Tag Archive

Rock, Paper, Houseshare: The RPS Sims

Written by Kieron Gillen on June 24, 2009.

I actually turned the RPS-chaps into Sims 3 characters when I had the preview code, but I’ve been a little behind in getting the full code so I could upload them up to the main servers. You can download all four of us from here. You can totally force us to make out. It’s awesome. Some more details on exactly what you’re downloading beneath the cut. Also repetitive use of the “And In The Game” gag.
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Facebook + Sims + Kudos = SimSocial

Written by Kieron Gillen on May 18, 2009.

This is fun. As part of the hype up to Sims 3’s release, Electronic Arts have done a facebook app inspired by the Sims. Simsocial is basically a turn-based single-character life-simulator, which seems terribly derived from Positech’s lovely Kudos 2. And for good reason, as the about file reveals: EA commissioned Cliffski to make something based on Kudos 2 for it. It’s similar but different – there’s Sims 3 elements plugged in plus some Facebook social networking, minus Jamie McKelvie’s lovely art and a load of Kudos’ complexities. Either way, it’s accessible, free and only a click away. Assuming you’ve a facebook account, anyway. And, no, I won’t be your friend. I’m barely my friends’ friend.

Sims 3: No Online Authentication!

Written by Kieron Gillen on March 26, 2009.

Well, this is a pleasant surprise. With EA’s embracing of online-activation culture, you’d have expected to see it turn up in Sims 3. But it’s not to be, as made clear by an announcement by Ruling-Sims-Monarch Rod Humble. “The game will have disc-based copy protection – there is a Serial Code just like The Sims 2. To play the game there will not be any online authentication needed,” says Rod Humble, “We feel like this is a good, time-proven solution that makes it easy for you to play the game without DRM methods that feel overly invasive or leave you concerned about authorization server access in the distant future.” While fans of freedom will be pleased, I was personally hoping for some DRM so prescriptive that it requires one of the developers to be standing behind you, silently watching, for the game to boot up. Man!

Eurogamervization: Sims 3 Interview/Hands-On

Written by Kieron Gillen on March 13, 2009.

Tom “Tom Bramwell” Bramwell sends me to play the Sims 3 and chat to assistant producer MJ Chun. Where I start like this…

“It’s a moment of strange and joyous freedom. I’ve created my two Sims, the lovely married couple of John Walker (lazy, slobbish, neurotic – and in the game!) and She-Hulk (athletic, flirtatious and a kleptomaniac – guaranteeing me outrage from Shulkie fans for my out-of-character characterisation). They’re in their house. All is well. It’s The Sims.

And then, with a scroll and a click, I send She-Hulk running across the road to start seducing the neighbours, while John watches helplessly.”

Write what you know. We should be getting some Sims 3 preview code soon, which we’re planning to do some fun stuff with. Unless we forget.

This Is The Modern World: Sims 3 Specs Up

Written by Alec Meer on January 5, 2009.

Stretching, yawning, RPS emerges from its brief hibernation, scrabbling through inboxes and RSS feeds in search of nutritious PC gaming info-nuggets. But is there much, if anything, for this small beast to feed upon in these desolate Winter weeks? It sniffs the ground disconsolately. There, a futile-looking Wii-style controller for PC. Here, a flight sim sequel. Satisfying to some, perhaps, but nothing of substance.

Aha! The shivering creature’s tired eyes finally catch a glimpse of something more fatted, juicier. It’s definitely a decent info-nugget – not the tastiest kind, but it will do. RPS takes a bite and finds…

Mmm. Official specs for the Sims 3.Yeah yeah, system spec stories are usually as invigorating as visiting Cumberland Pencil Musuem, but it’s different in The Sims’ case. Read the rest of this entry »

E3: The Trailers – The Sims 3

Written by Jim Rossignol on July 17, 2008.

“Just imagine if you had lived your whole life inside your house.” Yeah, thanks EA. I do get out occasionally, FYI.

RPS-ish At-ish E3: Day 1, Part 2 – EA

Written by Mathew Kumar on July 15, 2008.

Dear RPS Readers,

Thanks for the interested comments in response to my first post! They have warmed my heart and girded my loins for the rest of the week. Straight after filing my first report I had to dash (well, walk leisurely) across downtown Los Angeles to get to the EA press conference, held at the Orpheum Theatre – a truly gorgeous restored vaudeville theatre where they shot the theatre scenes for Last Action Hero. Which wasn’t as thrilling as accidentally ending up at Union Station (where they filmed the police station scenes for Blade Runner) yesterday, but interesting none the less. In a round about way that sort of sums up EA’s press conference, too. Not hugely thrilling, but unquestionably interesting.
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The Siiims

Written by Alec Meer on March 19, 2008.

Today is Sims-3-is-revealed-day. Which probably also means today is RPS-readers-complain-that-they-hate-
the-Sims-day, but I’m going to talk about it anyway. Don’t try to stop me.

Open world is the big thing, and with that comes less emphasis on the more monotous aspects of daily life, in favour of ever-changing social possibility. It’s the Sims as a freeform RPG. Or at least that’s the theory – and it’s certainly theory enough to reignite my long-dormant Sims enthusiasm.
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EA Confirms Sims 3

Written by John Walker on February 14, 2008.

By a rather strange means, EA have confirmed the existence of Sims 3, with promises of more details to come soon.

In a thread on a high-flying gaming industry forum, someone got hold of a list of Sims-related games due for 2008. Creative director of EA’s Sims studio in Redmond, Rod Humble, stepped in to clarify. After pointing out that the information wasn’t supposed to be in people’s hands yet, he states,

“We are actually launching less skus this year than last.

For the Sims 2 game there is no news apart from the wonderful Freetime (you can be a gamer in it for crying out loud, why do you hate gamers?). Thats it for the Sims 2 in terms of new stuff. For Sims 3 there will be new information soon.”

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