any of you plan on picking up a new game this week?
Game Boys, ice cream, and Crip-walking chefs
The reviews that have been coming in for MySims make sure to point out the EA-developed title's lack of depth and polish, but we're sure it'll sell just fine with casual gamers based on its cheerful cuteness alone. This latest video preview shows off all the fun you can have when you're not busy gentrifying your MySims town -- play pranks on unsuspecting goth kids, DJ at the local discotheque, and straight-up mack on some pink-haired honeys.Apparently, you can even have a dance-off with restaurant-owner Gino Delicioso! How did an Italian chef learn to Crip walk like that?
Check out MySims moving in
If waiting a week for something is totally outside the realm of possibilities for yourself, then check out these videos for MySims. Focusing on building a home, starting a new life and some other fun town activities, they really do grab our fancy and tickle it something fierce. But, in case you're trying to limit your exposure to the game as you are planning on picking it up, then you might want to enjoy our other posts. Heck, give them a second glance. We promise they read just like the very first time.
Preorder offerings in Korea
Why can't publishers be more charitable with preorder gifts in the states? We're doing them a favor whenever we put down an advance for one of their games, giving retailers an idea of how many they should order to stock their shelves. Japan and Korea seem to get reservation rewards for almost every release! The latest preorder prizes, a branded system pouch and a stylus set, come with EA's SimCity DS and MySims, both due later this month for Korea. Publisher Fujitsu was more creative with its Cooking Mama gift, offering a limited edition pair of cooking mitts to any gamer who reserves the kitchen-themed minigame collection. Hand over five bucks and head past the post break for more photos of the bonus items.
Joystiq hands-on: MySims
Your enjoyment of MySims -- EA's Nintendo exclusive Sims title -- will be directly tied to how appealing you find its style. If you've glossed over screenshots and felt a toothache coming on, then you should step aside before you get hurt. However, if you're like us and the sight of it makes you you squeal like a 12 year old girl watching High School Musical, then congratulations: you've found your new favorite obsession.Like all great sandboxes, creating and accessorizing your character is half the fun of MySims and here, you don't have any pesky genders to get in the way. Taking your customization a step further is a voice editor that allows you to pick from a variety of pre-sets and then alter the pitch to find the Simlish tone you're looking for. Naturally, progressing through the game unlocks new fashions for your character, so those who spent dozens of hours finding their perfect look in Animal Crossing will have more than enough reasons to make more room for mirror-time.Not surprisingly, the Animal Crossing comparison doesn't end with the superficial. %Gallery-1810%
Deconstructing G4's MySims preview
Tim Letourneau of EA took a few moments to chat with G4 at E3 (it's an acronym party!) about MySims, and he had some interesting things to say about designing the game for the Wii. And by interesting, we mean both vaguely amusing and very revealing. Since we're such nice people, we thought we'd take a moment to offer a translation for some of the things you can hear in the video snippet found after the break.First, Letourneau says, when EA began planning MySims, they needed to figure out how to give a Sims game a unique look and feel for Nintendo and the Wii. Translation: How can we make a Sims game sell well in Japan? He goes on to mention that one of their goals was accessibility -- but what we hear is: the money-printing Sims franchise can bring in a whole lot more money if we finally make a version that's great on consoles. Let's make it all-ages friendly, too! And actually, we agree that this is a fantastic idea; surely you've noticed us mooning over every aspect of the game. However, "accessibility" has become one of those Wii buzzwords that we're getting tired of. But it's the last bit that makes us giggle. Letourneau spends a good portion of the brief segment discussing how the whole thrust of this game -- and how it's different from other Sims titles -- is to allow the player to craft an entire town, from the ground up, for that Nintendo experience. We're pretty sure he wanted to say that Animal Crossing experience ... because other than being able to build and fiddle around in the other houses in the town, what he's describing sounds essentially like that beloved title. But again, we don't mind -- we love Animal Crossing, and a similar game with expanded building and decorating options sounds like something we'll pour entire months of our lives into. Bring on MySims!
Wii success took EA by surprise
John Riccitiello, the new CEO of Electronic Arts, made a surprising concession regarding EA's recent strategies, saying that they failed to anticipate the insane success of the Wii. Instead, they put the greatest portion of their next-generation investment into PS3 games, which is kind of unfortunate for everyone. Riccitiello categorized the focus on Xbox 360 and PS3 games as EA being on "the wrong horse." We'd argue that they didn't back any horse sufficiently. Their next-gen sports games, for example, were feature-poor compared to their last-gen contemporaries.We don't know about this year's PS3/360 sports games, but expect EA to shift more and more heavily to the Wii, especially with games from their newly-formed EA Casual division. We've already got MySims and Boogie on the way, two games that bear more than a passing resemblance to quality product. Oh, and Blocks.
Friday Video: MySims is setting us up for months of addiction
Sure, we could have shown some other E3-centric videos here in our weekly spotlight, but we really wanted an excuse to talk a little more about the fun potential of MySims, which continues to bear a strong (though less anthropomorphic) resemblance to Animal Crossing. We even saw a little guy with a shovel in this trailer. Since there has been no real sign of Animal Crossing for the Wii, this looks ripe to tide us over while we wait. Who knows, we may even (gasp!) like it better.Also, splashing in a fountain sounds pretty good right about now. Oh, July, July ... how you make us long for December.
IGN dislikes MySims, seems to have never played Animal Crossing
Maybe it's us. Maybe we're the ones who just don't get it. But the last time we checked, lots of Nintendo fans enjoy cuteness (hi2u, Kirby!) and the look of Miis, and it doesn't mean we magically became casual gamers overnight. However, to hear IGN tell it, a fondness for anything cute obviously means it's family-friendly ... which these days, seems to be code for "non-hardcore." IGN confirms that theory when, at the bottom of their latest MySims preview -- which is as devoid of actual content as they claim the game to be -- they say, "This isn't likely to be a game that appeals to hardcore gamers, but families will probably enjoy some innocent fun in a creative environment that will provide some interesting challenges and problem solving."Did we maybe miss a memo about how games can't be fun? Because we like to think of ourselves as pretty hardcore -- we like to sweat and toil and swear our way through hours and hours of gaming of all types -- but we also like to have fun. If MySims is fun, how is it somehow only okay for families and not "real" gamers? The preview doesn't deny the fun factor. And there's no age limit on being a hardcore gamer. So what gives?We can only guess that the folks at IGN have never heard of a little game called Animal Crossing ... or maybe they just assume that only children want to beat up Tom Nook when he starts asking for his mortgage payments. After all, seems that MySims is pretty much Animal Crossing that trades the animals in for more building elements, and nothing in their preview contradicts that image ... except their idea that "hardcore gamers" won't like it. Personally, we're looking forward to giving it a try. The building elements of The Sims were always fun, and perhaps this new spin will make the actual gameplay more engaging. %Gallery-4109%
