939 results found.
Displaying results 501 to 510

<< Previous | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | Next >>

501. URBZ (Handheld) Previews and more

Written on Friday 16 July 2004 at 20:05 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

Besides the previews for the console version of the URBZ, there's also some material for the Handhelds: the Nintendo GBA and Dual-Screen (DS). The most info comes for the latter platform. There are a few screenshots and artworks, as well as a developer interview with Sinjin Baijn, Executive Producer, of well over 4 mins long, all at GameSpot. Sinjin talks a bit about the exclusive features of the game, but doesn't go into any details yet. All he really says is that the new technology allows Griptonite (the developer) to add a bunch of new mini-games and features. The way information is presented to the user is also much improved due to the two screens, and so you can check into inventory for example, without having to go more or less out of the game. He also says to expect the game on the Nintendo DS launch date, which according to GamesIndustry.biz will be 11 November in the US. The URBZ will be one of the 5 to 6 launch titles of the new platform. If you rather want to see just text instead of listening to Sinjin, about the same information is in the GameSpot Preview.

As for the GBA, there are some details about the mini-games. There will be 8 of them (both single- and multiplayer), and six have a name already: Squeegee Clean, Street Hoops, Dr. Max Stat!, Comic Explosion, Moo Goo Monkey and Soul Music. In multiplayer mode you can play the games with up to four other people. GameSpot also describes a few games in detail, so visit them for more. The game's nearing completion, and will be released in November, along with all the other versions of the Urbz. Check out both the GameSpot Preview and the IGN GBA Preview for more.

502. URBZ (Consoles) Buzz

Written on Friday 16 July 2004 at 18:51 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

There are a couple of new previews of the URBZ available on GameSpot and IGN. To start off with the console (PS2, GameCube, X-Box) version, there are two previews. They tell us the names of all 9 districts: Kicktail Park, Neon East, South Side Bridge, Gasoline Row, 125th Street, Cozmo Park, Diamond Heights, Central Station, and The Foundry, as well as that you need to dress in the style of each district to be cool. Also, each area has its own job which has 3 levels. On 125th Street, that's taming and selling ferrets. Your Urb will also have to develop three skills, mental, physical, and creative, to get better at the jobs. Machines can also evolve to a third level, for example an exercise machine with pedals. In level 2 it'll get a propellor, after which it turns into "a weird time machine ... with pedals."

The Power Social, which will help your Sim getting some better rep, feature also gets its first mention. You have to nail a meter and get the best results, similar to the game "Hot Shots Golf." But you don't necessarily have to be good to build a rep. IGN gives an example: kick a couple of bikes, and the bikers won't like you. The outsiders however, will get more respect for your Urb. Both previews also mention the new camera in the game, which allows you to get up close and personal with your creation. Creating your Urb is more detailed than ever before. Using a new morphing technique you can scale body parts, instead of just selecting them (but within limits).

As for special features, the URBZ will feature EyeToy support on the PS2. This, as mentioned before, will allow you to import pictures you make with EyeToy into the game, which will then appear there. On the GameCube and X-Box, this feature is simulated, as you can make pics of your Urb in-game, which will show up instead. The GameCube version will have some extra items to enjoy, while the X-Box will, as with the URBZ' predecessor Bustin' Out, support HDTV, i.e. high quality graphics.

Currently it's said the framerate of the game isn't very stable, but that's one thing Maxis will still be working on. You can read both previews by clicking the following links: Read the GameSpot Preview or the IGN Preview.

503. Sims 2 Previews

Written on Friday 16 July 2004 at 15:02 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

As URBZ producer Scot Amos told us last SimDay, EA's annual Hot Summer Nights event is taking place this week. It has started off, and several gaming sites sites are posting their previews of all the upcoming EA games. There are already 4 new previews of The Sims 2 online, at GameSpot, IGN, GameSpy and 1Up. There's a lot of repeat info in the previews, but there is some new stuff. For instance, we're being told of Gold and Platinum aspiration statuses. If your Sim does really well on the aspiration track, they can gain points and get extra objects or social possibilities with them. You can also choose to get the "elixir of life," which will extend the life of your Sim, or other "Aspiration Awards" like the money tree or the love tub. In platinum mode, little setbacks won't hurt your Sim. Sims will also get a rank in their aspiration track, e.g. "Hormonal Hurricane" or "Towering Tycoon." And if your Sim isn't doing very well on the aspiration track, expect a lot of trouble from them. Angry teens can actually swing on refrigerator doors...

