Sims 2: Open For Business - Update #1

It's that time again! The third Expansion Pack is in the works and Tim wants to let us know all about it... over time that is! His first email lets us know why they decided to go with the business theme and a little about what we can expect. Read on for more details!

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Hey There,

OK, it�s not going to be a surprise to any of you that we are working on another expansion. I�m letting all you know first though, that it is officially called The Sims 2 Open for Business; that�s probably not much of a surprise either, but rather than a working title, it is now the official title.

I�m sure there are lots of questions and I promised they will get answered over the coming months.

So why business? Well, we�ve heard for a long time that people want to see their Sims while they are off earning a living. Now you guys can actually help them earn a living. Set them up with their own business (you buy them community lots), place things to sell or charge admission, and boom you have a business. I�ve been building a Toy Shop. It has really colorful displays, and my Sim is using the Toy Bench to build his own toys to sell in the shop. I�ve set him up with a little work area in the garage of his house, so even when he�s not at the shop, he can be building items to sell. I�m thinking of adding a little bakery section where I can sell things I cook as well. Of course, there are unconventional business opportunities too; we�ve already had one person on the team set up a free coffee shop, but with pay toilets. You get the idea of the kind of things you can do to help your Sims earn big money from their friends and neighbors.

I�ve got to tell you that I never imagined running a Sims business would be so addicting and fun. This really is a whole new way to play the Sims. You�ll be laying out the floor plans for the businesses, having your Sims hire and train employees, and helping them work the sales floor.

You can start out small, and for once kids aren�t left out of the fun:

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Just beware of deviant older siblings:

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Of course, I�m sure your Sims will want to move onto to bigger things, and you�ll be up to the challenge. Here is an example of what a well run business can look like:

(image 2)

Hopefully that gives you a little idea of what�s to come with The Sims 2 Open for Business. Of course, there will be plenty more to come, and I promise you�ll hear from me soon.

Tim