| _______________ | 46 |  | [TheSims2.com] See Lady Antebellum's Simlish Video | | Check out the hit song "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum sung in Simlish! Video made with The Sims 3.
:: Watch the video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfAg6w4Cwto)
More... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfAg6w4Cwto) | | Tue, 18 May 2010, 12:50 | |
| _______________ | 47 |  | Viceland ? interview with the guy who beat SimCity 3000 | | We posted the video a few weeks back of a city from SimCity 3000 called Magnasanti which topped out 6 million residents – the total max you can get within the game’s original limit.* *Viceland* (http://www.viceland.com/blogs/en/2010/05/10/the-totalitarian-buddhist-who-beat-sim-city/#more-14956) tracked down the creator – Vincent Ocasla – for a special interview on the matter.* I can’t believe that it took him 3 years to pull off…that’s dedication!
There are a lot of other problems in the city hidden under the illusion of order and greatness?suffocating air pollution, high unemployment, no fire stations, schools, or hospitals, a regimented lifestyle?this is the price that these sims pay for living in the city with the highest population. It's a sick and twisted goal to strive towards. The ironic thing about it is the sims in Magnasanti tolerate it. They don't rebel, or cause revolutions and social chaos. No one considers challenging the system by physical means since a hyper-efficient police state keeps them in line. They have all been successfully dumbed down, sickened with poor health, enslaved and mind-controlled just enough to keep this system going for thousands of years. 50,000 years to be exact. They are all imprisoned in space and time.
*Why did it take a year-and-a-half just to complete the theory behind Magnasanti?*
During the planning stage of the city I was also busy constructing other large-scale cities, which laid out much of the theory for Magnasanti. New ways of doing things were not yet developed until experiments were done within the game to verify ideas, and notes had to be taken down in conjunction with each new experiment, as well as devising new experiments to find out if there were better ways of solving the problem. Building cities and doing in-game experiments to obtain the results desired takes time. Additionally, I had other things to do, and only worked on it in my spare time, so it was a gradual development, not something I was working on 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
*continue reading* (http://www.viceland.com/blogs/en/2010/05/10/the-totalitarian-buddhist-who-beat-sim-city/#more-14956) | | Mon, 17 May 2010, 7:42 | |
| _______________ | 48 | | Simcity ? Teaching Local Goverments And Civics | | Good read incoming.* If it were any other game I’d be like “The government using games to solve and teach them about their problems? Nonsense!”* Come to think of it, I’d bet George Bush Jr. would have bankrupt their city before starting they even populate the first lot! Image: http://www.simprograms.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif
Image: http://www.trailsoptional.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/IMG_0042.jpg (http://www.trailsoptional.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/IMG_0042.jpg)
I've been using the game SimCity 3000 with my grade 6 class to enhance and compliment their local government unit in social studies.* They have been learning all about decision making, balancing the wants and needs of citizens, lobby groups, and government responsibilities.
Government isn't always the most dynamic unit, but SimCity brings it to life.* The students get to make the decisions, build and maintain services, and respond to the questions and demands of citizens in their town.* They get instant feedback for the decisions that they implement as they see how citizens react to spending and policy decisions.
A simulation environment allows students to experiment and try with different approaches and strategies. They immediately see the consequences of their decisions or lack of decision making. The students were enthralled by being able to be in control of a government and make choices. One student was even fired as the mayor ? others flourished and had statues built in their honour.
I used an older version of the game. Simcity 3000 is a 1999 release. The newer versions of SimCity 4, SimCity Societies and SimCity Creator for the DS and various other consoles are also fantastic games. I choose the earlier version so the students could focus on developing services and responding to the needs to citizens without all of the “extras.? * The more complex the game, the more it can get away from the heart of the decision making process, which was what I want the students in my classroom to experience.
Watch the students talk about what they are doing and see some of the problems they have to solve.
*Read More (http://www.trailsoptional.com/2010/05/simcity-teaching-local-government-and-civics/)* and *Watch Video (http://vimeo.com/11731185)* | | Fri, 14 May 2010, 21:16 | |
| _______________ | 49 | | [TheSims2.com] Community Spotlight Interview: fieryfemale | | Read our latest Community Spotlight Interview with one of the top Sims creators and builders in The Sims community: *fieryfemale*.