Furthermore, there's some more talk about the three neighborhoods that ship with the game. Pleasantview is where Mortimer Goth has left off to. Bella has left him in a mysterious way (Luc Barthelet... perhaps?). Cassandra got a little brother Alexander shortly before her disappearance. Pleasantview is probably most likely somewhat similar to the current neighborhood in The Sims 1. Strangeland, on the other hand, is a bit like Area 51. It's a desert, with a UFO crash site. General Grunt and his two sons, Tank and Buzz, live in that neighborhood. Grunt, someone in the military, stays up late a lot to look through his telescope, suspicious as he is. He's not too keen with the Smith's, his neighbours. Pollination Technician 9 Smith has a blue-green skin and wants to settle down in the area with his wife and two children. The third neighborhood, Veronaville, is one that's divided into two by a river. In a Romeo and Juliet setting, there's something going on between a Capp and a Monty, whose families live on either side of the family. It's up to you to develop these stories further. The options to customise the hoods are also mentioned, and the 'ploppables' can now be put in the hood. There's even an enormous sunken stone head, which looks a lot like Sims creator Will Wright.

GameSpy also reveals some info about ghosts, which will be better than ever before. For instance, if your Sim was drowned, their ghost skin will be a bit blue and leaving puddles all over the place. If they burnt up in flames though, the gloom will be red, and the ghost might start a fire. Hungry ghosts empty the fridge, while the restless can haunt objects.

Of all previews, the GameSpy one is the longest and also gives most information. It's a definite must-read. IGN promises an interview with Lucy Bradshaw later. 1Up basically only mentions some bits of the screenshots, but it's not the most interesting preview. Click the links below to read the previews.

• 1Up
• IGN
• GameSpot
• GameSpy

504. Urbz comes to Nintendo DS

Written on Thursday 15 July 2004 at 16:27 by ChEeTaH - 2 comments.

EA has just announced that The URBZ will come not only to the consoles and the GBA, but also on a third Nintendo platform: the Nintendo DS (Dual-Screen), a handheld console with two screens, which will be released on 29 November for about $200. Special features are wireless multiplay mode, touch-screen input, and some special features not available in any of the other versions of the game. There will be 24 objects, 5 mini-games, 7 characters and 8 pet species in the game. The pet species can be made using a special in-game 'gene manipulator.' That means you can create your own pet, besides just creating a Sim, for the first time. The story behind the game is as follows:

"Daddy Bigbucks is trying to take over the city of Miniopolis and keep Splicer Island a secret. It is up to you to uncover the truth by training your pet, increasing your reputation and keeping your crew on Splicer Island happy."

The gameplay will probably be similar to the GBA version of the game. Just like with the GBA version, Griptonite Games will be developing the game. The game will be released in November as well (like all other versions of the URBZ), under the EA Games brand. The precise release date is yet unknown, though since the platform won't be out until 29 November it's likely that the game will be released then as well. Once an exact date is known, we'll let you know. The URBZ is the first EA game that's announced for the new handheld platform, which was first shown to the public at the E3 2004. It's currently not known if the game will also make it to Sony's PSP (PlayStation Portable), though we'll of course let you know as soon as more information about that arrives. More information about the URBZ can be found at UrbzSims.com (which currently doesn't mention the DS version yet, but the 'Handheld' information probably applies). The press release can be read by clicking here.

505. New Poll

Written on Thursday 15 July 2004 at 02:00 by ChEeTaH - 2 comments.

The results of our old poll are in, as it's finished to make way for a new one. 268 people commented on the interface of The Sims 2, and the majority, 65%, says it's looking great. 21% says it's looking good, yet familiar. About 10% said they don't care - as long as it works. The other options weren't very popular, and got just 1, 5 or 6 votes. For more details, check the complete results.

This week's poll is also about The Sims 2. While the status of a release of the DVD edition, with several extras including a "Filmmaking 101" and 60 minutes of interviews, tips and tricks, outside the USA is still vague, a lot of discussion has broken out on forums since yesterday's press release, stating it'll be released in "North America only for the same price as the CD version". Besides the discussion in several major forums (on both official sites as fansites), there's even a petition that you can sign if you want the DVD version to be released in Europe as well. The poll jumps in on this matter, and you can let us know now if the DVD version should be released outside the USA as well. Vote on the right or at the latest poll page.

506. Sims 2 DVD will be released in Europe [Update - perhaps not?]

Written on Tuesday 13 July 2004 at 19:26 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

Although we got a semi-confirmation yesterday, stating that a European release of the DVD edition of The Sims 2 wasn't definite yet, Computer and VideoGames posted an article shortly after I received the e-mail from EA. They're saying that EA has confirmed to them the DVD definitely be released in Europe. The same site has been a reliable source before, as they've been (almost) right when giving away the release date for The Body Shop and The Sims 2 back in March, before any official announcements were made. I haven't had any definite confirmation from EA yet. An exact release date is still unknown at this point, so it could be the same date as for the CD edition, but it could also be later. Read CVG's entire article for a bit more details. We'll keep you updated as usual.

