Free House Party mix with purchase of the House Party Expansion Pack from EA.com Store. Listen to samples of the House Party mix and then pre-order your Expansion Pack today.
Nieuws
8 mrt 2001 - 22:40
8 mrt 2001 - 22:30
At 4:00 pm PST today, we are hosting the Artist and Animator chat. Stop by and get the inside scoop!
8 mrt 2001 - 22:20
Due to the overwhelming response, the fan event is full! RSVPs poured in from places as far away as Alaska and Connecticut! If you would like your name added to the waiting list, please call 925/927-3613. If you have already RSVP'ed, due to the overwhelming amount of phone calls we received, we will not be calling you back individually to confirm you reservation. Rest assured, you are on the list! Don't forget! It's March 17, 2001 @ Backflip, 601 Eddy Street, San Francisco, 6:00PM - 10:00PM. Anyone who is under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
8 mrt 2001 - 22:10
We've got incredible screenshots of House Party's evening wear and disco skins. Check them out!
8 mrt 2001 - 22:00
Another fabulous House Party interview brought to you by DailyRadar.com!
Go to DailyRadar.com, or click read more to read the interview on our website!
The Sims House Party Interview
With the wild success of both The Sims and the Livin' Large expansion pack, it only makes sense that Maxis continues down the same path with more variety. House Party is due for release at the end of this month, so we talked with Producer Tim LeTourneau to find out what would make this latest expansion pack expand the game's appeal even further.
Daily Radar: What is your name and title and what are you doing for this expansion?
Tim LeTourneau: Tim LeTourneau, Producer. I guess that means I'm producing it.
DR: The last expansion pack, Livin' Large, was very successful and very simple at the same time. How will House Party differ from that expansion, or will it?
TL: The beauty of The Sims is that it is completely expandable. Simply by adding new objects you can affect the way that families act and create new and interesting situations. Livin' Large added a variety of objects that resulted in unexpected and often unusual results. House Party gives you many new objects which help players socialize and entertain large groups of Sims at one time.
DR: In addition to the expected new furniture and such, what unexpected features will be included?
TL: House Party is about parties and socializing. The unexpected events are really centered around the social game and the unexpected things that can occur in a party environment - count on some very unusual social dynamics to immerge.
DR: With the concentration this time around on dancing, will the player only be able to get the Sims together and watch, or is it possible to be a DJ of sorts?
TL: One of the new objects is the DJ Booth. Along with allowing Sims to DJ and Scratch, it also contains 5 new music selections - Techno, Rap, Disco, Beach, and Country Dance. By selecting different music you can definitely change the mood on the dance floor.
DR: With all the emotional states that the Sims can go through, how will this affect party goers? Will, for example, someone that's in a bad mood crash a party?
TL: You'll have some interesting people show up at your parties. For those that show up in a bad mood, your job is to make sure don't stay that way.
DR: What sort of music will be incorporated? Is it possible for players to use their own CDs or MP3s in such a music oriented expansion pack?
TL: Well after you hear our new tunes I'll doubt you'll want to change them. I'm not just saying that because I have to, the new music is truly amazing. But yes, just like other versions of the Sims players can add their own music.
DR: Will parties be able to get out of hand? By that, I mean will the SimCops show up if the SimParty gets to SimLoud?
TL: It's definitely possible to disturb the peace.
DR: One of the main features of the original game was watching and to a degree controlling how the Sims interact with each other. A party, though, can easily have a lot more than just 2-3 Sims interacting at a time. How has this been streamlined for handling dozens of Sims at once, if at all?
TL: As I said, House Party is really centered around the idea of socializing. In the original version, the Hot Tub was one of the only objects that allowed 4 Sims to interact together in the same activity. With House Party, you can have up to 8 Sims sitting around the campfire together, singing and telling stories. Play Charades and everyone there can join in.
DR: It's clear that parties can be themed -- for disco or country music, for example -- but once the party is going, is it possible to make scenarios where one Sim is a better dancer than anyone else? By that, I mean can someone's career now be a professional dancer? Will that Sim get special treatment at a party?
TL: Skills will definitely play a part in how effective certain Sims are at certain activities. Let's just say it pays to work out before you climb in the Dance Cage for example.
DR: Is there anything else we can expect from the expansion?
TL: You can expect a lot of fun and a lot of laughs. I haven't shown the game to one person who wasn't smiling and didn't bust out laughing multiple times during the demo. I think players will also be blown away by the quality of the art and the cool new items available to build their homes - I have a feeling bamboo is going to be very big this spring.
- Kevin Rice
6 mrt 2001 - 22:00
Want to see building 13,000 on the SimCity Exchange? Now you can jump there quickly with the new Exchange viewing controls! Breezing through the Exchange has never been so easy and fast! ow each page displays 10 buildings at a time and you can jump ahead by 10,20,30 or 40 buildings at a time. If you want to get crazy, just click 'SKIP 1000' to visit the depths of the Exchange.
1 mrt 2001 - 22:30
We've got incredible House Party screenshots of our Rave and Western party decor.
1 mrt 2001 - 22:20
It's your last chance to RSVP at 925/927-3613 for the "House Party of the Year" on March 17. Don't miss the chance to hang out with Will Wright and your friends at Maxis as they celebrate the one year anniversary of The Sims. Food, drinks, great giveaways and a few surprises await you along with a sneak peek at what's coming out next! March 17, 2001 @ Backflip, 601 Eddy Street, San Francisco, 6:00PM - 10:00PM.