:: Read the interview (http://www.thesims3.com/community_spotlight_fieryfemale)
More... (http://www.thesims3.com/community_spotlight_fieryfemale) | | Fri, 14 May 2010, 12:52 | |
| _______________ | 50 | | [TheSims2.com] Pre-Order The Sims 3 Ambitions Expansion Pack! | | Widen your Sims' horizons with a bunch of killer new career opportunities. Their future is entirely in your hands!
:: Pre-Order now (http://www.thesims3.com/game/ep2)
More... (http://www.thesims3.com/game/ep2) | | Thu, 13 May 2010, 11:22 | |
| _______________ | 51 | | PocketGamer ? SimCity Deluxe for mobile reviewed | | EA Mobile hopes not as the objective in SimCity Deluxe remains unchanged from previous entries ? build up a town from nothing except a wad of cash and some big ideas.
This is done by zoning areas of land for housing, commercial buildings and industry, as well as building public amenities like roads and hospitals for your resident sims.
As the city grows larger so the demands for jobs and housing increase, and the building of public services – not to mention your budget – requires clever management skills to keep everything ticking over.
*Taking control of city hall*
It sounds overwhelming but it’s a fairly smooth ride due to the large amount of advice dolled out by your friendly advisor lady who pops up on screen at regular intervals.
It doesn’t take very long to get into the swing of things, helped by controls that are logically laid out, with everything easily accessed through the various menus.
I did occasionally wish there was a way of assigning particular buildings to shortcuts, especially when it came to extended road building, but as the game pauses for placing new structures it didn’t end up affecting gameplay to a serious degree.
Along with the controls, EA Mobile has also done a good job of keeping the screen relatively clutter-free, with very little extraneous information obscuring the view of your city.
This gives you a good appreciation of the improved graphics, which posses a decent variety between the various different zones and a high level of incidental detail like smog clouds and traffic build-ups.
*PocketGamer rates SimCity Deluxe mobile an 8 out of 10 – full review here* (http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Mobile/SimCity+Deluxe/review.asp?c=20456&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PocketGamerLatestGameReviews+%28Pocket+Gamer+-+Latest+game+reviews%29) | | Tue, 11 May 2010, 5:55 | |
| _______________ | 52 | | [TheSims2.com] The Sims 2 on Twitpic | | We've been taking pictures of cool The Sims 2 posters, swag, and other fun stuff around The Sims Studio and posting it on Twitpic! Stay tuned for more fun photos.
:: See the photos (http://twitpic.com/photos/TheSims2)
More... (http://twitpic.com/photos/TheSims2) | | Thu, 6 May 2010, 11:30 | |
| _______________ | 53 | | More about IBM's CityOne | | From my findings posted on *Simillion* (http://simillion.com):
*CityOne has a facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/CityOne/422722095030?ref=ts&v=wall)*
A system-of-systems ’serious’ game by IBM that demonstrates how collaborative, smart technical solutions can revolutionize industries.
*CityOne has a page on IBM.com (http://ibm.com/cityone)*
“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” ? ALBERT EINSTEIN
*CityOne: A Smarter Planet game*
Think you know what it takes to make the**energy (http://www-01.ibm.com/software/solutions/soa/innov8/cityone/index.html#)* systems that serve a city more efficient? Given the opportunity, could you make the city's**water (http://www-01.ibm.com/software/solutions/soa/innov8/cityone/index.html#)* cleaner and more plentiful, its**banks (http://www-01.ibm.com/software/solutions/soa/innov8/cityone/index.html#)* more robust and customer-centric and its**retail (http://www-01.ibm.com/software/solutions/soa/innov8/cityone/index.html#)* stores more innovative?
*Your mission*
Level-Up your skills and discover how to make our Planet smarter, revolutionize industries and solve real-world business, environmental and logistical problems using IBM solutions.
New Game Demo featured in Agility @ Work Lounge at**IMPACT 2010 (http://www-01.ibm.com/software/websphere/events/impact/)*.
CityOne has been posted about on *Gizmodo (http://gizmodo.com/5530030/ibm-cityone-is-simcity-for-the-real-world)* and *Kotaku (http://kotaku.com/5530375/ibm-builds-its-own-simcity-game)* | | Tue, 4 May 2010, 7:14 | |
| _______________ | 54 | | IBM unveils CityOne ? the next generation SimCity | | We’re long overdue for a new SimCity.* SimCity 4 was released…what in January of 2003?* That’s 7 years ago.* SimCity Societies was suppose to be it’s follow up…but we all know how that turned out…Then we had CitiesXL and to be honest, that completely dropped off my radar after it required a monthly payment.* Now IBM wants to take a stab at city creation with their new ‘CityOne’ game.* However, they want to focus on the real life aspects instead of sending UFO’s and Godzilla to attack your citizens.* Sure, it’ll never be SimCity in my eyes, but what are we to do when Maxis won’t pick up on one of their greatest and oldest franchise?* It’s practically their version of Nintendo’s Mario….
