The Sims 2: FreeTime
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| The Sims 2: FreeTime | |
|---|---|
 North American box art |
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| Developer(s) | EA Games[1][2] |
| Publisher(s) | Electronic Arts |
| Series | The Sims |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release date | EU February 22, 2008 NA February 26, 2008 AUS February 28, 2008 EU February 29, 2008 |
| Genre(s) | Life simulation game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: T OFLC: M PEGI: 12+ |
| Media | CD-ROM, DVD |
| System requirements | Windows[3]
OS: Windows 98/98 SE/Me/2000/XP/Vista |
| Input methods | Keyboard, mouse |
The Sims 2: FreeTime is the seventh expansion pack in the The Sims 2 video game series.
A flyer included in The Sims 2: Bon Voyage expansion pack and The Sims 2 Teen Style Stuff announced this expansion and read: "Now your Sims can enjoy hobbies! Your Sims will have fun taking up a variety of creative, intellectual, or active leisure-time pursuits. They can even meet Sims that share their interests and expand their social relationships. Develop your Sims' skills while they pursue their true pastime passions. Will your Sims stumble reaching for new goals or find a new sense of fulfillment?"
With this expansion, Sims can pursue employment in five new careers including dance, entertainment, intelligence, oceanography and architecture.
The ten hobbies included in the expansion pack are fitness, cooking, music/dance, sports, nature, science, films/literature, gaming, tinkering, and arts/crafts.[4] Every Sim is created with a predetermined "preferred" hobby which cannot be modified by the player. While the bar is filled, the Sim is "in the zone", shown graphically as a white glow around the Sim; causing their needs to decay slower than usual, as to allow extra time on that hobby.
Contents |
[edit] Hobbies
There are ten hobbies in The Sims 2: FreeTime. Each offers different unlockable benefits or new activities and also a pass to enter into secret lots. Doing an activity which is related to the specific hobby increases enthusiasm to that hobby.
[edit] Arts & Crafts
The Arts & Crafts hobby centers around activities that are related to creating and discussing artwork, such as painting, and introduces two new Talent Badges: Pottery and Sewing. In addition, an activity table is available allowing toddlers and children to paint and play with blocks.
[edit] Cuisine
Cooking, watching cooking shows and having meals are activities related to culinary. Cuisine hobby allows Sims to unlock new foods: chips, cheese and appetizers. Moreover, Sims may now enter a food contest by submitting a dish to be judged. Finally, a new nectar table is available in buy mode.
[edit] Film & literature
The novel writing system on the computer has been revamped allowing players to choose the cover, title and plot. Players may now choose which book for their Sim to read instead of reading a single generic book. Sims can also discuss books they have read, and a variety of films can now be viewed on the television.
[edit] Fitness
Other than working out, swimming or performing Yoga, Sims can now go jogging, get protein drinks out of their fridge, and can use an exercise bike. In addition, athletic outfits have been given a greater selection from more than just sweatsuits.
[edit] Gaming
A variety of digital games can now be purchased and playable on Sims' computers and consoles. All of these games are actual EA games, namely Spore, MySims, FIFA 08, The Sims 3 and Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. Other games such as pool and chess also contribute to the hobby enthusiasm.
[edit] Music & Dance
Sims can now play the violin and the synthesizer instead of the piano. They can also practice ballet on the ballet barre. Sims can also enter dance contests. A new soundtrack also includes artists such as Natasha Bedingfield, They Might Be Giants, and Datarock.[5]Finally, players can create custom radio stations for their Sims stereos.
[edit] Nature
Nature-loving Sims find gardening, bug collecting and birdwatching interesting. The player can view a sim's bug collection. Sims can also go hiking. Sims gain enthusiasm for Nature by studying the cleaning skill.
[edit] Science
Science includes an ant farm and improved telescope interactions. Sims can now choose to search for planets, constellations and UFOs. Sims can also choose to summon aliens. When they use this interaction as an adult in Strangetown, they get abducted and impregnated with an alien baby, regardless of their gender.
[edit] Sports
Sims can play one-on-one penalty shoot-outs and shoot hoops on the basketball hoop. Sims can also toss football or play catch to each other to increase their interest in sports. However, Sims can not play full soccer, football or basketball games.
[edit] Tinkering
Tinkering allows Sims to tinker various electronic devices in the house and also restoring a car to sell it for profit. There are also new remote control vehicles and a train set to play with.
[edit] Other features
This expansion pack features a new neighborhood named Desiderata Valley. The expansion also adds new secret lots.[6]
The expansion adds a special character, a Genie.[7] He is summoned by being enthusiastic over a hobby or having high Lifetime Aspiration. The Genie grants the Sim three wishes. The wishes have a chance of backfiring. Once the Sim uses the three wishes, the Genie disappears.
FreeTime includes several new computer games the Sims can play, including the upcoming sequel to the game itself, The Sims 3. The televisions now also feature movies that Sims can watch, which are movie clips featured in "How Do You Play?" ad campaign.
This game includes SecuROM software.
[edit] NPC aging
When the Sims grow up, they don't have to leave their friends behind. The player can choose three friends to grow up with their Sims. You can also make any NPC's age.
[edit] Careers
Five new Career Tracks and their Reward Objects are added with FreeTime. Oceanographers can earn a koi pond, entertainers can get their own star of fame, architects can use their own drafting table, dancers can receive an improved ballet barre and Intelligence Agents can use a listening device.
[edit] Lifetime Aspiration Meter
The Lifetime Aspiration feature has been enhanced by this expansion. It is now displayed on the GUI as a segmented bar, next to the standard Aspiration meter, and for every segment filled the player is awarded a Lifetime Aspiration Point, which they can redeem on various new abilities. These upgrades may be passive (the Sim is more likely to bring home friends from work), context-sensitive (the ability to plead for one's job within 24 hours of being fired), or reduce the speed at which the Sim depletes mood motives. There are four upgrades in each of four categories: Life (which are exclusively the slower-mood-depletion upgrades), Work, the Sim's current Aspiration, and Secondary Aspiration, which lets the Sim choose a secondary Aspiration, and then unlocks access to that Aspiration's first three upgrades. Sims with a secondary Aspiration will begin to exhibit Wants and Fears related to it. Sims can choose Grilled Cheese for their secondary Aspiration.
[edit] Objects & outfits
FreeTime introduces new items, including a basketball hoop, pottery wheel, toddler activity table, modular synthesizer, hobby train table and others. The game also has outfits related to their hobby, for instance a Cuisine Sim can buy a dress with an apron.
[edit] References
- ^ IGN: The Sims 2 FreeTime
- ^ The Sims 2: FreeTime for PC - The Sims 2: FreeTime PC Game - The Sims 2: FreeTime Computer Game
- ^ Windows system requirements. EA Games. Retrieved on December 6, 2007.
- ^ Hobby Magazines explaining the different hobbies
- ^ EA Official FreeTime Soundtrack announcement
- ^ About The Sims 2: FreeTime from EA.com (secret lots stated in the third paragraph)
- ^ FreeTime chat transcript from TheSims2.ea.com
[edit] External links
- The Sims 2: FreeTime official site
- The Sims 2: FreeTime Trailer #2
- The Sims 2 FreeTime - Designer Walkthrough
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