[Update 18:50] The DVD edition has just been officially announced with a press release. That press release contradicts what's said above: "This is the first DVD release in the highly successful The Sims franchise and initially will only be available through pre-orders at major retailers. This DVD will be available in North America only at the same price as the CD-ROM version." This makes the situation only more confusing, but we'll keep you updated on this matter as news flows in.

507. Sims 2 DVD for Europe Update

Written on Tuesday 13 July 2004 at 00:05 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

It's almost common knowledge that The Sims 2 will be released on DVD as well in the US. However, it's never been confirmed if that DVD will be released in Europe as well or not. EA UK has told us that "A UK release of the DVD special edition is being looked at but we don't have any confirmed information on a possible European release for it right now." Currently there's a poll running at The Sims UK (official site), asking if you have a DVD drive in your computer. With currently over 80% saying they do, it's not unlikely that the DVD will come to Europe as well. However, as EA said, there's no definite release date yet. Hence it's also possible that the DVD edition will be released later than the CD version of the game (if at all, that is). As usual we'll keep you updated on this, and we'll let you know as soon as EA has made a final decision.

508. New Sims 2 Details

Written on Friday 9 July 2004 at 16:26 by ChEeTaH - 1 comment.

There's more news from The Sims Creation besides the artworks. They've attended a press conference, from which they were able to get the following info:

• You won't be able to see the houses next door when playing, but instead you will be looking at a lot of grass and sky.
• There will be between 6 and 9 tools for each part of your sim’s face in Create-a-Sim (CAS)
• There will be a lot of clothes in CAS, more than 50 for the normal clothes and more than 20 for the formal clothes.
• Night starts at 7pm (19.00 in military time)
• There will be an unlimited number of neighborhoods (each identified by a name instead of number)
• Sims can follow more that one aspiration track because of the genetics. Babies will have the same aspirations as their parents.
• When you choose a sim character traits in CAS they will act like that. For example, if your Sim has many personality points on 'clean', he will actually try to keep the house clean. On the contrary, if your Sim doesn't have those points, he will stick his finger in his ear and look what has come out of it! There are also many more animations for the other traits.

There is also some new information from an interview held recently with Nancy Philippine and Tim LeTourneau. They revealed that the (monster) PC used to capture the videos we see is equipped with a Pentium 4 2GHz processor, 1 Gb of RAM, and an ATI Radeon 9800 graphics card. Nevertheless the game will run on a much lower system (600 Mhz, 256 Mb RAM and a GeForce 2/3 is the minimum). It's also said that the DVD edition will probably out later than the 4 CD version. Since this interview was taken in France, this goes for Europe only. Maxis also tells us again that more tools for creating objects etc. will be released after the game itself. The well-known Rosebud cheat is also mentioned, but the real code won't be revealed until after the game's out. Concerning time, it will be about the same speed as in The Sims 1. However, actions take less time, e.g. a shower doesn't take an hour anymore. More about the gameplay is also said, for instance that when you marry an NPC, which is possible, the NPC will lose their job. Finally, they explain the possibility of having more than one family in the same lot a bit more: "It will not be possible to let several families live on the same lot, in the same house. It will be on the other hand possible for you to simulate two families in one.".

For the complete interview in French, check the articles section at The Sims 2 Creation. For those who aren't so great at French (like me), read the interview at SnootySims, who translated the interview with permission from The Sims 2 Creation. Thanks to both sites for the info.

509. New Poll

Written on Thursday 8 July 2004 at 02:00 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

Last week our poll was all about Don and his relations. We asked you if you thought it was right what Don did, and you responded a lot. 213 people voted, of which 38% don't know Don and the rest. Here are the results:

1. 38.03% - Don? Sarah? Dina? Who are those people?
2. 28.17% - I guess it's cool for a Sim to do, but it's no fun in real life.
3. 12.68% - Totally my style!
4. 9.39% - What?! He cheated?! The @$?%$!
5. 7.51% - I don't care about it at all. They're just Sims!
6. 4.23% - Not good, not good.

Our new poll is about the inferface for The Sims 2, which you may have seen in earlier screenshots, especially in those that came with Lucy's latest e-mail. Tell us what you think by voting on the right, or on the latest poll page. See the poll archive for more polls.

510. No Competition for Sims 2 during Holiday Season

Written on Sunday 4 July 2004 at 01:04 by ChEeTaH - 0 comments.

This holiday season, analysts expect much competition in the gaming industry. EA is expected to lose 2-4 percent of its market share in the last quarter of this year, due to the heavy competition from other publishers who will release games like "GTA San Andreas" and "Halo 2", where EA has "Battlefield 2" and "GoldenEye" up for the hardcore gamers, all to be released around the same time. More games than ever before will be released in the last quarter of 2004, and the competition may cause underperformance to some extent, even for headline titles. Quality titles are coming out in practically every genre, except the people-simulation one. That means every game will have some competition, except The Sims 2. Read more about this at GamesIndustry.biz.