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New MySims images bring the adorable overload
Cute they may be, but those little Sims are vicious. One can't help but wonder, however, if the little fellow there was singing a raucous round of "You ain't got no ice cream" just before the cone dropped. Then it's not mean to laugh at him. It's karma.%Gallery-4109%
When two SIMs just aren't enough: the Huatian K998
When will the madness end? How many SIMs must we stuff underneath our batteries before someone dares to stand up against the trend? Hard to say, really, but that number is apparently more than 3. China's Huatian K998 extends the largely Asian trend of loading handsets with dual SIMs by adding a third, but there's nothing really cool or innovative about it since the user has to manually switch between them; it seems the only real advantage is that folks finding themselves walking around with a pocketful of active SIMs can stick three in a handset at once. Other less notable features include a 3 inch touchscreen, microSD expansion, and 1.3 megapixel cam, none of which you'll likely have time to use if you're seriously fielding calls from three lines.[Via Gearfuse]
Sims DS screens are dangerously close to Crossing
We just cannot look at MySims DS screens and see anything other than Animal Crossing. Everything we see of the game just further reinforces the similarity between the two games. These new screenshots are no different.It's just ... there's the wishing well! And the beach! And the shop! And the little houses, the interior and exterior of which look just like Animal Crossing houses! Maybe if the screens focused on the character editor and not on walkin' around town, we wouldn't get such a strong Crossing vibe. But looking at these ... who could be so shameless? Oh, right.%Gallery-3498%
Senior Producer chats up The Sims 2: Pets
Senior Producer Ben Bell recently spoke with GameSpot about the many features EA is implementing into the The Sims 2: Pets for the Wii. Of course, the game will still keep the same classic Sims gameplay everyone is used to. Not only that, but Ben discusses how the Wiimote will improve the already tried-and-true gameplay of the franchise.Head past the post break to catch the video.
New listings for The Sims: Castaway Stories on Wii and DS
The Sims 2: Castaway Stories, the new tropical island-themed entry in the series, may be heading to DS. Gamefly, the online rental service, has the game listed on its site. According to the listing, it's due for an October 11th release.It's a shame this is coming out in October, as this would make a great summer title. Who wouldn't want to sit on the beach, stylus in one hand, cocktail in the other, designing the perfect holiday island paradise?The stylus should suit the series perfectly; getting that beach furniture in just the right spot should be a cinch. As well as the usual Sims fare, there will also be a story mode wherein you'll be able to guide your character through life's various challenges; don't be surprised if there's a whole heap of romance in there, too.[Via Siliconera]
EA unveils Booze Training
EA is proving that they really are interested in Japanese audiences: not only are they designing MySims with Japanese gamers in mind, but they are making training games. Three of them!They're all about drinking, too: Bartender DS, about mixing drinks; Sakashou DS, about sake, and Sommelier DS, about wine. The software is designed to help you choose fine beverages and properly store your wines. Sim City DS producer Hiroshi Murakami said that it was his hope that people would spend the 2950 yen on Sommelier DS and then buy good wine instead of going directly to the cheap stuff.
We find the fun in MySims DS scans
Finally, a look at MySims on DS that looks worth playing. We were starting to get a little sulky, because it looked like all the fun went into the Wii version and we were left with some lackluster Mii knockoffs, but these latest scans from Famitsu show off what DS owners can expect from the upcoming Sims redux. Hit the jump to see the scans, complete with inset screenshots.
Where will your Mii go today?
Well, today your Mii may only cross the Plaza a few times and stop to chat with Walter about bowling and Vietnam, but tomorrow, the sky may be the limit. Shigeru Miyamoto, in a recent interview after GDC, indicated that Nintendo may well craft their own Home-like system, a la the coming PS3 interface. But it's not a matter of copying from Sony; Miyamoto made a great point when he said that the idea of Miis is certainly not new. He referenced other examples of avatars over the years, and also said that he hopes more developers work along these lines. For Nintendo's future, Miyamoto indicated that they may move in a Sims-type direction, which sounds an awful lot like 'Mii Crossing' to us. But some of the most interesting parts of the interview come when Miyamoto compares the Mii creation experience to game development. Making Miis, he says, is almost like putting the player into the developer's position, and that's something he would like to expand in the future. We're pretty sure we could get behind that as well.[Via Joystiq]
First screenshots of MySims DS lack fun
Though EA announced MySims for both the Nintendo DS and the Wii, we haven't spotted many previews for the handheld version like we have with the console's. Looking at the screenshots Jeux-France posted earlier today for MySims DS, we're a little worried about where EA plans to take the game.We understand that MySims will have to be pared down for its portable adaptation, but the limited character customization options on the DS seem bare-bones compared to what we've seen on the Wii. Also, the media released for the Wii's MySims features the cartoonish characters in a range of activities -- hosting parties, playing in fountains, and eating spaghetti dinners at the neighborhood restaurant. These DS screenshots show the Sims strolling through empty streets and exploring lonesome piers. How depressing!We're hoping that EA won't wait too long to reveal screenshots of MySims DS that better resemble the Wii version's cheerful attitude. As it stands now, the handheld game looks like it has more in common with REM's music video for Everybody Hurts. Jump past the post break for a preview of the bleak neighborhood.
