My review of Sims 2: Free Time can be found on the new and improved Games Radar. It’s a decent expansion – nothing like the joy of Pets or openness of University. And most of the stuff it adds is covered in one way or another by other expansions; do we really need a hobby […]
Entries from March 8th, 2008
In Two Weeks
March 6th, 2008 · 1 Comment · Electronic Arts, Maxis
March 19, 2008, we get a preview of The Sims 3. I am an unabashed Sims fan. Every time I load a new expansion I get hooked all over again. Even when the expansions aren’t that good, or are just more of the same, the underlying game is beautiful in both its simplicity and its […]
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New Europa Universalis Expansion
March 5th, 2008 · 1 Comment · Paradox
Europa Universalis III: In Nomine will be released early this summer. Quite an accomplishment considering they still have to finish Rome in the next month. Start in October 1399, at the coronation of Henry IV of England. Experience over 50 more years of gameplay, experiencing the Byzantine Empire, Tamerlane and the end of the Hundred […]
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EA Cool With Meier
March 3rd, 2008 · 1 Comment · Electronic Arts, Industry
At a lunch meeting I was not invited to, Firaxis designer-in-chief Sid Meier told Newsweek’s N’Gai Croal that he’s fine with EA buying Take Two. We worked with Electronic Arts ten years ago. We respect them highly as a company. They’re a great company. We enjoy working with Take-Two. We’ll let them sort that out. […]
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Culture as a Mechanic or, Get Out of My Head Michael
March 3rd, 2008 · 5 Comments · Blogs, Design, Firaxis, History
While trying to use propaganda posts in Sins of a Solar Empire last week, I started thinking about cultural control in strategy gaming, how culture assimilation is an either/or proposition, how an homogeneous culture is assumed to be better than one with spillover from neighbors, how rival cultures bring nothing with them but trouble. Then […]
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