Console and Handheld Update #4

Sorry this is a tad bit late guys!� Between replacing the floors in my house and my PC trying to die, I haven't been around much for the past week or so.� I'm back and�there's�new mail from Scot and Virginia to share!� They seem very eager to hear your opinions on the new game once it's released!

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Hey Guys!

We are about to ship the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS versions of The Sims 2. You should start seeing them in stores next week. I have mentioned to you a few of the features but can�t wait to hear about what the favorite features are - how far you get in the gameplay - and which NPCs are your favorite this year.

Let me know about the cool tunes you are making on the DS, and if you like the extended painting feature set. I particularly like the option to change pallets. On the GBA, one of the first few episodes you unlock shrinks your Sim to the size of ladybug. Make sure to practice your water-gun techniques you will need them to get past the little buggers and return to normal life. The NPCs are just as zany and interesting as always and are key to either depleting or keeping your sanity. Enjoy the new games next week, and make sure to join our chat session Thursday afternoon on TheSims2.com - you can ask questions about the games and our designers and producers will be online to answer them for you :)

Until next time!

VA

�
Virginia�s right on target as usual! The PS2, Xbox, and GameCube versions of The Sims 2 are due out next week too! We�re already seeing early press reviews online and are anxious for you all of you to give us personal reviews of what aspects of the console games grab you most. Do you like the open-ended Freeplay mode where you can tell your own stories; or do you prefer the goal-driven story mode where you can solve other peoples� problems to unlock new locations? What about direct control vs. classic mode � which do you prefer? Two-player�s all new too! We�re dying to hear how you all like to play�

Last week we recorded a designer challenge for one of the online-sites pitting our Lead Designer against our Level Designer to see who could build the coolest house in-game with a fixed budget and in only 5 minutes using our new build/buy tools. It�s crazy to see how creative you can be under the gun! One built an awesome, Zen-like house in Tranquility Falls; while the other built what looked like a small prison-colony! Very extreme tastes indeed � but we want you to have the power to build whatever you desire.

So save some nights and keep your eyes open for GBA, NDS, as well as PS2, XBox, and GameCube due on store-shelves next week, then let us know what you love about them and how you like to play!�

In the meantime though have a look at some fun assets we have for you!� There�s a fresh batch of screenshots as well as a neat little video from a sneak peak event we had with a couple of your fellow community members a little while back. Enjoy!

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-Scot