Incredible barrage of MySims screens
Is it just us, or does MySims look more and more like Animal Crossing with everything we see from it? That's tough, considering it looked like Animal Crossing when it was first announced. But we can't be mad. It's too adorable, and we cannot resist the power of MySims. After the jump, there are enough screenshots to convince even the hardest of hearts.We're really not sure if these are work (or other public place) safe. They are so freakin' cute that they may cause a complete emotional breakdown. You've been warned.
Kohler unleashes MySims Idol on an unsuspecting world
Celebrity Miis have competition now, from Celebrity MySims caricatures. Game|Life's Chris Kohler got a chance to mess with the character creation utility, and, rather than creating a lil' Chris Kohler, he decided to test the game's Sanjaya Malakar-creating capabilities. Sanjaya, for those of you not hooked on the longform game show American Idol, is a very popular contestant who makes it really hard to watch the show with the sound on.On the one hand, the likeness is incredible, indicating a very intuitive and feature-rich character creation system. On the other hand, noooooo.
See MySims in their natural habitat
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/See_MySims_in_Their_Natural_Habitat'; If you're already a Sims fan and interested in the unique look of the new Wii iteration, you will be pleased. We finally have some detailed video of the My Sims gameplay, and it looks quite similar to its predecessors, with some significant tweaks made in the "community" and "general cuteness" categories. The first video shows the main gameplay-- setting up furniture, wandering about the little town, listening to music, and being a huge jerk to neighboring Sims. The second video details the character creation process, wherein your Sim waits very patiently for you to finish deciding what skin color to paint him or her. You can change your Sims' voices in this mode as well, and they provide voice samples by chatting in Simlish on their little cell phones while you adjust the voice with sliders. How novel! Of course, along with the return of Simlish comes another only-in-Sims kind of event: Simlish music, or the even darker side of EA Trax. Unlike Sims, we can't turn your free will off, so we can only ask you to check out the two videos. We think they're worth your time anyway.
GDC 07: MySims goes to Wii, gets rid of pee
"OMG! The Wii is so cool," an enthusiastic female developer screams during a GDC session. That developer is Robin Hunicke, designer of the upcoming Wii-exclusive MySims. Designing the title began long before the team had a chance to get their hands on the system, so they had to rely on the "aesthetic" of Nintendo's advertising. "We wanted to bring The Sims to the Wii in a way that we could say we were at home on the Wii," she said, trying to find a unique look, style and feel for the Wii version.Converting a game for play on Wii doesn't necessarily mean changing everything. What the team focused on was how it feels to touch the characters on screen with the Wiimote: wild, flailing actions probably wouldn't be appropriate for a title such as this. One of the biggest changes that needed to be made was how the game was managed: there was a great deal of opposition to focusing on a single character (rather than a large family), and there was an even greater uproar against the loss of urination, and other micromanagement features.Streamlining The Sims process was key to moving the franchise to the Wii, and that's where the character designs came from. Although they look strangely like Mii, the look wasn't based on Nintendo's character creation system. The lead character designer, when showing off her simplified look for Wii Sims, was told: "it's perfect."See also:Joystiq: Moving The Sims from PC to WiiGallery: MySims design processGallery: MySims
Nintendo raining on EA's Mii Parade
One of our astute readers was just speculating in the My Sims DS comments thread about why EA didn't use Miis in My Sims, especially given that the Sims as they appear are very similar to Miis, and now we have an answer: Nintendo is being stingy! According to a quote in Next Generation from a producer at EA named Eric Chartrand, Nintendo hasn't let any of its third-party friends have development tools for integrating Miis into their software. Whether this means they haven't yet or they won't is still unknown.Nintendo not cooperating with third parties... this sounds familiar somehow. We hope this isn't an ominous portent for the future of non-Nintendo games.The Next-Gen article is not just about Miis, although they do figure into the whole idea about user-created avatars and content as a step into, and reaction to, the Web 2.0 participatory culture. It's a pretty good read.[Via NeoGAF]
DS Daily: So how does My Sims strike you?
