(PC) The Sims 3
IGN’s guide to buying Gaming Laptops
Jul 10th
Is your laptop slow as molasses trying to keep up with The Sims 3? Considering purchasing a new one but on a budget? IGN takes a look at a few gaming laptops for those who are in the market of replacing/purchasing a new one. The laptop they recommend for those who are Sim fans is the CyberPower Xplorer X5-2900 Notebook.
The Sims 3 is a notoriously complicated game but there’s no reason it can’t run on even this modest system. It’s got the processing power and memory to run smoothly and reliably and more than enough video memory to get the most out of the game’s visuals. It can also handle Maxis’s other powerhouse, Spore, without compromising the overall quality of the experience.It’s got versatility too. The graphics power is more than enough to get the most out of games in several genres. Sins of a Solar Empire is famous for its fantastic performance, so you should be able to get the very best image possible with this system. It’s also more than a match for the recent Warhammer Online, if you’re in more of an MMO mood. Toss in a little Tales of Monkey Island, and you’ll be outfitted with games for nearly every taste.
CyberPower is one of the fastest growing custom gaming PC manufacturers in Los Angeles, with a variety of products ranging from personal PCs and laptops to full-on visual effects and media systems. CyberPower’s notebooks range from the cost-conscious Xplorer X5-2900, which we’ve spotlighted here, to high-end gaming portables, like the X7-XTreme S1. Each system is assembled and performance tested by CyberPower before shipping all over the country. The X5-2900 is one of the most cost-efficient gaming laptops on the market and comes with a commendable list of specs for most basic gaming and media needs.Key Specs:
- CPU: 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
- RAM: 4GB PC6400 DDR2-800
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce Go 9600M-GT
- HDD: 250GB 5400RPM SATA300
- Extras: 8x DVD-RW Drive, Intel WiFi Link 5300 Adaptor (A/B/G/N Network Support).
Practicing ‘The Sims 3 Buy Mode’ on piano
Jul 8th
One of our members, Jack Griffiths from SimGalaxy sent over a video of him practicing the Buy Mode music from The Sims 3 on his electric piano. According to him, it’s ‘lame’ as it contains a number of mistakes, but for someone who was sight-reading and came up with the notes based on hearing the music, I think it’s a great start.
PC Digital Download Charts For The Week Ending July 4, 2009
Jul 7th
And once again, another thanks to Jack from SimGalaxy for passing the info along. Hard to believe The Sims 3 got whooped by ArmA 2, but then again that’s only for IGN’s Direct2Drive service. Once it’s on Steam it may be a different story 
Steam
1. Fallout 3
2. ArmA II
3. Dawn of Discovery
4. 2K Huge Games Pack
5. Street Fighter IV
6. Left 4 Dead
7. Call of Juarez
8. Overlord II
9. Trine
10. CS: SourceDirect2Drive
1. ArmA 2
2. Aion (pre-sale)
3. The Sims 3
4. The Sims 3 (Mac)
5. Dawn of Discovery
6. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
7. Call of Juarez
8. Overlord 2
9. Civilization 4: The Complete Edition
10. Fallout 3
Source: Kotaku
Inside the Rabbit Holes from ‘The Sims 3′
Jul 2nd
A crafty fan played around with the game’s camera setting and was able to tweak it to allow them to view the contents inside of the ‘rabbit holes’ in the game. Makes me wonder what the expansions have in store. Please unlock the diner first!
“My momma says EA is for the devil” A tale of purchasing ‘The Sims 3′ used
Jul 2nd
It’s stories like the following that sets EA back a hundred steps when it feels like they paced forward. The story below is of a user who purchased ‘The Sims 3′ used at their local Goodwill store. Illegal? You’d think not – after all, there is no warning on the back of the box that says Not for Resale. But apparently EA Customer service thinks buying the game second-hand is for the devil. They don’t want any of that…Oh no.
The annoyed customer spent their time battling EA customer service trying to get their game activated, as supposedly another account already claimed the code. EA’s response after a back-and-forth email battle? Basically ‘tough shit, give us more money’.
When I first explained my plight, the EA tech support representative offered me this option. Buy another, new copy of the game. “The Sims 3 is available in most major retailers or as a direct download!” he chirped. I then explained that my budget doesn’t really allow for a $49.99 game purchase, especially when I have a copy that I can play, but can’t register.
You know…It’s not hard for EA just to pass them a new code. But they’d rather look like dicks and get bad media coverage instead. Sure, they’re not liable to hand out codes to those who purchase second hand…But you’d figure they’d at least have some sort of decancey and would like to get good press for a change.
View the original article here.
Thanks to Sims 3 Nieuws for the source of the story!
Zero Punctuation reviews The Sims 3
Jul 1st
LMAO! ConnorJack passed this my way…Zero Punctuation spends 5 minutes covering the game. If you’re not familiar with their style, let me tell you that it’s not safe for work, nor around small kids, so save this for later. Jokes ensure, lots of f-bombs, talks of menstruation as well as downright insults towards Sim Fans and EA. Don’t take it too serious though, they love their satire!
IndustryGamers – Interview with EA’s Media Play
Jul 1st
IndustryGamers spoke with EA’s Elizabeth Harz, Senior Vice president of Global Media Sales to discuss with her about marketing real-life products using EA’s games. Topics brought up related to The Sims 3 is the Dr. Pepper controversy as well as the Toyota Prius download.
As for the previously announced Dr Pepper deal, Harz stressed that the deal will be “additive” and will not detract from gameplay in The Sims 3 (or future titles that will be announced as part of the partnership). “It’s important as marketers to be respectful of the user experience… We’re not just sticking a Dr Pepper [can] in a game,” she said.
Another recent example of EA’s marketing approach under Harz’s leadership was the Toyota Prius in Sims 3. Those of you who attended E3 may have noticed the Sims 3 branded Prius parked inside South Hall. The partnership with Toyota enabled Sims 3 players to download a Prius in the game, which she said got a very positive reaction.
Mockups – Games that should never, ever exist…
Jun 30th
Not the best of the bunch, but hey at least someone had Sims and Spore on their mind when they were creating these. Check out GameSpy to catch spoof boxarts based on Left For Dead, Infamous, Portal and more!
The House that Grant Built
Jun 30th
Remember this video?
I bet you were disappointed to find out that the house nor the characters were in the final build of the game! Same with a ton of other characters EA created videos based upon. Well, thanks to The Sims 3 Twitter, The House that Grant Built has been uploaded to the official Exchange. Download the house and add Kim, Piper and Liam to your game!
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