1 mrt 2001 - 22:10
In our "Carnival Party Contest" we want to view your party albums. Show us what happens in your Sims neighborhood when the party gets out of control!
1 mrt 2001 - 22:00
"Social interaction and good times are the name of the game, and for the first time, partying is all you're going to have to worry about..."
The Sims: House Party Preview
February 22, 2001
Any hardcore Sims player knows that there are two things that stand in the way of pure and true happiness for the residents of the digital suburbs -- bathrooms, and social time. You can give them a great bookshelf, a top notch TV and a pool that runs into the living room, but if they can't dance with their friends on a weeknight and watch the soaps with their pals on the ratty couch, than it doesn't mean anything. Fortunately, a new expansion to the Sims world (well, more the gaming equivalent of a truck trailer) has the perfect solution. Sims House Party is the latest addition to the Sims family, and while it's not the online addition that we've all been waiting for, it's a step in that direction. Social interaction and good times are the name of the game, and for the first time, partying is all you're going to have to worry about -- well, and jealousy, and crazy Sims on "special" punch, and wild costume parties, and&
While Sims Livin' Large dipped into the surreal with bizarre themes and non-player characters like Death, House Party is more traditional Sims fare, giving you a new way to interact with your favorite families while introducing a ton more objects, characters, clothes and themes to your collection.
Just what themes will you be able to play in? This time around you've got some distinctly yee-haw based fun in store in the forms of country, luau and underground rave environments to construct. Like the other Sims titles, you'll be able to pick your own wallpaper, flooring, and layout, but the materials are definitely unique this time around. Rubber walls? Sure. Industrial and gothic-themed material? Yep. Corn Stalks? Check. Of course, there can't be a party without a dance floor, and you'll be able to create the size of your dance space with custom dance tiles in order to create the perfect place for your Sims to sweat to the oldies and the new skool beats. You can set up Barn Dances, a rodeo bar for some mechanical bull riding, a formal affair, an young warehouse club, or a trendy Hollywood poolside luau.
Of course, all this partying brings up some big questions. You know the drill -- you call up all your Sim friends for a party, but it's 12am before they even show up, and by the time you kick them all out your Sims are exhausted and worse than before. A Mass Invite utility is being worked out so that you'll be able to get the party started quickly. Whether or not you'll be able to exclude certain characters from the invite is still being worked out, however. Then again, wouldn't it be more entertaining to get the party started with a little jealousy and face-slapping? Once you've got your Sims in the party environment, it's up to them to get things off to a good start. While you can hire an NPC caterer to help provide food for the guests and keep them sated, it's up to the Sims to DJ the space and provide some top notch music. They'll have to learn the turntables like any other musical instrument, but at least they'll have a choice of styles to choose from. Disco, rap, techno, country western and luau are just some of the rhythms that you'll be able to blast at your party -- but remember, Sims can be picky people, so if you don't match the style with the patrons, you may have some unhappy guests.
It's rave-tastic, mate
Of course, there can't be an add-on without some& add-ons, and Maxis has once again put out all the stops to give you a load of new objects and items to use in your new party space. Most important is the costume trunk, an object that will allow you to quickly change all your Sims into a similar outfit like formal wear, or the new Toga outfit so that you can get dressed for the scene that you're trying to promote. No maid outfits at the rave, in other words& unless that's your thing. Once you've got your Sims into the right clothes and ready to dance, you can add some objects to get the party started right, like the Super Schlopper Bubble Blower, the Teleporter, or the Corn Stalk. Alright, maybe the Corn Stalk isn't so exciting, but there are rumors of a cursed Tiki mask being whispered about in the back alleys of the Sims suburbs that should bring some fun to your party. The mechanical bull is guaranteed to give your Sims a workout while providing some entertainment, while the Dance Cage can put your less-than-bashful Sims in the spotlight for some solo dancing. The underground rave features hardcore beats and an oxygen bar to keep your ravers going all night long. And of course, what's a party without a punch bowl? Sims can't get drunk, but the "special" side effects of the punch bowl will undoubtedly create some interesting events at a crowded party. Like Livin' Large, you can expect some odd surprises and new characters in House Party. All in all, there will be around 100 new objects in the game, some of which already exist on the Sims site, but most of which will be completely new. The team has mentioned that there will be more than four and less than 15 "party crashers" and new characters like the previously mentioned Caterer and the Exotic Dancer, who specializes in jumping out of cakes, and who you can also hire for private parties, by the way. No bad ideas, people -- this is still a "Teen" rated title. If there's a kid in the house, there'll be another "kid-friendly" surprise coming to your door, instead.
Just as with Livin' Large, you'll be able to use all the objects in your own normal homes as well, meaning that you can now dress up your house with some country themes, create the perfect cement-floored loft environment for your urban types, or maybe just craft the perfect tiki-lounge in your backyard. Homegrown DJs can practice on decks in their home, dancers can work out frustrations in their own private living room dance cage, and bathrooms will be better than ever with private bubble-blowers. For those of you hungry for even more Sim fun, you won't have long to wait. Sims House Party is due out in April, just in time for your own spring/summer fun.
-- Vincent Lopez