The Sims 2
NOTE: This article appeared on April Fools' Day 2003 and is not to be taken seriously. You have been warned.
Hot on the heels of the announcement of The Sims Superstar, it’s been revealed that there will be a sequel to The Sims, tentatively titled The Sims 2. We’ve got some inside information on some of the new features in store for the sequel, and it will give you a glimpse of what to expect from the game when it is released sometime in 2004.
The first change in store for The Sims is an overhaul of its graphics engine. The Sims 2 will take advantage of the power of today’s graphics cards not only to support higher resolutions (up to 1600 x 1200 pixels if your computer can handle it), but to move the game into the world of 3D. You’ll be able to move the camera around freely, with zooming, panning, and rotation controls. Enjoy your sims’ parties from their perspective, get an underwater view from inside a hot tub, join your sim in the shower, or sneak around their home peeking in the windows – you’ll be a part of your sims’ world like never before!
The Sims 2 won’t just look different than the original; it will play differently as well. You’ll have the option of enabling sim-aging so that you can watch your sims grow old together. Their kids will finally get to grow up too, so you can play through several generations of your sims’ family. Kick the kids out when they turn 18 and force them to get jobs and places of their own, but be sure to invite them back for family reunions and holidays. Sim families can give each other money, so if you raise a pro athlete the proud sim parents can share in the wealth. Don't expect much help from 35 year old slackers still living with their parents, though.
There will still be social workers to take kids away from very bad homes, but they will just show up in extreme cases when the child’s life is in danger. Otherwise, the more attention you pay to your sim kids the better they turn out. Kids from good homes will begin their adult lives with bonus skill points and good job opportunities. Those from neglectful homes will find the deck stacked against them in their career options and may turn out to be evil as well (more on that later). Remember it pays to take care of your sim kids because they will be taking care of you when you’re old, and the sim social security checks will only take you so far. Sims lucky enough to be evil and rich, can simply pay to send their kids to an exclusive school to pick up bonus skills and allow them to start their careers at a higher promotion level.