CityOne is much like Sim City, only the problems are scarily real, ranging among energy, water, banking, and retail. So, for example, one day you might get hit by a rapid increase in water usage due to population growth–while you’re still losing 40% of your water supply to leaky pipes. (This is actually reality, in decrepit megalopolises such as Mumbai and Mexico City.) To fix that problem, you’ll have to carefully install a real-time water management system. Or, to encourage growth in small-businesses, you’ll have to set up an infrastructure of mobile payments, dynamic invoicing, and micro-lending.
*read more at FastCompany* (http://www.fastcompany.com/1636325/ibms-cityone-is-like-sim-city-except-the-solutions-are-real) | | Tue, 4 May 2010, 6:11 | |
| _______________ | 55 | | [TheSims2.com] Everybody needs a hero - even Sims! | | Check out the latest Sims-style parody of your favorite super heroes, including The Sims version of "Iron Man".
:: Watch the video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aC5-dKVip8E)
More... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aC5-dKVip8E) | | Thu, 29 April 2010, 13:43 | |
| _______________ | 56 | | PocketGamer ? SimCity Deluxe for mobile preview | | *PocketGamer* (http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Mobile/SimCity+Deluxe/news.asp?c=20265) shares with us new details on EA’s SimCity Deluxe coming to mobile phones on May 12. Could an iPhone release be right around the corner? I sure hope so!
Having had a brief look at a near-finished build recently, this enhancement is most apparent in the game’s visuals. The familiar isometric viewpoint is sharper and more vibrant than before, with attractive touches such as shadows cast by clouds.
There’s also a hat-full of new animations to bring your city alive, such as aircraft buzzing around the skies. With the ability to enable disasters in Freeplay mode, we couldn’t resist asking if volcano activity inhibited this air travel at all. It seems it doesn’t, but EA is promising plenty of other neat features instead.
Aside from the aforementioned Freeplay mode, which allows you to build your city unrestrained, there’s a Scenario mode that reins in the freedom a little and gives you clearly defined goals (such as reaching a certain population level). It’s ideal for mobile play, as well as for introducing newcomers to this incredibly deep series.
*full preview here* (http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Mobile/SimCity+Deluxe/news.asp?c=20265) | | Tue, 27 April 2010, 14:44 | |
| _______________ | 57 | | [TheSims2.com] The Sims 3 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 | | Create Sims with unique personalities, fulfill their desires, and control their lives within a living neighborhood. The Sims 3 is coming to the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, and Nintendo DS.
:: Read the Announcement (http://www.thesims3.com/console_annc)
More... (http://www.thesims3.com/console_annc) | | Tue, 27 April 2010, 12:41 | |
| _______________ | 58 | | [TheSims2.com] Help Spread the word: 1 Goal Education for All | | Simmers unite! We need millions of people to sign to get millions of kids into education. Have you signed yet?
:: Sign today (http://www.join1goal.org/home.php)
More... (http://www.join1goal.org/home.php) | | Mon, 26 April 2010, 13:30 | |
| _______________ | 59 | | [TheSims2.com] Latest blog for The Sims 3 Ambitions | | Read about the everyday heroes in The Sims 3 Ambitions Expansion Pack!
:: Read the blog (http://www.thesims3.com/ambitionsblog2)
More... (http://www.thesims3.com/ambitionsblog2) | | Mon, 26 April 2010, 12:30 | |
| _______________ | 60 | | EA Mobile to release SimCity Deluxe on mobile devices ? 3 screens | | EA is not only working on updating SimCity for the iPhone, but they are also updating the game for mobile devices!* EA Mobile posted 3 screens on their *Facebook page* (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=169212&id=46940027345) showing of SimCity Deluxe for mobile phones.* At this time, not sure which phones they apply to…many are hoping it’ll be released for the Android so hopefully that is the case.
Image: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4546620845_418d46bef4_o.jpg Image: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4017/4546620803_2ea9725c89_o.jpg Image: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4546620765_38b1a64462_o.jpg | | Fri, 23 April 2010, 21:41 | |