A new take on The Sims is coming this fall, and we want to know how you feel about it. Will you give the newly redesigned Sims a shot, and if so, do you think you're more likely to play it on the Wii or the DS? What do you think of the new look?We always enjoyed the building aspect of The Sims more than the game itself, but this one looks like it might just change our minds about that. With the new look, it seems like it'll be easier to care about the characters -- at least for us. Did you enjoy the game in the past, or is it one you've skipped?
New My Sims trailer and site
EA's reimagining of The Sims (aka their take on Animal Crossing) is headed to the US, and there's a brand new English website complete with the cutest trailer you'll probably ever see, game details, and a few screenshots. The trailer is a must-see, and we've tucked it away after the jump for your viewing pleasure. We've already seen most of the other content on the website, but these adorable chibi Sims never get old.MySims is also slated for the DS, but don't get too excited ... it'll be months before we see this one on shelves.
My Sims coming to US
My Sims, EA's designed-for-Japan take on their amazingly popular franchise, is coming to the US, and bringing its strangely Servbot-esque characters along! We actually weren't sure we'd see this one, since it was made expressly for Japanese audiences.They've set up a web page for the localized release, with an English trailer and screenshots. Strangely, the website doesn't seem to distinguish between the Wii and DS versions at all, and between the simple art style and EA's too-perfect screenshots, we can't tell which one we're looking at, if not both. Therefore, we decree that the game either looks fantastic on DS or not that great on Wii!We're ... kind of looking forward to The Sims again! What a nostalgic feeling. We'll try to remember this feeling in a couple of months when we're rolling our eyes at My Sims Pets Go to College Expansion 2: New Dorm Furniture for Rock Stars!!![Via Joystiq]
New My Sims DS details emerge
You know, we haven't heard anything at all involving the DS specific installment of My Sims, left in the dark without batteries for our flashlight as we blindly navigated the dark tubes that comprise the internet, desperately searching for any small scrap of news involving the title. Well, we have finally found the light at the end of the tunnel tube and can now bring forth to you, fine reader, some details regarding the game.See, the game has you beginning in a rundown town, a real dump, and you're in charge of sprucing it up, which will in turn bring more residents. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, sure, but this time around you aren't just confined to your house, as through a Relationship menu, you have to constantly keep tabs on your buddies and make sure your relationships are in good standing order. Aside from that, players can choose from 30 different characters in the DS version and customize them in numerous ways, including adding tattoos, as well as create custom furniture and hosues from scratch. Sounds like a lot of fun to us. How about you?[Via Go Nintendo]
New My Sims Wii details emerge
By way of CVG, we're given more details on the upcoming installment in The Sims franchise headed to the Wii. Many thought that the game would incorporate Miis, but that rumor was debunked awhile back. Regardless, we knew this wouldn't be your average game of the The Sims when we first saw the game in action. Still, it looks fun and we're looking forward to it.As for these new details, they include: A total of 80 characters will be available to the Wii version of the game The game starts in a pretty crummy town, where upon fixing it up, you'll attract more residents All of the usual character customization returns: clothes, facial features, etc. The game emphasizes relationships and charges the player with constantly maintaining them Players may create their own furniture, houses and accessories through a block-building system There's a volcano So, anyone excited for this game?[Via Go Nintendo]
Leaked Walmart playbook predicts 90% sellthrough on expansion
Nelson dropped us a link to this apparent handout to Walmart employees about the upcoming release of the Burning Crusade expansion in that store. There's some common info on there (did you know WoW "has taken the PC gaming world by storm"?), but there's also some interesting info about how sales might go, and exactly how many copies are showing up in each store.After a little introduction about the game and how popular it is, there's two stats that jump out: Walmart expects (due to a survey-- done by.. Blizzard? Analysts?) that a whopping 90% of current WoW players will be buying the expansion, and that 75% said they would pick it up within the first 10 days of release. By my math, considering their figure of 7.5 million players, that's just over half a million (I need to stop doing math on this site-- thanks, JP) 5 million copies of the expansion pack sold in just the first ten days (!). As a comparison, the best-selling expansion pack of all time so far, Sims: Livin' Large, sold 700,000 copies in its first year. Holy moly!As for Walmart numbers, they say 2,008 stores will each be receiving half-pallets of 60 copies, which is 120,480 right there. The flyer also notes that product will be showing up in stores on the 8th (which means it's there RIGHT NOW), and that it's not to be sold until 12:01 am on the 16th. From my time working at Gamestop, I well know that some of these stores will break street date (usually they just don't realize how important the item is, and accidentally sell it early), but I also know that if the publisher finds out they did so, they risk not receiving product next time-- so try bribing the Walmart people at your (and their) own risk. But with these numbers, and this plan, it looks like Burning Crusade might be ready to make history on Tuesday.[ Thanks, Nelson! ]
